Small Muscle Athletes
Photo credit: Maria de la Rosa
“Musicians are small muscle athletes.”
What do long distance runners and pianists have in common?
Quite a bit, as it happens. The principles of good training for elite distance runners are very similar to those for musicians.
For example, in preparation to race in a marathon, a runner wouldn’t run 100 miles the day before. Even a non-athlete can see that doesn’t make sense. Muscles just don’t work that way. Training must be done consistently and intentionally over a long period of time. You will find differences in the details of that training, but consistency is a pervasive principle of good preparation.
I often use that running analogy with students when we talk about preparing for a performance. They immediately see that it doesn’t make sense for an athlete to over-train right before a race. It doesn’t make sense for musicians either. You might get some modest improvement from a cram practice session, but it rarely sticks. Any gains are quickly lost meaning the work must be done again.
So why do it?
Why do students try to do all the work at the last minute? In my experience, younger students struggle with managing their time until they mature. They simply forget to practice and only remember the day of lesson. As they get older, their time management skills improve, but the demands on their time increase.
What helps?
Scheduling time each day is a good strategy. Not simply having ‘practice’ on their to-do list, but setting aside a specific time to spend at the keyboard. This creates a habit of practice. My advice is to focus more on getting them to the piano each day and less on how many minutes they practice. Encourage students to be task-oriented rather than time-oriented in their practice. Some days will be better than others. A good rule of thumb is 20-60 minutes per practice session depending on their level, age and ability to focus.
For older students, middle school and beyond, I would encourage parents to help their students learn to prioritize. Can they really attend ballet class 3 days a week, play varsity soccer, maintain a 4.0, volunteer 10 hours a week and sing in the school music program? They have to pick and choose how they spend their time. They will have to prioritize what is most important. When scheduling piano lessons don’t only think about lesson time, but plan for practice time as well. What can they realistically manage. Sometimes, students decide that they want to play piano but have too many other commitments. This doesn’t necessarily mean they have to quit lessons. They may choose to have a less ambitious set of goals for piano. Work with your teacher to set reasonable goals and a manageable practice schedule.
For additional reading on practice and performance, I suggest following The Bulletproof Musician. Dr. Noa Kageyama offers sound, practical advice in his weekly blog posts.
© 2018 by Debbie Guidolin