Klarinet Archive - Posting 000667.txt from 1997/07

From: Jacqueline Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: aching hands
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 22:19:25 -0400

On Sat, 19 Jul 1997, Neil Leupold wrote:

> I'm not sure if the above response is based on personal experience,
> or perhaps an uninformed knee-jerk impression of what practicing that
> many hours per day would seem to do to a person. There have been
> many other reactions of shock and distress on the list at the notion
> of putting in a 6-hour practice day, so I'm certainly not singling
> out Roger as I submit my own contribution to this discussion. His
> statements, as well as all of the others contributed thus far, are
> perfectly valid and understandable from the standpoint of what most
> of us consider normal practicing methods. In other words, please
> don't flame me for offering an alternative viewpoint to what would
> seem an ironclad truth to most.
>
<Lengthy cut -- sorry Neil!)

I just wanted to add my 2 cents' worth, after Neil's well-thought-out
contribution.

Isn't the original questioner still in high school? IMHO, there are other
things a young person should have time to do -- yes, practice LOTS and
LOTS if you're enjoying it, but if it's frustrating, then take a break.
Do your homework, go out for pizza with your friends, do the dishes after
dinner, watch TV for an hour, read a book for FUN, daydream!

When you go off to college or out into the work world, you will find that
you have to juggle many things besides practicing. If all you know how to
do is practice for hours on end without having to budget your time or
learning to prioritize, you may be in for a shock.

This is what happened to my *spousal equivalent* -- he spent his entire
high school life (outside of school) practicing snare drum in the
basement, emerging only for food. When he went to college, he couldn't
handle the many pressures and demands on him; he ended up getting burned
out and eventually stopped playing altogether. Only in the past four or
five years has he gotten back into serious playing -- but he's always
complaining that he was "so much better" in high school, and that since he
doesn't have eight hours a day for practicing, that he's never going to
get anywhere.

I always disagree with him (!) -- maybe he *thought* he was better then,
because he hadn't developed his ear to be as picky as he is now. And, as
we have often discussed on the list, it doesn't necessarily require 8
hours a day of practice. You have to work within the parameters of what
you *can* do. If you work full-time, your practice time is necessarily
limited! (Of course, *I'm* the one doing the cooking, laundry, dishes,
etc. as well! When am I supposed to practice? I guess that's a whole
different argument....)

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
eastwooj@-----.edu