Why Good Practice is Uncomfortable, 6 Benefits of Music Lessons

Good Practice = Outside the Comfort Zone

Running is something I've done for recreation the past two years.  I've run in two 5k races, and was training for a 10k when I had three minor injuries (not all running-related) crop up at about the same time.  That was in August and, since then, I've run once or twice a month, always with a little pain and not with any consistency.  This weekend, I decided to commit to running again now that my nagging pains were gone.  My most recent run was just two miles, and it was pain free, but even that was very challenging and at a slower pace than normal considering I hadn't run in a full month.  My conditioning is not what it used to be, and it was definitely pushing myself to run even two miles without a walking break.

As my lungs were still trying to process the cooler air, the thought occurred to me afterward, "I hope I didn't push it too much.  Maybe I should have walked some and taken it easy since I'm clearly out of shape?"

Then I answered my own thought with another question:  "But how can you expect to get in shape if you don't push yourself?"

It's the same with music as with fitness.  If you do only what is easy and experience no frustration of your own barriers, then you can't expect to get better.  The best you can do is the equivalent of treading water.  Growth requires discomfort.  Practice that leads to you being a better musician will feature most if not all of the following elements at some point:

• A challenge you can't solve in one sitting, or maybe even a few sittings.
• The urge to give up (because pushing yourself can be humbling).
• Frustration
• Many rounds of failure before that breakthrough of success.

You don't have to struggle in practice.  You can just play music you already know and keep your techniques where they are now.  This is fine...provided you don't desire to get any better than you are right now.

If you want to improve as a musician, embrace the struggle that will come.  DO push yourself.  Don't fight it.

6 Benefits of Music Lessons

A parent of one of my students sent me this article on 6 benefits of music lessons from Parents magazine.  I thank him for sending me this, and hope you'll take time to read this article of what music does for you beyond simply learning an instrument.