Don't be a Suzy

It takes many things to be a runner but I’d say that two of the most important aspects are intelligence and perseverance. Imagine running in a marathon and on the twentieth mile. At that point your whole body is screaming for you to stop and just walk. Your mind is racing and what seems like millions of questions are going through your head. Would it matter if I stopped? Who would care but me? Do I even care? Many people have a hard time not listening to those voices in their head. A truly amazing runner is able to stay focused and eliminate those thoughts from his mind.

While it may not be exactly the same, a musician has to have that same sort of perseverance in the practice room. I’ve always believed that you must be your own teacher and listen for your mistakes. That can be an arduous task and if you aren’t mentally prepared for it, you can get down. After all, your sitting there listening to sometimes very bad noises. This is where the runners mental strength is essential. I’ve seen it time and time again at music festivals and at school. I walk by and hear a musician make a mistake and then move on. They sometimes routinely practice it and try to make it better but it’s always with a stern face and a defeated attitude.

In most cases, no one knows how not to practice this way. Don’t you just turn on the metronome and repeat and repeat and repeat. Why would it matter if you weren’t in a perfect mood? Well, I’m no expert but practice with that attitude never gets you far. I’m not saying it doesn’t work because for a while it does. It helps you get to where you need to go but not as far you could go.

So this begs the question, how do you stay positive while practicing something your awful at? Quite frankly, I don’t know. Or I do but it’s not a clear cut answer. Unfortunately, this process is different for everyone. You have to find little things about music or about the pieces your playing that make the mistakes worth while. For me, I treat it like a puzzle. I like figuring out exactly what’s wrong and approaching it like a math equation. There are many elements and degrees that once I figure them out will produce the sound I want. Is my bow in the right place? Am I using enough pressure? Is my left hand in tune?

But this doesn’t work for everyone. I would even guess it works for hardly anyone. You might try just having a positive mantra. It seems like a simple solution to the problem I’ve set up. I also personally try and remember that I love the piece I’m playing, and the more I practice it, and figure it out, the closer I’ll get to performing it. Keeping these simple thoughts in mind, can completely alter the success of your practice period.

It’s like taking notes in an academic class at school. Suzy might take her notes perfectly and evenly, and it looks absolutely wonderful but Tommy took his notes and they looked disgusting and jumbled. Tommy aced his test and Suzy bombed it. It doesn’t mean that Suzy wasn’t trying, and wasn’t working hard because she was. However, she hadn’t found what worked for her. While Tommy’s notes are jumbled and crazy, it’s what he understands. He knows what works for him. In practice, you have to do the same thing. You have to find your own way of practicing and staying positive. No teacher can tell you exactly how to do something, because in the end it’s your cello and your music.