So, You Didn’t Practice.
“Forgive me, teacher, for I did not practice.”
Ah, yes. It echoes in every teacher’s ears around the world. How long has it been? Days? Weeks? Months, years, or decades, even? I have good news:
You’re not alone, and it’s never too late.
My father used to say that it's never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, 'You never know what you can accomplish until you try.'
-Michael Jordan
Time to start again. But, try to avoid the common trap (I’m as guilty as anyone) of jumping in with fervor to make up for your missed work. We want long-term success and healthy habit building, not a cycle of self-loathing. In the short-term, realistic goals means looking at how much time you can commit daily. Ten minutes each day is better than an hour over the weekend. Your brain has more time to absorb the information, and you increase the likelihood of long-term memory storage with repetition.
Speaking of long-term, it’s important to be realistic about your goals in that arena, as well. I am a 5’6, 33 year old woman (at time of publication). I will never play in the NBA. But, I could choose to get a LOT better at basketball. Let your ambition grow with your work, rather than forcing unnecessary pass/fail checkpoints on your pursuit of music.
Seek joy in your practice. Performances are a small percentage of the time we spend learning music. Practice IS the process. Make sure to practice something you enjoy. Your instructor will certainly have assignments you, and not every exercise will *spark* joy in your soul. But, take the time to sprinkle in whatever makes you smile. Is it a duet with your toddler? Maybe you love pop songs or showtunes. You may love working one measure at a time through a dream piece far beyond your current playing level.
So, you didn’t practice. Dust off the piano. Open your violin case. Tune your guitar. Take the very first, small step and begin again. It won’t be the last time. You’ll miss practice again, we all do. The secret is to make coming back less scary each time. Start again knowing that I believe in you, and you should, too.