Too good!

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Class

Bravo in Barcelona.
Shutterstock image. Source: Pixabay.

A new blog post!  Surprising, I know.  Having a few days’ vacation time gives me an opportunity to catch up a little.

A most amazing thing happened in musical theater class a couple of weeks ago.  I’m so excited to have a chance to tell you all about it!

A student took her turn a few minutes into the class, singing “Almost There” by Randy Newman.

She had nailed “All That Jazz” by John Kander just the week before, so I was anticipating that this would also be wonderful.

As it happened, she was anxious about something. When she began to sing, I could barely hear her. I wanted to get into it and play, but my sound would have covered her voice.

Why was she nervous?

It could have been anything.

• Was she coming down with something?
• Was she unprepared?
• Was she working on one aspect of vocal production rather than performing the song?

What was going on?

She was worried about the high note at the end of the first phrase, so she held back out of fear that her voice might crack. This is a freshman class. The students are shy about making a fool of themselves in front of other people, even in class. (I’ve been there myself so many times! As a freshman, I was so nervous in my first voice jury that I forgot every word after the title of a slow song in English! I changed my major immediately.)

The professor, who is also her voice teacher, identified the problem and found a way to deal with it.  Among other things, she vocalized the student to a top note a third above the one she was concerned about.

And THEN…

On the fourth or fifth try, she knocked everyone out of their chair!  She was SO GOOD!!!  It was perfect.

Next:

The professor talked about how well the student had just performed, giving her kudos for her substantial progress this semester.  She talked about how gratifying it was to witness this as a teacher, saying, “If I had my shoes, I’d throw them!” ++

Huh?

She elaborated.  In the African-American tradition, when something is “too good,” audience members throw their shoes! *

And then the professor burst into tears.  It was so moving.

The student was in tears soon after.

And the class was speechless.

And that, for me, is what it’s all about.

++  Class is held in a studio with a dance floor.  Everyone takes off their shoes so the floor remains grit-free. If a dancer were to trip on grit, s/he could sprain, dislocate or break something, putting him or her out of the game for a long time.  So that’s why the professor didn’t have her shoes!

*  Both professor and student happen to be African-American.  After class, I shared with the professor that I worked in an African-American church in Brooklyn for quite a while, also performing in other venues with the music director, who is a wonderful singer. However, when things were “too good,” no one threw their shoes.  So where did that come from?  She said it’s a Southern thing.  People even throw their shoes in church!

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★

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The single most important thing you can do right now to improve your practice sessions

Tags

Music, music education, piano pedagogy, practice

Image via Wikipedia

 

​How often do you spend hours practicing, only to realize later that much of that time was wasted?  Do you find that you need to revise your plan as you go along from time to time?

If the answer is anything other than “occasionally,” you can do something about it.  Practicing does not have to be unconscious.

Life happens.  You get a phone call, expecting it to be brief, and it turns into something else.  Or someone comes to the door.  Your child’s school calls, and now you have to drop everything to pick up your daughter.  Schedule changes happen ever 5 minutes some days, it seems.

You had planned on having a block of uninterrupted practice time, and then this happened.  Sticking to your original plan won’t work.  How are you going to learn all that music?

Deciding what to do when you need to change plans

Make a plan for this practice session based on what you can realistically touch upon in the time available.

If some of your planned time has been derailed today, make a new plan.

• Less time per piece/section
• Save some repertoire for next time
• Look at the music you need to do soon
• Keep notes about what you left out; be sure to look at it next time

Adjusting your plans results in better practice than attempting to do everything, regardless.

Reserve part of your consciousness in order to self-journal your practice in your head.

• How much time have you spent on one passage?
• After a few minutes, are you making progress?

You may want to switch to something else for the time being.

If taking a minute every so often to assess your progress just doesn’t happen, try setting an alarm for every 20-30 minutes.  Sometimes musicians, myself included, become completely involved in the music and don’t want to stop.

Tailor today’s practice to the way you feel.

• If you are tired or under the weather, practicing at performance tempo can wait a day or two.
• If you are feeling pressured by deadlines or having too little time, practicing faster and faster is not likely to help.  If you are conscious of this as a tendency, you can set a slightly slower tempo and see better results.  The hardest part of doing that is realizing that you’re caught up in going faster because of a time crunch!

If you find yourself yelling at the composer, the instrument, the editor, the publisher, the wrong notes, or yourself, something is wrong.  None of that is helpful.  Take a step back, take a deep breath, and try another approach.

It’s not about the time you put in.  It’s about the music.

Identifying what needs to be done today, right now, can help you meet a deadline.

