Sunday, June 25, 2006

Organizing lots of practice into little time

Strictly from a practice time standpoint, I miss the days from a month ago when I was unemployed because I could start practicing early in the morning as soon as my roommate was up and play all day long, putting in a good 6 hours a day. Although my muscles are probably rejoicing in the strict change to 1.5-2 hours on weekdays, and I'm actually making enough money to pay the rent, I feel like I'm not getting much done. I'm tired when I come home from day jobs #1 and #2. I just want to sit in front of the tv for an hour and not move, or I want to just go to bed.

I feel like I'm doing the same practice every single day. I play some warm up stuff, then I practice my tonguing for a bit, then I get right on into pieces. Lately, it's been the Mozart violin sonata (which I've pretty much mastered the first movement and need to start the 2nd) and working on perfecting and memorizing Chaminade cause I'm playing it with the NYU wind ensemble in the fall.

I need to buy or find some of the other pieces for my recital. At the very least I should start the Francaix divertimento that I have sitting somewhere in my music box. Additionally, when I have more money in my checking acct. I need to buy Chant de linos and Mei. Need to actually buy the Francaix and Mozart too......

I just heard that a flute player I went to undergrad with won a 1 year job. Part of me is happy for her cause she IS a good player and works really hard, but part of me is so green with envy. She had something I never had - in addition to our teacher, she had major support from the other one, and even though the other teacher isn't my favorite flute person, she does have connections and helps people when she can. Other people of course, not me. And I know I shouldn't be jealous, it's just that it's been that much harder for me having to do it without being able to use her name (since it was the one associated with the college flute program). And I've done well - I have an incredible and incredibly famous teacher who I've found on my own, and he REALLY thinks I'm gonna make it. It's just hard right now to imagine that when I'm working 2 jobs plus teaching just to pay my rent and upcoming repayment of student loans to imagine it ever will happen for me. Remaining positive is probably the biggest thing I need to "practice" right now cause every time I think about my student loans I can't help but cry.

So, I guess the point is - No matter how tired I am I need to keep practicing as much as I can everyday. No more sitting in front of the tv during hours when I could be practicing. I am actually kinda proud of myself for continuing to practice everyday though, even if it IS only for 1.5 hours. That's better than when I first moved to NYC. I didn't practice much at all when I worked my first temp job. Definitely not everyday. I would go several days without picking up the flute. I think that I'm more motivated now than I was then cause I was in the "in-between" bachelor's and master's period not completely sure which direction to go in. Now I know exactly what I need to do and how to do it. Finding the time is the hard part.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home