Deliberate Practice

Practicing hours a day can be tedious. And disengaged practice isn’t helpful. Thus, serious musicians all have little tricks to help them stay engaged for so much time.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to take breaks when your concentration fades. Breaks can be as simple as standing up and taking a sip of water. As long as you’re taking a step back and making sure you’re body’s still relaxed.

I have a few quotes on the wall above my piano to inspire me. This one by poet James Russell Lowell reminds me what practice should look like.

Practice is your time to explore safely. And if you’re up for it, you could discover a new world in your music.

Journaling about your goals, what you actually did in a practice session, and how you feel about the progress you made can help you stay on track and be kinder to yourself. But journaling without prompts can be hard, so check out the Practice Joy practice journal for free:

Hi, I’m Amy!

I’m a 2nd-year PhD studying Music Theory & Cognition.

I love learning about how music plays with our emotions and connects us with each other.

I also love teaching, which is why you’ll find me teaching music theory on social media (@girlinbluemusic).

Music is something I believe everyone should have the chance to learn, so I’m doing everything I can to support affordable music education around the world.

Even if you don’t purchase anything from me, I hope you got at least one big takeaway from this platform: the music you want to make is already in you.

You just need some help getting it out of you!

No matter what you choose to do, I’m here to help you become the best musician you can be!