During college, I felt that putting in a certain number of hours per day/week meant that I was progressing. And then I found a wonderful teacher who was able to convey what was important. Learning the music well is the game plan, not awarding points for time spent.

I know from personal experience that revising one’s practice plan on the spot is easier said than done. But it is possible, and you’ll be saner for it. By being aware of how we use our practice time, we can obtain better results. Even if we reach the end of our available time today without realizing what happened, we can refocus tomorrow.

Do you have a habit of self-monitoring your practice sessions?  Or do you have regrets after you’re finished for the day?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Updated from March 2010

Related articles

• Debunking the Myth of the 10,000-Hours Rule: What It Actually Takes to Reach Genius-Level Excellence, by Maria Popova
  
• Do you practice with self-compassion? (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)
  
• Learn music like a crossword! (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)
• How to learn piano and organ fugues (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)
• How to improve your sight-reading (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)
• After your audition (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)

For more about practicing, all in one place, take a look at my e-book!

Goal-oriented Practice
New review by pianist and conductor Andrei Strizek

Introduction, Table of Contents, Reviews, Readers’ Comments.

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Optimize your practice time!

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manage time, optimize time, practice, preparing for concerts, save time

Image by romaryka via Flickr

How do you manage your practice time?

[This is a repost from December 2009.  Enjoy!]

Since it is almost impossible to have the same amount of time available every day, it helps to be organized and flexible.  After all, exact repetition every day is soooooooo booooring.

Do you start at the beginning of your program each time you practice?  Are you able to practice everything each time?  Do you have several programs going at once?  It usually happens that I have many different situations to prepare for all at the same time.  With all those variables of performance dates, types of music (vocal, instrumental, collaborative, solo, choral music, etc.), there is rarely a time when everything is ready to go on the same day.

I have found it crucial to set priorities for each practice session.  Depending on the time available, the dates of upcoming concerts, and whether or not a piece is ready to perform, I make a list in my head ~ or sometimes on paper ~ about what I can realistically accomplish that day.  (Most of the time it works.  Sometimes I revise my goals along the way ~ and don’t get mad.)

Keeping a notebook of practice sessions helps immensely.  When you can see the last date you worked on a certain piece, as well as what you did, progress is easier to achieve.  If you don’t know what happened last time, or what state the piece is in, you could spin your wheels for quite a while just figuring out where you are.  And while it may feel good to just play something, it is a huge waste of time.  If you use your time well, you can learn twice as much music.

If I’m increasing the tempo, I write down metronome markings in my practice notebook (but not on the music).  While things are in such a state of flux, I’d rather not have all that writing on the score.  (And erasures wear out the paper.)

When I’ve worked on dynamics, I write that down.  How did it go?  What needs to improve?

Sometimes my impression of a composer’s intent will change, so I write that down, too.  That could change again in a day or two.

Trouble spots definitely make the notebook.  And then I make sure I concentrate on them until they’ve been solved.  Allowing portions of a piece to stay unlearned or remain uncomfortable is truly asking for trouble in performances.

Keeping written comments is the best way I’ve found to get all elements of a program together at the same time.  (It’s like cooking a large dinner, except there’s no backup such as a warming oven or a microwave!)  Having one piece or movement that I’ve ignored until the week before a concert makes me very uncomfortable.  (That happened exactly once.  I discovered on stage, of all places, that I had never put fingerings in a Haydn trio.  Oops.  I felt nervous just for that one reason.  A friend who was in the audience said she noticed, but that it was a good performance anyway…  and I trusted her not to lie to me.   And it will never happen again!)

On days when my practice time is limited, I often surf from one problematic spot to the next.  The next time, I do the same thing in reverse.  Why waste time practicing what you already play well?  You could be reinforcing unusual fingerings, making fast passages more comfortable, calibrating accelerandi and ritards, improving dynamic contrasts, playing the end of one movement and the beginning of the next, practicing intros and interludes in piano reductions or songs, or making a myriad of other effective choices.  What about the ending?  If it’s faster and louder, especially, I spend short periods of time getting it to be foolproof so I can be memorable in the concert.

A word of caution:  I have found that I often feel rushed when I have limited time.  So I play faster.  NOT helpful.  I have improved upon this tendency by being aware of it.  Now I frequently practice under tempo when there is too little time.  That increases my concentration and keeps mistakes from creeping in due to tension and anxiety.

And on those days when there is plenty of time, I revel in it.  Finally!  Time to “perform” an entire program!

How do you manage your practice time?

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I can’t play this! I’ll NEVER be able to play this!! NO ONE can play this!!!

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piano reduction

These thoughts go through my head every time I open a difficult score for the first time. How about you?

