How I practice - A Guide to Maximising your Time

So the Easter holidays have arrived and the first school term is done. While I do miss the kids (and the income) I do not miss the endless traffic jams I face each day driving around Auckland.

The best thing about the break though - ample time to get back into some solid practice.
This term has been super busy, especially trying to fit in work on my side business (Tricot et Toile) around classes and performances. Regular practice kind of took a back seat. Luckily over the summer I worked out a good routine and schedule for my practice, so it's easier to drop back into it when everything else cools off a bit.

It's easy to find lots of tips and tricks online about practicing and how to practice specific things in more detail, but I haven't found much describing what a good practice session actually looks like - the nuts and bolts if you will - sometimes I find it helps to see what those ideas look like in a practical sense, to then adapt it to your own practice.

Typically, depending on the time I have, I'll do 1 or 2 chunks of 1.5 - 2 hours each -they go a bit like this:

- Tuning (2 mins) - It's important to spend the time to tune properly, 'near enough' is not going to do your intonation any good. I try whenever possible to tune by ear to a concert A, my other strings in perfect fifths. Using the tuner is quicker for sure, but after a while it makes your ear lazy.

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Can you guess what this tune is floating off the page? Bonus points if you can spot the mistake.

- Warm up Scales (10-15mins) - When short on time it's tempting to skip this part, but even just 4 or 5 minutes makes the work you do from then on so much more effective. Scales are such a great way to get you physically and mentally in the zone. I find it's also a good indicator of the day I'm having, if I can crack into it or if I'll need to take things more slowly. I tend to switch between all different types of scales and patterns to keep it interesting.

- Studies (10-20mins each) - I usually have 2 or 3 that I work on at a time. I might spend 1 or 2 weeks looking at it before going on to something else. Studies are an excellent way to target specific areas of technique and develop or maintain skills that are perhaps not as often addressed in the repertoire. Currently I'm working through some Dotzauer studies, but I also like Sevcik and Werner.

- Repertoire (1 hour approx.) - Depending on time and how much there is to cover, I usually divide it up, working 15-20mins on each part. For example:              

15 -20 mins each on 2 movements of Symphony
20 mins on Overture

or

15 mins each various excerpts
15 mins each 2 sections of Concerto

This way I can cover a large amount of repertoire, spending time on certain areas or aspects of the music. Rotating through everything over a series of practice sessions. I will of course periodically dedicate a longer time in order to run a whole work or larger section.

When doing 2 sessions in one day. I've found I work best doing one session in the morning, then at least 2 or 3 hours where I can get on with some other work, admin, lesson prep etc. Make something to eat and then return to my cello later in the afternoon. The structure I follow is basically the same but I will vary the material. This way I have more energy and focus, as opposed to doing it all in one hit.

When time is limited, an abridged version of the schedule will leave out the studies and I will be much more selective about choosing the parts of repertoire needing the most attention, either based on technical difficulty and/or performance deadline.

Around 95% of my practice is spent with a metronome.

The most important thing I've found is the quality of practice above quantity. If I'm really focusing, correcting things, listening and feeling everything, the practice is far more effective. For me, I do this better thinking in terms of small chunks. If I sit down for an hour and half to practice just as it comes, it's far too easy to whittle away the time without really achieving much

At a master class with Richard Aaron, professor of cello at Julliard, I remember him saying he'd get his student to set the timer for every 6 minutes and then note down what they had done in that time. Making you hyper aware and accountable for every minute spent. Whilst I'm not quite that disciplined, a little time pressure certainly keeps me focused and motivated.

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Here are a couple of nice resources with further tips for good practice:

BBC Bitesize guides - this is aimed at school aged students but the concise pointers can apply to everyone.

Creative Commons article: This longer article goes more in depth with ideas and advice around effective practice techniques.

I hope this inspires and motivates you to work out the best most positive and sustainable practice regime for you. Please do let me know if this was useful and fell free to share any ideas or questions you might have.

Musical Energy and Playing with other Humans

This summer I had a few gigs, in itself nothing extraordinary. But I've been doing so much orchestral playing, that I kind of forgot how much I dig playing in smaller groups.

It's not chamber music as such, don't get me wrong, that has its place, but when you're there at a wedding or a community function your job is to entertain people, creating a great atmosphere, not being intrusive, but also not necessarily being listened to - it's not really a performance in that sense, but if there is a great spark between the musicians, it will set up a vibe for the event that everyone will love. (Honestly I've done quartet gigs that there has been zero spark, and not only has the music not been great, but the guests hardly even noticed when we finished up)

This summer's gigs were great though. It started off catching up with my old friend Louise from the Beaumont Belles, she's recently come back from exploring Europe (and playing the odd harp along the way). So we hadn't really played together much for a long while, and it may have just been a few classic carols for a Christmas fete, but it was fun, and the visitors loved it, partly the harp has such a dominating presence, but also we both know what the other can do, how our sounds can weave together and when to let the other cut loose and run with it. That's the beauty of a duo really it's so easy to communicate and let the music flow with how you're feeling.

