Summary: Deep practice is series of systematical steps, that all connect and correlate together: like building a house. First is chunking. Chunking is a skill used by all humans. We use it when we are deciphering and predicting patterns (i.e. in reading). We tend to group symbols or letters together into words, and then into sentences, and then into paragraphs. This technique was exhibited in a study of master chess players, and beginners. When analyzing the chess board they found that masters weren't looking at individual chess pieces, but rather they were seeing patterns, and putting them into context to find meaning. This chunking technique can be used when practicing music, by familiarizing yourself with the music, making connections throughout, to see the larger picture. Absorbing the material or skill is the second step in deep practice. By listening to proper examples of singers, we will in return learn to imitate their voices (or technique, rather). This includes immersing yourself in the music. Third on the list is breaking it into chunks. This entails practicing or breaking the piece down into mere measures or phrases. This can only be done after you have done step 1. At the Meadowmount School of Music, staff would have students cut their music up into measures and then place them into a hat. They would then pull a measure or phrase out of a hat, and master memorizing them by altering playing in dotted rhythms. This caused them to group more notes together, and fit the pieces of the puzzle together in an abstract way. "The goal is always the same: to break a skill into its component pieces (circuits), memorize those pieces individually, then link them together in progressively larger groupings (new, interconnected circuits)." A Fourth concept of deep practice is slowing it down. The students at Meadowbrook also used this technique by slowing their music down to whale sounds. This allowed them to better detect mistakes, and find a better precision of technique. When volleyball players were asked how they approached, and followed through with their serve (planning, strategy, self-monitoring, and adaptation), they found that those with the ability to describe their process were more highly skilled. By being able to describe their process, it made turned their practice into deep practice. The next step in deep practice is attentive repetition. By honing in on the circuit, in a focusing systematic approach, you can master the 1st attempt rule. However, the trick is that you have to remain in that bittersweet spot, the edge of your ability where you are still honing circuits. The Last step in deep practice is to feel it. By learning to feel it, we can develop more myelin muscle memory. As singers, we often only focus on the sound, and the sound changes according to our performance environment. We have to feel alert to the mistakes we are making, and fix them. Its about remaining in that state of focus and willingness to take the "baby steps" and fail, but also to try again.
Key Terms: The HSE, chunking, self-regulation, attentive repetition.
Key Concepts: Deep practice requires a series of systematical steps, and is only effective in the bittersweet spot of struggle. By following these steps we are building myelin from the ground up, like a house. But all in all these steps create a connection and paint a bigger picture of skill.
Making Connections: I am going to follow this process. I think it is an amazing blueprint for not only learning and deep practice, but for memorizing and becoming a better student/human being. When I have students, I will encourage them to do the same. It really makes me excited for my practice. I will have my students segment things into smaller phrases or measures, after discovering the whole of the music, then make connections through error detecting practice.
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