If you keep practicing diligently, just take a look at what can happen:
You will learn how to handle pressure at an early age. The skills acquired in working with nerves for various music performances are transferable - control your breathing, frame the situation positively, with an "I can do it" attitude, focus on the job at hand, and don't go too fast. You will learn how to respond to criticism without taking things personally. (Did you know that part of my job is helping you discover what's wrong and how to make it right?) Don't take it personally. I will do whatever I can to help you be a better musician. You will having to stare "I don't really feel like doing that right now" in the face . . . and then do it anyway. You will learn to cope gracefully with the referee's decision. "Music is a subjective game, and the umpire's decision can be a little bewildering sometimes. But music students eventually learn to live with it, and accept the good calls with the bad. Why? Because sooner or later, you will receive and A when they deserved a B-, and nature will balance itself." You will realize that a referee's decision is not Truth or Reality. It is an opinion that can be flawed and is only temporary. The first time you are passed over for a promotion at work, you will think of the rotten judges you have had over the years, and realize you simply are in the presence of another bad judge. But you will also read the feedback on your job performance appraisal carefully, because years of music lessons have trained you to do just that - just to see if there is anything you can do better next time. You'll learn the importance of "getting back on the horse." If you give enough performances, sooner or later you will have a disaster. The important thing is not that you fell, but how quickly you got back on the horse. You will learn project management and coping with deadlines.You will learn how and when to focus.You will learn the importance of positive thinking. The greatest gift you receive from music lessons is learning how to become really good at something.
Most of the advice I give students boils down to this:
- Break big jobs into little jobs.
- Start early if you have a big project to undertake.
- Stay calm and focused under pressure.
- Analyze your own work for weaknesses and then target the things that aren't so strong.
- Persist in the face of difficulties.
- Allocate the time that the job requires.
- Work whether you feel like it or not.
- Listen to your teacher, and respect your peers.
