One of the things I’m currently coming to terms with is that I don’t have an infinite amount of time on this planet. It’s one of those little truths that’s obvious, but we often act in a way that is blind to it. What this means is that we need to act in a way so that we don’t waste our time.
Media.
I don’t necessarily mean that we should avoid television, movies, video games, etc. All of these things can be insightful works of art – or even great ways to relax. Instead, what I mean is that we should be strategic.
Clearly a couple hours of media ingestion a day is fine. It’s even better if it’s done in the company of others as it can be a form of bonding. This is particularly effective when you have a discussion afterward.
How does this relate to music?
Quite simply, there’s a lot of music out there. This is true from all perspectives: recordings, live music, sheet music, etc. You can’t do it all. I can’t do it all.
And there in lies my current problem: I’m spreading myself too thin. I am currently taking koto and tabla lesson, performing with a koto ensemble, big band and a combo, preparing for graduate school auditions, taking conga group classes, and trying to learn new material on my own among other things.
It’s too much. I’m doing fine on each of them and I enjoy them, but I’m not able to dedicate the time I think appropriate.
The solution.
As each project finishes, I plan to let them lie. I’m going to reduce my project list so that I can focus on few things.
The idea is that instead of spending 1 hour per day on each instrument, I’d like to spend 2-4 hours a day on about 3 different things for an extended period of time. I’ve always found that a single 2 hour practice session is more effective than two one hour sessions.
This way I can make more progress in a shorter period of time and the improvements will last longer after I move onto a different project.
The plan.
I intend to put these ideas into practice soon. I will need to take a trip to audition for graduate schools in about a month. After that is over, I can take a break from that material and focus on different things for a bit.
I think I’ll start by experimenting with 3 initial “projects” to practice each for 2+ hours a day. The first project will have to be jazz vibraphone since I’ll still be playing at Mount Hood Community College. The next project will be tabla in anticipation of my trip to India in April. Finally, I’d like to focus on Afro-Cuban percussion (on congas, drumset, etc).
I’ll report on how the experience goes and let you know what I think of the method.
