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Summertime: Making plans for Focus, Fun, and Festivals

May 26, 2017, 9:08 AM · Well it is the end of the season. Schools are wrapping up, and orchestra seasons are winding down. For many musicians, this time either means some serious relaxing and recovering from all that craziness, OR gearing up for a summer festival, and maybe some of both. For others, it may mean staying home and working a job for a while.

This time can be difficult to manage though without the external pressures of lessons, or concerts. If you drift for too long, the summer can pass you by without feeling like you got anything accomplished. So how do we stay focused, stay motivated, but still have some fun and maybe even pursue that romantic interest you’ve had your eye on.

Festival Time!

Here is an all-inclusive list of summer festivals in the US!

Things to Consider:

• Practice BEFORE the festival
• Bring repertoire you already have under your fingers so you can take advantage of performance opportunities and the artistic growth that can come through working with guest artists
Set realistic goals – don’t try to learn 4 concertos in one summer!
• Set up assigned practice hours for yourself to facilitate daily practice time!
• Socialize! But don’t suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out)– practice now and hang out after your practice session!
• Regarding Summer Romances: Don't "Lock it down" within the first half of your festival. Play the field for a while and work on getting to know as many people as you can.
• Long-term relationships and professional relationships often begin at festivals, so getting to know lots of people can be advantageous vs. isolating yourself with one person (especially if it doesn't last).

Summer Without Festivals

I can’t go to a summer festival this summer. What should I do to keep moving forward on my instrument?

• Try to practice an hour or two before lunch – makes a huge difference!
• Ask a former teacher or a trusted musical friend to help you come up with a plan for your goals for the summer.

These are all topics we explored in our most recent episode of the Per Service Podcast. We are 3 violinists (and one violist) who get together to talk about being musicians in this freelance economy. We strive to encourage and inspire other musicians by sharing our experiences and things we have struggled with.

You can listen to our conversation here:
Listen to the Full Episode in your browser
Or Listen later on iTunes

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