The Pianist's Retreat

We had such a great turn out for the studio's 2013 Fall Gala! The performance/workshop, entitled "The Pianist's Retreat", featured student performances, narratives, and a power point presentation on ways to develop effective practice techniques. 

There is a wonderful quote by the great string teacher, Suzuki, reminding us that "we should only practice on the days that we eat." Students always giggle when I share this, however, Suzuki is right! Practicing IS a part of every musician's life, just like eating breakfast or brushing our teeth.

The noun "retreat" means a place you can go to be alone ... to get away from it all. A retreat might simply be a cozy spot under a shady tree to "retreat" from the sun, or perhaps a room in the house where you can "retreat" from other family members. 

Many pianists forget that the piano practice room can provide a very special type of retreat from all the pressures and problems one might be facing in everyday life. It is a special time alone at the instrument --- a time all to yourself --- and it's one of the greatest benefits of being a musician. It is a chance for us to pour ourselves into our music and "de-stress" from everyday life.

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My mother is a pianist and taught private piano and K-3 music. There were 3 daughters total in the family and, while only one of us majored in music, (one became a doctor and the other a lawyer), all 3 of us became very proficient in piano, winning many competitions, playing with symphonies and such. 


I asked my mother what the biggest challenge was in motivating us throughout our music studies. She said "the most difficult thing was not finding a time for practice, but finding a time where the practice session would truly be the MOST pleasant thing going on at that moment." She said there could be no distractions, "which meant not only finding a chunk of time in each person's schedule to sit down at the piano, but to look at the schedule and find a time where there would not be something else going on that we'd rather do."

Perhaps this sheds some light on my sisters' and my success in our music studies. That, plus my mother was relentless in making us stick to our schedule, follow our piano teacher's instructions, and never let us give up. 

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We also discussed some other things needed for the piano retreat. (Many of these are addressed in Wynton Marsalis wonderful video "Tackling the Monster").

1) WRITE OUT A SCHEDULE FOR PRACTICING (6 days each week minimum). Create a time for EACH DAY of the week that belongs to practicing. Write it down and POST IT on the family bulletin board or fridge. Make sure that not just the student but the entire family understands exactly when this time is and that it cannot be exchanged for anything else, even if there is suddenly a lot of homework. MUSIC PRACTICE TIME IS OFF LIMITS TO ANYTHING EXCEPT PRACTICING.

2) BE OPTIMISTIC. Look forward to how great a piece is GOING to sound in a few days, weeks, or months. Stay positive! 

3) BE PATIENT. Progress takes time. Don't be too hard on yourself. Think about the word "progress"! Becoming an expert is a marathon, not a sprint. To grow to the top of your game, you'll have to persevere for a long time, so be patient!

4) CONCENTRATE while practicing. Get rid of distractions, whatever they are. If you can't concentrate, try to put your WHOLE self into what you're doing. If you still can't concentrate, and you can't figure out what is distracting you, then try taking a short break --- get a drink of water, stretch, walk around the room, get a snack.

5) CHALLENGE yourself. PRACTICE LONGER ON THINGS YOU CAN'T PLAY. Drill the difficult sections  of each piece extra. Work on your new scale or cadence for the week at the beginning of each practice session. To benefit from your daily time at the instrument and to reach your potential, you're going to have to constantly challenge yourself. It's not challenging to only repeatedly do what you already know how to do! Keep growing! This is how you will stay motivated as you are gradually able to tackle more interesting and difficult music.

6) SET GOALS. You will need to set goals for each of your practice sessions. Set short term and long term goals. Short term goals are things like correcting a mistake, memorizing a few measures, adding more dynamics (louds and softs), or working for cleaner pedal changes. 

GOALS SHOULD BE SPECIFIC. GOALS SHOULD HAVE DEADLINES. GOALS SHOULD BE REALISTIC. Long term goals will have deadlines farther in the future than short term goals. This is why it's important to break long term goals into small term goals. When you focus on a small section each day you will see faster progress and you'll be playing that new, fancy piece much sooner.

7) POSITIVE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT. Most students will need to be reminded to get to the piano and keep their practice appointments just as they would need to be reminded to do their homework, get dressed for ballet class or football practice, or brush their teeth. 

At least through age 10, parents will need to sit in the room with students during their home practice. For younger students, parents will need to sit in a chair next to the piano but, for older students, simply being in the room should be sufficient. 

It's not necessary for a parent to be proficient in piano in order to help. Parents can play a vital role in encouraging practice by keeping it enjoyable. Ask to hear their new favorite piece. Help them read the practice instructions. Praise them for any progress you see at all. Tell them which of their pieces is your favorite to hear! 

Parents can help students break down the assignment sheet into small, bite-sized goals. This is probably the biggest area students will need help with at home -- setting goals. Some days will require more short-term goal setting than others. Ask questions like "Which measures are the hardest for you?" "What is your last technic goal (gold coin challenge)?" "Which piece will you start with tomorrow?" "Let's each choose our favorite parts for you to play."

8) PRACTICING IS NOT THE SAME AS PERFORMING. Sometimes pianists think all they need to do is play through a piece, from beginning to end, once or maybe even a few times. They'll "play through" or "perform" their favorite piece at top speed once or twice and say "I'm finished!"

This is NOT practice.

THE PIANIST'S SUPER BRAIN!  Our "super brain" will remember everything that is put into it. This includes mistakes, too! So, if we play a passage over and over using the wrong rhythm (because we failed to count aloud and use the metronome), or if we play a passage consistently wrong with incorrect notes (because we did not study the music score carefully, or did not concentrate), or if we play a piece with pauses or hesitations, (because we did not choose a tempo that was slow enough to avoid mistakes), this will be how we will ultimately perform the piece. His super brain thinks this sloppy version is how the piece is supposed to sound! What a cruel trick to play on a Super Brain!!

