I wish my readers Happy Holidays as we approach the end of this year. It has been a fantastic year, and I look forward to 2025.
If you have decided to rest during this holiday season, you must do so. Resting after a long period of hard work is vital to your productivity. If you are on vacation, then enjoy your holidays. Sometimes, we do need to distance ourselves and rest.
If you haven't played for a while, your musical instrument was stored somewhere in your attic; this is a perfect time to bring it down and start playing. It is a worthwhile activity during the holidays. You can even play Christmas tunes for your family members.
If you are practicing, it is a good time to reflect on your year and think about ways to improve your musical experience next year. You can think about what you could change in your practicing habits, the pieces you want to play next year, or the musical pieces you want to listen to and explore. You can plan for specific performances or auditions you want to do or work out a schedule to ensure that you have allowed the appropriate time to practice and prepare for your concerts and events.
You can also improve on skills that you have always wanted to work on. Remember to think of practicing as something joyful in the season's spirit.
I am not taking a break from practicing this season. As I began learning the viola da gamba this year, I now practice my cello and the viol daily. I have established a system for myself. Since I have too many things to do on my list, I have created another list of nonnegotiable items. Practicing my cello and gamba falls into the latter category. Should there not be enough time to accomplish everything on my list during the day, I have a list of nonnegotiables to complete. Therefore, it is a way to keep myself in check. And it has been working so far.
Therefore, this week is the time to figure out where you want to be as a musician by the end of 2025. How do you see your progress taking shape? What projects will you work on, and how long will it take? Are there any issues you need to fix? Let's say you have had some tension in your hand and need to work that out; this is the perfect time. Or the way you hold the bow and your teacher has been commenting on something you need to change, but somehow, you have not done that. Again, you can look into it and follow the directions given by your teacher. It is also possible to catch up with work that you have been putting off. Most importantly, it is an excellent time to reflect on the year that has gone by to determine your path ahead.
How do you reflect back to your year?
First, remember things that did not work well during the previous year. It may be a piece you played that did not work to your liking or a piece you want to play but need to practice some exercises to prepare for it. Then, try to find new ways to deal with whatever needs improvement.
I will do that this week, looking into all areas of my life, not just playing my instruments, and reflecting on the year that passed. In the process, I will examine what transpired and what my pain points were and then work out my yearly plan accordingly.
How do you prepare your plan as you might think that you have made plans in the past, but they have not worked?
True, sometimes it is challenging to stick to plans, and everyone has been there on different levels. The thing to do is to carry on and exercise self-confidence. Resolve to commit yourself to the process. Daily practice is not easy, as it takes great discipline, but with determination and perseverance, one can succeed.
Committing ourselves becomes much easier when we are passionate about something and love what we do.
Practicing my instrument is part of my self-care. Remember a time when you practiced and felt good about your effort when you finished because right after that, you felt energized and wanted to do more. That is the feeling you want when you practice or finish your session. And it is essential to build on that day after day.
It does not mean we are always up for the task, but we practice anyway.
To recap what we have discussed in this post, practice with all your zeal, and do not give up. Planning helps us better understand where we are and where we want to be in our playing. Also, establish a tracking system so you have an overview at the end of the week or month on how you are doing with your practicing goals.
Establish a pact with yourself, a mini challenge to practice a certain number of minutes daily, no matter the circumstances. This is to begin with; you can later add on as you see fit. But in the beginning, this challenge can help you start.
Most importantly, enjoy the process.
How do you want to approach your new year? How do you establish your practicing, playing, or performing goals? Please share your comments below.
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