Background

This is the slow section of Mozart’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra #5, first movement.  In other words, the “piano” part is an orchestral reduction.

The right hand, when played by the orchestra, is divided between two string parts. Pianists, though, are required to perform gymnastic feats in the reduction, playing both parts in the same hand.

This section of the concerto is serene, slow, and quiet.  To achieve a murmuring sound on the piano is difficult, especially due to the fingers passing over one another and because the normally resulting accents must be avoided.  (It is not possible to play all the notes in the right hand while keeping the hand quiet, playing only five keys ((one for each finger)), and not moving to a different range on the keyboard several times.  In other words, don’t try this at home!)

Facebook comments

When I posted the above pic on Facebook, the following discussion ensued:

First, on 5/1:

[Photo caption]
The most recent addition to my catalog of Finger Busters.

[Discussion]

DG:  Finger busters is right!

AE:  What she said!

HW:  Dang!

MDS:  Wowser.

CBW:  Oh my!  😦

Then, on 5/22:

[Photo caption]
Remember this? The “ack!” phase?
Aced it in today’s performance.
I feel a blog post coming on.

[Discussion]
CH:  Looks “Greek” to me Gretchen but I’m grateful there are artists like you that let those like me enjoy the music!

CBW:  OMG!!!

TP:  Makes my head ache just looking at all those notes!!!

GS:  Exactly. My 1st thought when opening a score is often, “I can’t play this… I’ll NEVER be able to play this… NO ONE can play this!”

And then I learn it.

TP:  Some people like a challenge and some are gluttons for punishment!GS:  And some find it necessary to freak out EVERY TIME. I don’t think child prodigies do that…

TP:  In my trade we call it it SIDS…self induced disaster, the process of psyching yourself out before you even know what you’re up against! lol

GS:  I b the expert!

SN:  So how did the tempo end up?

GS:  120 and 72. Felt reasonable, thank God…

GN:  A great feeling to have worked something out in practice and then play it in performance with no “hitches” . . . .nice work!

GS:  Thank you!

KC:  cool, still growing into the job, Gretchen, that is so great.

GS:  Oh, I have the same reaction every time I open music I haven’t played that looks difficult.

Reality check 

How long did it take to reach performance level with this piece?

Although my Facebook “bookend” posts were three weeks apart, I was busy when I first looked at the score.  There was no time to practice it right away.

After consulting my practice notes, I realized that I had learned the piece at performance tempo in 8 or 10 days.

Got perspective?

This is not an idle question.  I am genuinely curious.  This is an aspect of people’s careers that is rarely talked about, as far as I know.

I am well aware that many musicians learn music faster than I do.  One of the vocal coaching fellows at Tanglewood (there were 3 of us that summer) could learn even a newly composed score still in manuscript form and perform it in 3 days.  He had the enviable ability to skip the practice stage most of us need to get the music into his hands.  Currently head of the composition department at BU, he is a conductor, composer, wonderful pianist, and vocal coach.

My teacher at Aspen was practicing Hindemith slowly with the metronome when I arrived for my lesson one day.  She had never played the piece.  Four days later, she performed it flawlessly, much faster.  So I went home and learned how to practice slowly with the metronome, increasing the tempo in increments.

On the other hand, another teacher practiced Schubert’s “Die Schöne Müllerin” for an entire year before performing it.

What was Horowitz’s time requirement for mastering the repertoire he performed? Rubinstein?  Glenn Gould?  Myra Hess?  Clara Schumann?

A pianist who was interviewed on NPR, when discussing a recent CD release, let it be known that he had practiced one piece for 15 years before ever performing it!

So it seems that preparation time is highly variable.

First take

What do child prodigies say to themselves when first opening a score?  Have you heard anyone talk about that?

I suspect that my self-talk may stem from the fact that I was not a prodigy. While there was music in my family, many musicians I know listened to recordings and attended concerts from an early age.  Several had parents who were professional musicians.  They had mentors who connected them with effective teachers.  Good instruments were acquired early.  All of that makes a difference.  I’ve been playing “catch up.”

A childhood friend recently reminded me that, when I would be invited to go somewhere, my response would always be, “I can’t.  I have to practice.”

Following my senior recital in college, a few friends came back to the recital hall from the distant reception to ensure that I was planning to attend.  They were afraid I would go back to the practice room immediately.  (I’m slow about packing up after a performance.)

B.B. King said it very well:

“It seems like I always had to work harder than other people. Those nights when everybody else is asleep, and you sit in your room trying to play scales.”

