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Hopping on the Practicing Bandwagon! All Aboard!

July 20, 2012 at 5:06 AM

Hello everyone!

I have never been much of a blogger, but I never really had much to write about so why bother, right? Well, now I'm trying to make some serious changes in my life, and regardless of whether anyone would want to read about it, I would like to document my journey.

I am an aspiring classical violinist and am working on furthering my career, and as most people know musicians have to PRACTICE. A lot. Unfortunately, although I love violin and it is my passion, practicing isn't. I would love to tell you that I have this inner drive that pushes me into the practice room for days at a time, but I don't. Honestly, I would rather snuggle up in front of the television with a carton of ice cream and an entire season of Criminal Minds than turn on my metronome and get to work. I would love to say that once I get my fiddle out, I am so in the zone that I lose track of time and become absorbed in the work ahead of me. That is not the case.

This being said, I want to practice. I want to improve myself, and I want to play beautifully. But how to do it?

One obstacle is the time required. I have thirty-five violin students. THIRTY-FIVE. This translates to about thirty hours of actual teaching time every week, which doesn't include lengthy phone calls with parents about their child's progress, scheduling, concerns, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, and I adore all of my students, but it is exhausting. When I finish teaching for the day, I don't have a lot of time or energy to devote to practicing. This means I need to be completely efficient and focused during the limited hours I have.

I have fallen off the practicing bandwagon a little bit due to these busy circumstances, but I need to get my rear in gear to get ready for an audition for a professional symphony in September. I want to be as prepared and confident as I can.

In this blog, I am going to discuss my techniques for practice, how I inspire myself, and how I make the most of my time.
I am so excited to share my musical progress with you all!

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