Sarah Brenay - SOHH - Ch. 12

Sarah Brenay - SOHH - Ch. 12
Chapter Summary: There comes a time in the process of learning a piece when the novelty wears off and the challenges heap up. We get discouraged and feel as if we cannot improve, and insist that we are sick of the piece and want a new one. We are focusing on the problems rather than on the solutions. When Ristad's student was in this position, she had her play it again and listen as if she were an audience member listening to it for the first time. The student was reminded why she liked the piece in the first place, and eagerly began applying new practicing methods. This reveals yet more evidence supporting the idea that we need to learn a piece accurately from the beginning. Sometimes we become addicted to problems. We feel like they are a part of our identity and are afraid of what we would become without them. Confronting our attachment to problems helps us recognize the need for change, and calm our inner fears.
Key Concepts: We can become addicted to problems. We focus on problems instead of solutions.
Making Connections: This is a really cool chapter. The idea that I am attached to my problems is not new to me. I've discovered before my inclination to stick with what is familiar, even if it is doing me harm. As musicians we can get stuck behind our problems, worried what will happen if we let go, afraid of making mistakes. You can't really improve with that attitude.