 

And now I’d like to thank my audience, who listens attentively whenever I practice and never, ever complains.  And thanks also to everyone who commented on Facebook.

What do you say to yourself when you open a difficult score for the first time?  Do you have a panic response?  See it as a challenge? KNOW you’ll be fine even before you begin?  Do you have an idea about how long it will take you to learn a piece before you’ve even started?

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★

Are you heading into June without a teacher? Need fresh ideas to share with your students? 

My E-book helps you practice more effectively, teach students as individuals, and perform with confidence.

http://gretchensaathoff.com/e-books/e-book-goal-oriented-practice/

Thank you!

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Goal-oriented Practice now 50% off!

Tags

Goal-oriented Practice, Music, pedagogy, perform, practice, teaching

My e-book, Goal-oriented Practice, is now available at 50% off!

Please email me with any questions at gsbook121 [at] gmail.com

Bulk rates also available.

For purchasing information, click on the link below:

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I resigned!

Last week, I came to the decision that I needed to resign from my church job.

In the days that followed, it was obvious that this was the right move.

The atmosphere was chaotic, the supervision oppressive.  I had been unable to sleep at night, waking up in physical pain, with clenched fists.  I had become sick to my stomach on several occasions.  There were so many pieces of information competing for space in my brain that I couldn’t focus.  My practicing was affected, not to mention my ability to enjoy life.

Since I resigned, I have regained the ability to enjoy my surroundings.  I can listen to music and actually hear it.  I found that my soul is intact.  I have protected my integrity and the integrity of my playing, and feel optimistic about the future.

“Hit the Reset Button in Your Brain”

Reset button. Source: Wikimedia Commons

A fascinating piece by Dr. Daniel Levitin of McGill University appears in today’s New York Times.

Dr. Levitin writes about the way we arrive at solutions, advocating dedicated project times interspersed with listening to music, taking a walk, or just plain daydreaming. He suggests that our brains, which assimilate so much more information with ever-improving data delivery, need to take breaks in order to function well.

He goes on to suggest that we check email, text messages, and voicemail only during certain times of day, turning off our devices at other times.

Very interesting!

Speaking for myself, I will hear my phone beep when a text message arrives or Facebook sends an alert to my phone.  I always want to know who it is!  I will stop doing whatever task is at hand, whether that is computer work, practicing, or something else like reading a book.  Then I will call the person back, comment on Facebook, or send an email.

During one recent practice session, I was awaiting directions to a rehearsal venue.  So I practiced with my phone on.  You can guess what happened:  I texted quite a bit more than I practiced.

I have turned off my devices for years in order to practice or get other work done.  It’s refreshing to read Dr. Levitin’s suggestions about doing exactly that.

What do you think?

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Want calls? Introduce yourself!

Tags

audience, freelance, introduction, presentation

Headshift business card discussion (Photo credit: Lars Plougmann)

Seems obvious, doesn’t it?

This evening, I was having dinner out when the hostess informed me about a presentation that would begin in a half-hour.  There had been publicity, but the restaurant remained open for other diners as well.

I remained seated at my original table, which happened to be directly next to the presenter’s location. The presenter began showing slides of his photography.  I was doing something else, but looked over at the screen from time to time.  Being so close, I listened to the narrative as well.

Those who attended seemed to know the photographer, for the most part.  Others knew of him, as he has lived here for years.  Although I have lived here for 15 years, I had not met him.

Given that there were “outside” people in the restaurant while he was presenting, one thing about his talk, especially, surprised me.  He never said his name until the end!  There was no name indicated on the slides, nor did he introduce himself when he welcomed people at the beginning of his talk.

He was, of course, concerned about the best location for the screen, computer, projector, and microphone.  There was the amplification to consider.  In addition, he had enlargements of some of his work displayed around the room.  So there was ample opportunity for distraction on his part. However, as a free-lancer, I was reminded of the importance of getting to the reason behind the presentation.

Remember to introduce yourself!  Feel free to disagree, but I think it’s important.

Comments welcome!

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Got a box? Here’s why you need one!

Tags

Andy Murray, Headache, sports, Stanislas Wawrinka, US Open

English: Bromo-Seltzer advertisement for headache medicine. Lottie Collins sings Ta-Ra-Ra Boom-de-ay! after being healed by the medicine and this effect makes her to dance and sing. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Several years ago I went out to dinner with a singer/client.  Although she had a pounding headache, she was delightful company.  She was joking, laughing, and making wonderful contributions to our conversation.

How was she able to be so personable, considering that she had a headache?

Well, she was compartmentalizing.  I didn’t understand how to do that at the time. But I worked on it, and am now so much better!

