Thoughts from a recovering perfectionist: commit to the bit
You may have heard of the phrase “commit to the bit” here and there, but maybe haven’t put much thought into it. But whenever I end up in a situation reflecting on performance anxiety as well as finding joy in performing music, or even every day life (in the joy of being), I always come back to that phrase - commit to the bit.
It means completely committing your whole self to whatever thing it is you’re doing, and trusting. No half-measures, no apologies - just your full self. Even when everything inside is going “no, let’s go back to what’s normal, comfortable, what we’re used to and hiding away.”
Thoughts from a recovering perfectionist: don’t forget the good when you critique yourself
When someone asks you to reflect on a performance or playing in a lesson or practice or rehearsal - you go straight to what can be improved, right? It feels so weird, maybe a little boastful to mention anything you liked about whatever the situation was, right? Try acknowledging what went well, because we don’t level up unless something goes well.
Three practice tips for musicians that will break your brain
Do you ever practice something over and over and everything is going well, but then you hit a wall in your practice? Or something throws you off when you’re out of the practice room? Or just bored of the same practice strategies?
I have a few practice strategies for musicians that are definitely character building. In other words, they feel like they’re breaking your brain. What’s actually happening is strengthening the fortress around your skill by building the skill from different approaches and angles than what we’re used to as musically inclined practice room dwellers.
Three different ways to tackle tricky technical passages and supplement slow practice
Having trouble with a technical passage in your practice? Here are three of my favourite ways to tackle them that can use to supplement everyone’s favourite practice method - slow-practice.
Practice Tips: Trills versus Counting - who will win? (spoiler alert: it’s you!)
You’re playing in band, on a really long trill, but suddenly you’ve completely lost count as to where you are in the long high note wiggle - oh no. OH NO.
Keep reading to get some helpful tips to combat this!
Practice tips: Late off of ties or rests? Try these.
Late coming off of a tie or a rest and playing the rhythm incorrectly or rushing to get back on beat? Add these to your practice toolbox to help you with these kinds of habits.
Sight-Reading Tips for Musicians
I’ve grown to love sight-reading, so here are some of my favourite tips!
My journey finding improvisation (+ a free resource!)
Improvisation used to be scary for me.
Well first it wasn’t, then it was, and now it’s definitely not.
When you’re told to just make up anything, that can instil some major indecisiveness. Such indecisiveness can make you freeze up. This is my journey with/to/finding improvisation, and a free resource with my favourite starter improvisation prompts.
Interleaved Practice: be more effective in the practice room
I’ve got a problem with block-practice.
How I stumbled into changing my practice routine to the interleaved method, and how you can benefit from this style of practicing.
Practice journal reflections (after a break)
Practice reflections to consider when coming back after a super solid break (or any time really)
As I always believed, when coming back from an extended break, take time to be kind and rewind (a la Blockbuster Video)
So here are a few to think about to help get the most out of coming back home to your practice.
The Musician’s Mind-Palace
Creating performance mind-palaces where you feel most powerful.
Practice journal reflection ideas for musicians - part 2
More practice reflection prompts to consider before or during your practice to remind you of your motivation, your presence, notice any stress or tension, and bringing joy or at least neutrality and calmness into your practice session with your instrument.
Four steps to work on rhythm
✨COUNT IT
🟣SING IT
🟦MOVE IT
🎶PLAY IT
3 ways to use colours to help you learn music
Let’s talk about 3 different ways you can use colours to help you learn music.
How to build a new habit: be kind to yourself
Another suggestion for forming a new habit here for consideration🌸
Be gentle with yourself, especially if you’re like me and have perfectionist tendencies.
How to build a new habit: make it fun
Next habit building step coming in 🎶🦐🎶
Now that we’ve agreed we’re starting small, and attaching the new habit on top of something that’s already routine, we’re going to make our small task enjoyable.
How to fix your mistakes faster with the three I's
📚It's Saturday so I'm in teacher mode - LET'S GO!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This is what I've started to call ✨The Three I's✨ (or my version of variations on "chunking")
5 pieces of advice I would tell my younger self going into music school.
🏫Wait a minute, Doc. You're telling me...you built a time machine...? Out of a DeLorean?!
Fine, that's all fiction, BUT I was thinking as I see back to school commercials everywhere - what kind of advice would I tell my younger self just starting music school?