Apples and Oranges

Comparing two musicians is like comparing apples and oranges. Musicians are different individually and bring different strengths and weaknesses to the table. Don't get me wrong, I am a big believer in admiring others when it inspires you to become a better musician but the danger is when you compare yourself to another to determine your self-worth. It's a hamster-wheel of discouragement that ensures you will never be happy or content.

As a student, I wasted precious time comparing myself to other pianists. I thought everyone sounded better than me through the walls of a practice room. Come to find out, everyone sounds like Rubenstein through the walls (even me)! Comparing myself affected the way I practiced, felt and performed. I can say with certainty that it unequivocally did NOT make me a better musician. It discouraged me and ultimately kept me from growing. Although feeling discouraged is not the only symptom of comparing yourself to another musician it is certainly the most common. Viewing yourself as the best or the biggest fish in the pond can also discourage growth. Why strive when you've already arrived? (At the very least, it is a not an attractive quality if you wish to have any friends)

My path to overcoming the perils of comparison was to focus on being that absolute best I could be. I like to think of it like a horse with blinders, only seeing what is in front of you without looking to either side. This way you are focused on moving forward. Of course it is a natural instinct to compare ourselves to others but we must keep a close monitor on how it's affecting our growth.

So, how can you know whether you are comparing or admiring?  Discouragement is the biggest red flag. A simple trick might be to check your "ego temperature" when you are thinking about or listening to a particular musician/person. If you feel the need to stop excelling either because of feelings of inferiority or superiority, you are comparing yourself. If you feel encouraged and motivated to excel, you are admiring.  Nothing will slow you down more or cause you to feel more discouraged than comparing yourself to someone else. So above all, focus on your own individual growth.

Top 10 Habits of Elite Athletes (and musicians too!)

Athletes and musicians are not so different, despite what high school students think. Both require hard work, dedication, and mental and physical ability. I recently ran across an article titled "Top 10 Habits of Elite Athletes". The first paragraph quotes Aristotle: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." This statement packs so much punch and is versatile to nearly every aspect of our lives; mental, physical, and spiritual.

I'd like to expound on the habits that translate to those of us who are musicians.

10. Envision Success: 
The article explains that a significant aspect of performance is mental and that elite athletes play "mental-movies" of conquering their upcoming competition. Before major recitals, I mentally play through every note of my program. This helps to solidify memory the opportunity for a mental run-thru. The most important aspect for me in this exercise however, is visualizing the end of my performance when I take a bow. I imagine two things: 1) a sense of relief that I have just accomplished something significant, and 2) a great sense of personal pride.

9. Cool Down:
Athletes cool their bodies down with stretches. One way I like to end my practice session is to slowly read through my music. I deliberately play every note (moderately loud) to reaffirm the notes in my fingers. It really is one of the foundations of my practice.

8. Consume Sports Drinks:
Well, if you want. My version of a sports drink is coffee.

7.  Identify With Successes:
I can't say this any better than the author. This is dynamite.
"Nothing will cripple performance like damaged confidence. Every mistake holds a lesson, but dwelling on mistakes will inevitably lead to their repetition. When athletes make mistakes, they try to learn from and forget them instantly so they don’t linger. Having a short memory and identifying with past successes helps athletes maintain a high level of performance, even after major setbacks."

Yes and Amen.

6. Post-game Training:
(This one has a potential for getting lost in translation, but I'll try anyway) Some athletes train immediately after games  instead of the following day to allow a window of recovery time before their next game or practice. While I don't practice right after a major performance (I collapse instead), I do like to immediately go over what I'd like to improve after some performances while it is fresh in my mind. Musicians do also need recovery time during the practice week. When preparing for a recital or competition I will practice 6 days and take one day off. Not only does it give my body a chance to rest, but the music settles some. When I come back, there is a noticeable improvement in the way I physically and musically play.

5. Pre and Post Game Nutrition:
Bananas, Bananas, Bananas. These are a natural beta-blocker. It works best if eaten about 20 min before a performance. There are also many other natural beta blockers. I like to drink lots of water or a sports drink. One other little trick I do to calm my body is push-ups against the wall (provided my high-heels don't land me on my face). This gets some nervous energy out and it relaxes my shoulders and arms, which tend to get very tense during performance. (See, we really are like athletes)

4. Get Quality Sleep:
Enough said. This is just crucial. You don't want to sack out half-way through a performance. The adrenaline can sometimes wear off in a performance and it's just no fun.