Which brings me to the point:  What happened to Andy Murray in the quarterfinals at this year’s US Open?

He tanked!  There is plenty of video footage of him smashing his racquet against the court and screaming during his match with Stan Wawrinka. That was   between points. During play, he looked like a bump on a log. He let shots go without moving at all, netted several returns, and generally looked disengaged.

Don’t you think the spectators who paid for those expensive tickets expected to see both players at their best?

I should say that I have long thought Murray’s game was erratic.  He is extremely talented, but his widely variable focus and frequent lack of will make his game so inconsistent.

What would happen if he could put his frustrations in a box for the duration of the match?  Does he need to vent so much that it saps his concentration?

Try this:  When you are practicing and feel distracted, frustrated, angry at the company you spent an hour on hold with just now, or worried about something else, take out your imaginary box.  Put all of that in the box, then go to the front door.  Open the door, and place your imaginary box out in the hallway.

All your “stuff” will still be there when you’re finished practicing.  You can have it back if you want it.

By the way, the same procedure works just as well for rehearsals, auditions, juries, and performances!

Related article

Murray Loses Cool and, Soon, the Match

NYTimes.com 

Got a box?  Please share your thoughts in the Comment Section below!

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Choosing music for an outdoor service… or not

Tags

Anticipating various scenarios, Clavinova, Mother Nature, Outdoor church service, Planning ahead, Sunday

(Image source: Wikipedia)

Our plan is to move the church service outdoors this Sunday.

When choosing music earlier in the week, the first thing I did was to look at the weather forecast.  As it turns out, we have deferred to Mother Nature twice already this summer.

For August 4th, AccuWeather.com predicts that it will be “partly sunny with a t-storm.”  With that in mind, I chose music that can move easily from a Clavinova outdoors to an acoustic piano inside if necessary.  (I’ll play piano this time so as to eliminate the possibility of last-minute pedal and registration changes.)

The music

The Clavinova has only one sound.  The volume can be raised or lowered with a toggle wheel, but there are no alternative sounds available (such as harpsichord, flute, etc.).  So the music needs to being written for one manual, and the ability to employ voicing to differentiate various parts (melody/accompaniment; fugue lines) will be quite limited.

I prefer playing sacred music for services, not piano preludes by Chopin and
Debussy,

The music needs to have an organ pedal part that can be played along with the manual parts (i.e. close to the left hand in range).  Another possibility would be to choose music with no organ pedal part at all.

Pieces that are 2 pages in length would eliminate page turns.  That way, when clothes pins are keeping the printed music steady, they can stay there for the entire piece.  (It’s safer!  Picture removing clothespins, turning the page, and re-clipping the clothespins, while playing the entire time.)

What else?

Although I have played services outdoors under the roof of a picnic shelter, the setting on Sunday will be completely in the open.  I will need hair clips and sunglasses.  

West Nile Virus has come to the area, so bug spray is a necessity.

And may I please borrow your dog to fetch the things I drop?

Thanks!

Repertoire for August 4th

Prelude
Come, Thou Almighty King     Martin Stellhorn
The organ pedal part can be played an octave higher.  This will allow the piece to move without arpeggiating the bass and tenor lines (to accommodate reaches wider than the span of the left hand).

Offertory
Praise God the Lord, Ye Sons of Men     Johann Gottfried Walther
This piece is contrapuntal, but is not a fugue.  The tune is clearly in the top voice, so it will be easily heard when played on a Clavinova.

Communion
I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table     Paul Kretzschmar
The embellished tune is a right-hand solo.  Played on the organ, a solo stop on a separate manual would be the way to go for clarity.  With the embellishments, the tune stands out from the slower left-hand rhythm, so I think it will be OK played on a Clavinova.

Postlude
Now Thank We All Our God     Georg Friedrich Kaufmann
This is a toccata with the tune in the top voice.

As it happened

This is a follow-up, added on Monday.

We had a beautiful day!  During the outdoor service, the breeze kicked up 2 or 3 times, but I was reduced to holding the music with one hand and playing with the other only once.  That was during a hymn.  With the congregation singing at the time, it was fine.

The Clavinova has more variety available in volume by touch than I had recalled from a year ago.  That was a welcome surprise.

In the offertory, the editor indicates in the score that the melody is to be played an octave higher when all parts are heard on the same manual.  I actually forgot during the service until the B section.  When moving up an octave, though, the sound was unsatisfactory for a melody.  So I went back to playing the score as notated.

Around 11:30 a.m., we had a few raindrops.  I was in Amherst by then.

Later on, we had light rain.  But the “t-storm” forecast never materialized.

Score!

Have I forgotten anything?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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