Hot on the heels of that came some pre-concert entertainment for audience members while they enjoyed drinks on the veranda. Myself and some friends, namely my brother Dave on guitar and his mate Earl on a variety of percussion. Again playing familiar Christmas songs, changing up the styles, for example, my personal highlight, a ska version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...pretty silly but really fun - and credit must go to those two, I was really along for the ride, we weren't taking it super seriously, but they really know what they're doing, enjoying themselves and making a great sound and the atmosphere of the event being as it was familial and relaxed, the audience LOVED it, it set them up for a really good show.

Finally, in the new year, I was asked to fill in at a wedding with other members of The Black Quartet. I've played with a couple of them before but not since the Aotea Youth Orchestra days. It was great catching up with them again. These folks are fabulous musicians, so much energy and connection between them, so coming in like that, for the most part, it was pretty easy to gel in - there were, if I'm honest a couple of numbers where it became apparent I wasn't entirely match fit on my sight reading (....where does that freakin' repeat go back to?!?), but aside from that it all went pretty well.
And it would have been even better had there not been 30kn winds playing havoc with the pages and at one critical moment (as the happy couple walked off down the aisle) knocked my entire folder clean off the stand! Happily my improvisational skills have improved since the old Aotea days. But it's been that long since I've played an outdoor wedding - I didn't even think about pegs, should know better really.

I think at the end of the day, playing gigs like these, with different people, in different places, gives us a bit more freedom to express ourselves. You have to connect with the other players at quite a fundamental level, read the crowd to an extent and deal with unexpected environmental forces. Playing in a larger group in an orchestra or a show is great too, I love the energy, the bigger the better, but it is more prescriptive, we need to follow the conductor, manifest his (or her) interpretation of the work, the performance is a lot more formalised.
Whereas when you are playing in a small group, particularly with people you know well and play with often, you have the liberty to express yourself more freely. Take your emotions of the moment and send out a tear jerking version of O Holy Night, for example, or equally feed off the others energy with a croony version of Embraceable You. The whole experience is a lot more collaborative, and the energy can be a lot more direct, between the players, through the music and out to the guests - a bit more grass roots I guess. And if you are having a good time, so will the guests, even if they are not particularly paying attention.

Performance can take on so many forms it's hard to decide which I like to play best - on reflection, if the collective energy is there it doesn't matter what it is.

Review - Johannes Moser plays Shostakovitch with the NZSO

This last month I've had the good fortune to be able to satiate my appetite for the works of Shostakovitch. Firstly with the Borodin String Quartet on their New Zealand tour, with a fabulous performance of Shostakovitch String Quartet no.9 at Auckland’s Town Hall. On this occasion I was lucky enough to get seats in the circle overlooking the stage, here we could really feel a part of the drama, the serious determination and passion really gave the impression blood had been spilled. I was particularly drawn in by the extraordinary cello solo accompanied only by the light tremolo of the upper strings.

I then attended this past weekend's performance of the Shostakovitch Cello concerto performed by Johannes Moser and the NZSO.
Once again at the Auckland Town Hall, the city’s premiere classical venue. Tickets are pricey though, especially with all the added fees, so this time we were at the back of the stalls, but it didn’t matter, the sound was great and although I do like to observed peoples technique, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the energy, even at that distance.

The concert started with the Borodin Overture to Prince Igor. This was a delightful entree, as with any fine meal, the entree should be not too heavy but enough to whet your appetite for the main course, this did exactly that. As someone said to me, it could have been the soundtrack to a western, it did have that kind of feel.

Johannes entered the stage to great applause wearing all black, his top, half something shiny (vinyl maybe?), reminiscent, I thought, of Star-trek, a welcome variant to the traditional tails. My thoughts were that this guy is a bit of a rock star, I would not be disappointed.

This first concerto by Shostakovitch was written for Mstislav Rostropovitch in 1959, who remarkably memorized it in just 4 days. There is so much complexity both technically and emotionally in this work, listening to it I find myself being put through the ringer, to play it, undoubtedly even more so.

From the first opening theme, the passion and vigour with which Johannes plays is evident. He is an extraordinarily physical payer, but not in a forced or pretentious way. He appears to be enacting the music, he and his instrument are one being, and the sound and energy is mind-blowing. Fairly near the opening, one particularly wide and energetic bow release knocked the concertmasters stand, recovery was instantaneous, there was an authenticity to it, sometimes unexpected stuff happens, I like that.