3. Follow an Individualized Program:
Athletes follow an individualized training program designed to work on their weaknesses instead of just their strengths. As musicians we are naturally pretty critical, but having outside direction from a teacher or mentor can really pay dividends.

2. Set Goals:
In order to keep growing, its vital to set a goal and work towards it. Giving yourself structure is especially important. If you are like me, idle time equals no productivity. During the summer when teaching is slower, I like to have goals of music to work on. Fortunately for me, one of my best friends is a soprano and has set up a series of performances for us locally to force ourselves to perform and, well, not be lazy.

1. Work with Coaches (or teachers):
You are never too old  or too good to have a teacher. There will always be someone better than you in the world. Even if it is just a friend with an objective ear giving feedback. In the meantime, recording yourself will change your playing for the better.


We can gain a lot by watching others who are successful at their craft and imitate their habits. And if you're not convinced that musicians and athletes are alike, you are probably an athlete and have never practiced piano 9 hours in one day.  :)

"Small Hand Syndrome": Overcoming your weaknesses

What is "Small Hand Syndrome"? Well, it's a term I coined just last week but have dealt with most of my life. It's all those things, real or perceived, that hold you back. They are the things that play in your head over and over saying that you "can't" do something because of ____.

I do have small hands for a pianist. In fact, most of my students have bigger hands than I do. Do I suffer from "Small Hand Syndrome"? I used to. Did my hands grow? No, but my ambition and innovation did. I love the old adage, "Necessity is the mother of invention". Out of a need to pursue my passion of playing the piano, I found a way over and around my own wall.

A few years ago I had a student transfer into my studio who had played piano for several years. She was smart, musical and hardworking. All of the components of a great student. In our first lesson she promptly gave me her disclaimer that she couldn't play big chords because she had small hands. I immediately held my hand up to hers and showed her that my hands were also small. I told her that she could play big chords, she just didn't know how yet. Then I pulled out a Chopin prelude that is predominately large chords and had her sight-read it to see what the actual problem was. A few measures in she pulled her hands off the piano in defeat and said, "See, I can't play big chords", as though I was supposed to give up on her as she had done. I warned her not to use the word "can't" and that together we would find a way. After about 15 minutes of tweaking, adjusting, shifting and encouraging, we had a break-through. Everything in her face lit up and smiled. She was astonished that she actually played large chords with such power and ease. She wrote herself off simply because she didn't know how to get around her own wall.

My husband who coaches and plays soccer says that the job of a coach/teacher is to show the student that they can accomplish something even if they don't believe they can. I believe most people suffer from "SHS" in one form or another. Many are perceived weaknesses. Difficulties are not necessarily weaknesses but rather opportunities to become stronger. Your determination, however, must be greater than your weaknesses. It is important to never underestimate small successes either, confidence is built brick by brick. I once read that difficult passages in music must be dominated, conquered and become your greatest passages. I have never forgotten that. The very thing that you struggle with can be dominated and become your strength. After all, what is accomplishment without overcoming adversity?

My Mission Statement:

This blog is dedicated to fellow musicians, teachers, students and parents of students.

Music and teaching are an intertwined art. Without music teachers, you have no music. It is a self-propetuating industry with an abundance of both. In college, I learned the pedagogy of teaching piano without the follow-up course on how to teach the individual student (or how to deal with their parents). I call this "On the Job Training". I learned that there really is no one way to teach every student, or for that matter, to play music. Students come in all shapes and sizes and the need to be flexible is key.

Having began piano lessons at a young age, I encountered extraordinary teachers and teachers who were just not right for me. A great teacher pulls out the best from their student, however that may need to be done.

What I hope to accomplish in this blog is to provide insight on teaching students, dealing with parents (parents also come in all shapes and sizes), how to know when you have a great teacher and when to "cut bait and run", techniques and concepts of playing music, and any other musical note I feel inspired to write. :)