Klarinet Archive - Posting 000370.txt from 2004/04

From: OhSuzan419@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] motivation
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 23:21:57 -0400

In a message dated 4/21/2004 4:04:14 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 100012.1302@-----.com writes:

> "Amateurs practice a piece till they get it right.
> Professionals practice
> till they can't get it wrong".

Thanks, Keith --

I first saw this phrase in someone's signature block on the Clarinet Board, and I have to tell you, it really resonated with me. Thanks for providing the source of the statement.

There has for a long time been a dimension to my musicianship that may be addressed in this quotation. A colleague once observed, not necessarily in a supportive way, that there seemed to be almost a "Zen" quality to my mistakes in performance. He knew that I could, under most circumstances, render the bulk of a piece of music quite adequately -- even the challenging parts. But he also knew that invariably, at least once per piece, I would mess something up -- usually something that was clearly within my ability to perform well.

I have always chalked this up to nerves and to a certain damnable self-consciousness that allows my awareness to wander, mid-performance, away from the music and into a kind of self-monitoring -- like standing outside myself and listening to what I am doing, rather than keeping all my focus on doing it. Invariably, this is when I slip-up.

But I am thinking now that there may also be a degree of underpractice -- the "good enough" attitude -- that goes hand in hand with these technically-inexplicable lapses. I'm not completely sure how this works, but I do know that I recently practiced the socks off of one of our more challenging community band pieces (Bernsteins's "Overture to Candide"), and just sailed through it in performance -- even my bored and jaded stand partner noticed. But I had not spent much time at all on another piece, less technically demanding by half (Grieg's "Last Spring"). In the Grieg, I played an exposed, pp solo to altissimo E in the middle of the piece just beautifully, and then in the following tutti section, flubbed a clarion F# half note. (I played an F nat. Duh.)

This is all too typical of my performance history, and I had until this discussion just kind of resigned myself to being that kind of player -- good, but erratic. But maybe this idea of practicing until you "can't get it wrong" -- even, or especially, on the parts that I think I already can't get wrong -- explains what made the "Candide" a personal success, and the Grieg another nail in the coffin of my self-esteem.

It is very heartening to feel that I might be able to change this negative dynamic in my playing by -- of all things! -- practicing more.

Sounds way too simple . . .

Susan

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