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The second movement follows with a dreamy folk like melody, where the first movement was smacking you in the face repeatedly, this has a weeping, heartfelt type of intensity. Johannes transitions seamlessly between the light, almost hopeful and innocent themes, to those darker and more intense, his presence soaring above the orchestra even in the most delicate of moments.

The movement culminates in the theme once again but this time as flawless and haunting harmonics. When I’ve taught my young students to play harmonics for the first time often their reaction is that they sound scary, like a horror movie. I don’t recall ever hearing them that way, until now. It was terrifying!
Clearly not everyone around me was as transfixed, with all the shuffling and wriggling and squeaking chairs, it was quite off putting.

The cadenza which follows essentially takes the form of an unaccompanied third movement. Critic Lev Ginzburg reportedly described it as a monologue-recitative and a deep meditation. I really felt it, more so in this performance than any recording I've heard, perhaps that is the magic of live performance. This was a truly magical performance, I was mesmorized (restless wrigglers notwithstanding)
I'm not sure if it was written to be comical, but the jumping five note runs leading in to the 4th movement lead me to start giggling. I wonder if it was more a reaction to the nervous energy, the way some people start laughing as a defence mechanism when witnessing something gruesome. Johannes and the NZSO had me so immersed in this music that this type of visceral reaction was inevitable.

The final movement burst forth with the same, if not more, raw passion and energy as the first. There was a fabulous connection between the soloist and the orchestra. Johannes physically connected with the a players, they were connected as people as well as through the music, we don't always see that, and it really elevates the overall experience.
At the conclusion, to a rapturous applause, the only word I could utter rhymed with duck, it was such a phenomenal performance, I was otherwise speechless.

The encore came shortly after, apparently to "clear the air" They played Elegy by John Williams, indeed a very beautiful work, still full of sadness and anguish. But on second thought anything lighter and more uplifting would have been incongruous.

The second half the NZSO played selections from Prokofiev's Ballet Romeo and Juliet. I am a big fan of Prokofiev and love to hear the Dance of the Knights. But for me there was something lacking in this as a programme choice, despite the intention as a stand-alone work, it felt disjointed and long. I would have preferred maybe one of Prokofiev's Symphonies to keep the momentum going.

All credit to the NZSO it was a massive play and under the baton of Peter Oundjian, his debut performance with the orchestra, they gave us a stunning evening out.

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Courtesy of RNZ National

After the weekend of concerts, Johannes did a great interview on RNZ with Kathryn Ryan that you can listen to here. What in interesting person, his character clearly comes through in his playing.

The Best Song(s) ever Written

Most of our sensory perception is relative to what we know, take wine tasting for example, you are unlikely to find the pomegranate notes in your Zinfandel if you have never experienced an actual pomegranate.

The same goes for art, the emotional reaction we have to a painting or a piece of music is not necessarily the same as that of the artist when they were creating it. Going one step further, even the most innovative of artists has influencers, those that have gone before that have been an inspiration.

As a musician, when we play a piece of music, of course we try to understand the story the composer was trying to tell. But interpreting this as ourselves we must draw on our own experiences and find our own inspiration.

I find it really interesting to know what music people choose to listen to, if any. I think it tells a lot about a person. For me, there is an eclectic range of things I like to listen to, depending on my mood. Then other things, I might not put the record on, but I love to play.

I wanted to share some of my music choices, it's harder than it sounds, there is so much great music out there,  and such a vast array of styles...how to choose? Well it made me think of Nick Hornby's book 'High Fidelity' (a good read by the way) The main character and his buddy in the record store pass the time making 'Top 5' lists. so I thought I'd give it a crack. Starting with the top 5 genres. Here goes...

Top Five country/folk songs:

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'Fly' by the Dixie Chicks - based on the original album cover artwork

- Simple Twist of Fate - Bob Dylan
- Cowboy Take me away - The Dixie Chicks
- Oh my Sweet Carolina - Ryan Adams
- The Night they Drove old Dixie Down - The Band
- A Man Needs a Maid - Neil Young

Top 5 Classical works:

- Cello Concerto in E minor Op. 85 - Edward Elgar
- Adagio for Strings - Samuel Barber
- Piano concerto in A minor Op.16 - Edvard Grieg
- Symphony No. 7 in C# minor Op. 131 - Prokoffiev
- Symphony No. 5 in E minor Op. 64 - Tchaikovsky

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Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground with Nico - Based on the original album cover artwork

Top Five Rock songs

- November Rain - Guns 'n Roses
- Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
- Angie - Rolling Stones
- Venus in Furs - The Velvet Underground
- Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits

Top 5 Blues:

