Practice with a capital P

Lately I’ve been thinking about what ‘practicing’ means for me. There are so many different directions to go with so many ways to look at what one practices, and how they go about it.

Right now I am trying to improve some of my skills on they keyboard/organ in preparation for playing a festival later this month with Anne McCue. I am grateful for an assignment with a deadline so that I have a goal to practice toward. I wish I was more ‘disciplined’ to be better just because I want to. I know there are people who are self-motivated in that way, but I guess by design I am most effective when there is something I am nervous about.

As I’ve gone down this rabbit hole, I’ve come to the conclusion there will always be so much more to know about any topic of study - that if I’d been practicing this hard for say the last decade or two I’d be SO GOOD! If only I could turn back time… but no. Of course I was occupied practicing many other things along the way, some music related, some not, such as becoming a palliative care nurse and making pie crust to name just 2! It’s a comforting thought that instead of getting mad at myself for not being better than I want to be, that I can have a beginner’s mind again.

As I’ve taken this approach with the organ in particular, I realize there are some gaps in what I’ve learned, gleaned, and improvised. As I lean in and truly practice scales for real, and think about the numbers system and keys to play in and those patterns, something amazing is showing itself to me!

Through the years as I’ve pulled off xy&z, my intuition has gotten me through. Many times I’ve relied on this and hoped for the best, and achieved many victorious moments! However, it also tends to tick up my imposter syndrome, like I didn’t do all my homework but still ended up getting an ‘A.’

Actual ‘practicing’ tends to expand and strengthen the inner workings of how I understand something. Only when I go back to basics and break it all down do I get to the nitty gritty of where my skillset ends and the actual connecting of the dots starts to form. I can see ‘why’ I have played a certain way intuitively. Now my fingers are trying to catch up with what I am intending to create.

Even though this is one example, I think it applies to many aspects of what I do beyond music.

What kind of practice has been exciting for you lately?

Here is my practice corner for the time being, with plans for expansion!