The piano teacher’s word cloud Originally written for the Oclef Blog: September 6, 2016

I love my job teaching kids. But I often have a feeling like I’m a broken record. The other day, one of my students came to the lesson very prepared and when I asked him what happened, he looked at me and said “I just did what you said to do.” (facepalm)

So I decided yesterday to compile all the words that I say most often about practice. It was a fun exercise for myself and I wonder how my words overlap with yours. 🙂

“Practice in sections repeatedly. Hands separate and together. Each time think deeply and listen carefully for how you can improve. Do it Again. Understand and explore mistakes so they don’t happen again. Double and triple check all your notes. Try again. Do it slowly. You should feel mentally uncomfortable most of the time – you’re pushing yourself. Focus. Take a short break. Breathe. Again. Keep trying until it’s done. Make a goal and accomplish it. Practice everyday.”

Music is life.

JT