So Aspen is done and a new school year begins! Yay???
So far my practicing has been way more productive since I've been more strict in the my practice structure. I've also made the discovery that I can't spend only 1 hour per piece/etude/scale/exercise per day. I don't tend to make progress fast enough that way. So what I've been experimenting with, which has so produced favorable results, is to spend 2-3 hours on technique, then 2-3 hours on ONE mvt/piece/etc. per day. The next day I would obviously work on something else, and continue to rotate through the week. Every once in a while I might/will do the 1 hour/piece/day, but for the most part I'm sticking with the afore mentioned formula.
This formula seems to work well. I actually got into the top orchestra at CCM, Goal #1 for the school year, CHECK! That's another thing. I had a meeting with Dr. C, explaining to her a few of my goals for the year. She then said I should write them down and refer to them often. We used to do this in my high school and I was a big proponent of it, but I haven't been keeping up with the practice.
Goals!
1-Make Phil-This will mean focused and consistent practice on the excerpts. Making sure everything is
in tune and there are no "HOLY CRAP" moments.
*Check
2-Give a two recitals: One for the Fall and One for the Spring. The Fall will be recorded and sent for prescreening auditions for DMA programs. Rep I'd like
to tackle for these recitals include: Vieuxtemps Viola Sonata, Der Schwanendreher, Bach Suite 5/6, Bax "Legend.
--This will involve making a plan of action. I will hopefully have about three months to prepare each and will have to plan my practice accordingly.
3-Learn up to Kreutzer 20
--consistent practice sticking to the formula
4-Win Aspen fellowship
--Really paying attention to the details in the excerpts and playing a lot for Christian Colberg and Dr. Carroll
5-Get into a good DMA program (preferably with some money)
--Stick to the formula and continue practice in mindfullness
6-If still officially a resident of OK, compete in Naftzger and win!
7-Perform more
--signing up for Performance Class more often even to just play an excerpt or etude.
For right now that's all my musical goals for the year. I will try address each one in future posts.
Final Thought
"Stop thinking, just play!"-Christian Colberg
