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What if You're Not, Actually, Behind? (One Thought Thursday 044)
Published 22 days ago • 3 min read
What if you're exactly where you should be?
As musicians, our brains are wired for improvement.
Our lives revolve around the notion of doing better, being better, and helping others do the same.
(#teacherproblems)
We are conditioned to scrutinize progress made through 30/45/60-minute lessons lessons, 7-day practice weeks, and annual performance events.
...and that's just in our WORK.
Have you ever stopped to think HOW MUCH of our lives are devoted to the art of "getting better"?
It's exhausting. Our lives are not meant to be lived in a constant state of optimization.
Don't get me wrong; I am ALL FOR growth. Truly. But I've come to realize this obsession with improvement sets myself (and most of the musicians I know) up for a long battle with discontentment.
...and I can't imagine that's the point of any of this...
If you're someone who ever feels riddled with thoughts like:
I should be better at this by now...
I screwed up by not studying ____ when I was younger...
I really need to learn more about ____ ....
I want you to consider this: Maybe you're EXACTLY the teacher your students need right now. Maybe your skills as a musician really *are* enough to serve this world in a powerful way.
Maybe you're NOT behind/inadequate/unfocused/whatever else gets in your head...
Sure; we ALL have things to learn and improve upon. By all means: keep striving to accomplish the desires of your heart.
... but please put your motivations under the microscope and make sure you're not being driven by insecurity or fear.
We all know the ebb-and-flow of noticeable progress in our students. We council students there are always improvements, whether they can see them or not.
I hope we can take our own advice on this one.
I hope we can EXHALE and remember we do not, actually, have to be "1% "better" today (or whatever mantras we've adapted over our lifetimes).
We're all on this growth journey together, friends. Thank goodness we have one another.
Now that I've (maybe?) over-shared my own insecurities, I'm putting the ball in YOUR court!
Hit that REPLY button and tell me what nagging thoughts of "improvement" plague your brain. 😊
(I'm not always the best at responding 🙈, but please know; I LOVE hearing from you!)
🥂Cheers to finding paths to growth that don't leave us feeling inadequate in the process. 🥂
Episode 164is an episode I am really proud of. I'm shining a spotlight on the real reason students don't practice (and, ultimately, give up on music study altogether). I'm not one to "toot my own horn", but I think the content of this episode is REALLY important.
Please consider sharing it with other music teachers you know.
It's a simple reminder that we're really good at looking back and seeing what events led us to today, but we often fail to remember today's experiences are forming our future paths. It's a good one.
There's been chatter lately in some popular Facebook teacher groups about how difficult it is to share ideas online, for fear of ridicule. If you're looking for a group of teachers who lead with empathy and an endless desire to learn new things, look no further than my Patreon crew.
It's like a pre-vetted support system. I love it for me, and I love it for those who have joined me on the journey. 🤍
I had a student win a competition last weekend with Dance of the Wind, by Timothy Brown.
Learning this piece has been a great journey for his early-intermediate-self into the depths of a rich, romantic tone. Fair warning: Students must be able to play octaves comfortably for this one.
I mentioned this resource on the podcast this week. If you ever feel like you're struggling to make your favorite method series work for everyone (but don't know what to do otherwise), this is the investment for you.
This is a time of year when silliness abounds in our student population. Everyone is READY for summer and it's important to keep piano study feeling light.
"The Hand", as my students have dubbed this, has become a source of real entertainment around here.
I originally purchased it as a manipulative for the flexing nail joint... but now I will find it pointing at random things in my studio, offering an encouraging "thumbs up", and so much more.
*This email may contain affiliate links. That's just smart business, but please know all recommendations are purely my own, and are absent of any icky ulterior sales motives.
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