With month 4 of lockdown approaching, my motivation on self improvement has started to dwindle. As a music educator and performer I am used to drumming all the time, especially in June, July and August as those are CRASH’s busy months. The biggest problem that I encounter with this however is that constant drumming to perform and teach is not always pushing my musical limits. It is more important now than ever to put time aside to improve myself as a musician alongside my students.
The first step is to set goals. I like to give myself a new chart to work on that I tell myself not to give up on until its “performance ready”. This gives me something fun to look forward to and presents a nice finished product to prove all of my hard work. It’s important however to pick a piece just beyond my comfort level to be sure I am working to improve. My second goal is every week to pick a rudiment, fundamental or mechanic that I want to improve on. The luxury I have as someone who has been drumming and teaching for over a decade, is my self awareness of my own weaknesses. For those who do not have that self awareness yet, ask your teacher or friend to help identify those weaknesses.
The last thing is to give yourself some structure. Pick a time of day that always works for you. For me its right after lunch. I rarely teach lessons and usually have my office work and lesson plans caught up. This will guarantee that I cant put it off!
Remember that there is a difference between playing and improving, although I would argue that all playing is improving. What I should say is not all playing is pushing you to improve at a rate that challenges you. Don’t let the mundane structure of today stop you from scheduling self improvement!
Hilary