Practicing an instrument takes much energy apart from everything we have to do in life, such as rehearsals to go to, responsibilities to assume, and managing a household and children. Do you have too many things to do, and on top of that, you must keep up with practicing your instrument? Then how do you ensure that you put in the required hours as a musician? How do you deal with overwhelm? I have dealt with this issue many, many times over the years. However, I managed to learn something quite valuable a while back.
Last year, my younger daughter earned a scholarship to attend a master's course for clarinet players within five to six hours of driving distance from our home. At the same time, all my family members were also scheduled to travel to different destinations for music and masterclasses. In addition, since we have house pets, it would be difficult for me to leave and take a few days off with my daughter. After much consideration, I concluded that the best option would be for me to drive her to that distant destination and return home the same day. However, I still needed to learn to travel so far in one day. I had had the experience of driving from California to Oregon in one day, but I had not done such a thing for so long. I was anxious and felt so much apprehension during the days leading up to this day.
We set out on this trip, and I managed to take my daughter to the masterclass and return home safe and sound. But I learned something quite valuable on the way. The trip thus the drive was long and daunting. And it was even less exciting when I had to return home alone. However, what kept me going was a fantastic sense of detachment from this experience. I stopped thinking about the drive and how long it would take me to get home. I focused my energy on driving and did not give way to any emotional setbacks—the type of feelings I would have during long flights, for example. However, there was a moment of weakness when I learned I still had two hours left to drive home. But I went back to my non-attachment principle and carried on.
Sometimes, we can become overwhelmed when we have so many responsibilities to overlook, and we, as musicians, have to keep up with the practice of our instruments that requires us to devote so many hours.
In such cases, it becomes crucial to remain vigilant and detach yourself from thoughts like "How am I going to accomplish all the things I have to do within this time limit?" These thoughts take up much-needed energy that can be put to greater use in accomplishing one's tasks; therefore, when you feel overwhelmed about your tasks and your practicing schedule, stop thinking about how you will be completing your duties and continue doing your work.
How do you deal with overwhelm when practicing for many hours daily? Please write your thoughts in the comments section below.
Add comment
Comments