It will then take thousands of  repetitions doing it the right way to "erase" these mistakes from the brain. That's LOTS of wasted practice time! Instead, THINK before you play. Make a plan. Focus on specific, small goals at a time. Avoid making the mistake in the first place and save hours and hours of practice simply trying to erase mistakes from your brain!

Remember, it's not "Practice makes perfect" but "PERFECT practice makes perfect."

9) RELAX. PRACTICE SLOWLY. Don't be in a hurry. This will only produce discouraging results and slow progress.

Always choose a slow enough tempo that will allow you to avoid mistakes and pauses. Then, GRADUALLY increase the tempo using the metronome, about 2-3 numbers at-a-time.

10) PLAY EVERYTHING WITH A MAXIMUM OF EXPRESSION. Make music! Practice with the proper attitude. Always invest yourself in what you are doing.

11) THINK. OBSERVE. REMEMBER THE DETAILS. Use you brain! This is the muscle which will get the biggest workout during your practice session. Follow your teacher's instructions from the lesson. Observe ALL of the markings written in the music score, on post it notes, or in your assignment notebook. Mastering all the tiny details is what is going to make you an amazing pianist!

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In the Fall Gala workshop we discussed some of the things pianists would need to pack in their "backpacks" for their piano retreat (practice session):

1. A well-tuned piano that is placed in a room with good lighting and no distractions (like the t.v.)
2. An adjustable piano bench (or bench pads, carpet squares, folded blankets, or old phone books to raise the bench height)

3. Foot stool (or pads) if your feet cannot rest easily on the floor, with heels FLAT on the floor.
4. Music books
5. Assignment notebook and current week's assignment sheet
6. A parent or practice helper (for students in the 6th grade or below). This could also be a parent, baby sitter, grandmother, older brother or sister.
7. A pencil and eraser (it's AMAZING how many students complete their written theory assignments with pen because they say "they couldn't find a pencil"!)
8. A metronome (which can be a free app on a smart phone or tablet)
9. A cd player (or ipad, ipod, tablet, smart phone if CD is downloaded to mp3 format)

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The workshop concluded with some final student narratives and a reception.


 The concluding remarks were something my piano teacher in graduate school, Amanda Penick, always said:
 
12) The 1st step of any practice session should always be "What is the goal for today?" The last step of any practice session should be to ask "Have I done anything better today than before?" 

Be honest before you answer. Be tough on yourself. Don't accept anything but your very best. 

If you can always answer "yes", you will get the most out of your daily piano retreat and you will be on your way to becoming an amazing pianist! 

Bon Voyage! But, before you head to your own retreat, checkout some of these thoughts provided by audience members at our Fall Gala!

PIANO STUDENTS:  (Question: "List 1 or 2 things you love about playing the piano. What do you love most about being a pianist and piano student?")
*"The way it feels to flow. The sound. The feel. Perfection"

*"Learning different songs every time. Being able to practice at home with mom."
*"What I like about playing the piano is because it sounds beautiful. What I like about being a pianist is because my teacher is very nice." 

*"Everything."

*"I love being able to pick up any piece and play it or sing it."

*"1. The sound is so beautiful.
2. You can play anything you want to play you want when you grow up."

*"I love playing songs. I love learning new songs. I love learning new songs when I am a little girl."

*"1. I like the scales.
2. I like showing people what I can play."

PARENTS (or GRANDPARENTS): (Question 1: "List 1 or 2 of the benefits you feel your child, or grandchild, receives/will receive from piano study?" Question 2: "Also, if you studied music in the past, what motivated you to study and keep working toward mastering your instrument?)
*Playing music brings together so many skills, from communication to creative problem solving, which gives the added bonus of a retreat into the inner self. I always enjoyed playing music; it was a departure from other more stressful duties and disciplines. My parents did not place the value of musical training high, and when my interest lulled, I was not encouraged to persevere. This is something that I regret. I continue to encourage my children to play for this reason; they both have aptitude and will, over time, hopefully find a strong inner motivation."

*"Happiness and a love for music. Focus. Usually better student in school." "I play for myself -- It is an escape from the business world. I was not good at motivating my children -- However they all love music."

*An outlet to express herself. Sense of accomplishment."
*"She will be well rounded and have an appreciation for the arts. Also, she will have a sense of accomplishment and self worth." "I'm a perfectionist and loved learning new songs. I also loved playing with people. It is also a great way to release emotions and stress."

*"An appreciation of music and arts in general at a young age, as well as the discipline to stick with something long enough to see improvement in herself." "I did not study music, but I appreciate those who have :)"

*"The whole family is so peaceful when my child is playing piano."

*"Working on concentration and learning something outside of school that helps her tap into her creative side."

*"Reading music. Expression."

*"Confidence; quality time with Daddy; nascent discipline; enjoyment and understanding of music (really! I have anecdotal evidence); maybe a sense of. ...politesse." "After 5 or so years, I bailed because my teacher wouldn't let me try the Beatles -- I couldn't take more metronome and incomprehensible classical music (I was 10 and he didn't teach theory). I think (my husband) continued because for a period it excited his OCD tendencies and he began to win competitions. Lots of positive feedback and French horn in school band."

*"Increased self-esteem. Discovering a new love! Music." "Being competitive with my peers. Trying to be 1st chair."

*"Self discipline. Fun from entertaining themselves and others."

*"Teaches discipline. Worth ethic, helps with goals."

SIBLING (Question: "List 1 or 2 of the benefits you feel your brother or sister receives/will receive from piano study.")

*"To annoy me."

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