- Bell Bottom Blues - Derek and the Dominos
- Still got the Blues - Gary Moore
- Many Rivers to Cross - Jimmy Cliff / Blind Boys of Alabama
- Cosmic Blues - Janis Joplin
- Change is Gonna Come - Otis Redding

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'Small Change' by Tom Waits - based on the original album artwork

Top 5 Alt-Rock/Pop Tracks

- Tom Traubert's Blues - Tom Waits
- Paranoid Android - Radiohead
- Lonesome Tears - Beck
- Into my Arms - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
- Hope There's Someone - Anthony and the Johnsons

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'Infidels' by Bob Dylan - based on the original album artwork

Top 5 Albums (to be listened to complete, beginning to end)

- Drella - Lou Reed and John Cale
- The Last Waltz - The Band
- Berlin - Lou Reed
- The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders of Mars - David Bowie
- Infidels - Bob Dylan

So it was considerably more difficult than I thought to narrow it down that much, You might find some of the categories a bit dubious but so often I find it hard to put them in a box. Plus there were so many great songs and artists, folks like Phil Spectre, Amy Winehouse , Ben Harper, Aretha Franklin, Björk, The Cars, that didn't quite make the cut. But that's I guess the beauty of the top 5, you really have to think about the song and what it has that merits it being there. Many of these made it because of a personal connection or memory or they have these epic instrumental arrangements.

Maybe you are familiar with some of these, maybe you've never listened to any of them. Either way it would be great for you to share your Top 5 'Somethings' in the comments below. I'd love to find out what inspires us in different ways as musicians, plus I always enjoy discovering new music I've never listened to before.

The year in review

A new year has begun, and I find it's a good time to reflect on how things have been going, things that worked, things that didn't. I embarked on this journey around 3 years ago now - how time flies -  making the move from an office job, with long hours, that I no longer enjoyed, to put my efforts into this passion that I have had since I was small.

It certainly hasn't been easy. I sometimes miss the regular salary, routine and office banter, but if those were the pros, the list of cons would be much longer.

Leaving it all behind to focus on music hasn't always been sunshine and roses though. But, I have to remember that this is a journey, and journeys take time, the road can be windy and there can be many obstacles.

However, I feel that this year, things have started to turn a corner. Music is largely a business of personal networks. Jobs come through recommendations and word of mouth. These networks can take a while to build, but the more you prove yourself and become known within the right circles the more calls you get. And I have been getting more calls, with any luck this will continue growing in 2018.

My teaching practice has also been growing this year, and I have had some really fabulous students, who are just such a pleasure to teach. It reminds me that this is what its all about, seeing the little improvements in playing, development musically and as a person, and seeing the enjoyment that they get out of playing music. I have lost a few too, sadly, mainly due to external life factors, but it's all swings and roundabouts, hopefully a time comes where they can once again explore the world of music.

Artwork inspired by the song
"Many Rivers to Cross" (1969) by Jimmy Cliff

The big thing that I realised this year and which I struggled with most is that I, myself, my brain, is a barrier, an obstacle on the journey.
Thankfully mental health is getting more talked about in recent times, it was a big issue in the recent election here in New Zealand, more efforts are being put in to healthcare and support for those suffering. But I personally, still feel that it's not something we can freely talk about, fear of stigmatism, misunderstanding, pity, none of which are useful. When these reactions are in our working environments, well, I know first hand the repercussions of revealing a mental health condition at work....really not good..... so I don't....So even this is hard.

Mental health issues are not uncommon among musicians, perhaps the defective wiring in our brain is also what makes us lean towards artistic forms of expression.
But, it's a two sided coin. Being freelance means I can manage my own timetable and make it work for me, I can take on the work I want to do, and I am doing something I am passionate about. The flip side is financial pressures, self-management and promotional pressures. I really underestimated what it takes to create those networks, developing a (good) reputation, not to mention the study required to continually improve as a teacher, and of course my own practice regime. Challenging at the best of times, let alone on the days when, plagued with doubts, your self-esteem has gone out the window, you are suffering intense social anxiety and can barely manage to get yourself out of bed.

The effort can be exhausting, but I am so happy that focusing on a good lesson or having a great rehearsal or concert is a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day. I think there are some key factors to focus on:

1. Working out what it is you want to be doing, in the short, medium and long term. - set some goals to keep you on track.

2. Set a good routine as best as you can to keep well and working towards those goals.

2a. Schedule in time for relaxation and excersize, things that are totally unrelated to work.

3. Practice activities to help keep positive and have realistic expectations on yourself.

So this is my plan for 2018: Set achievable goals, create a realistic routine to get things done, prioritise exercise (this one is critical for me), be more consistent with practice, work efficiently but don't underestimate the time to complete things, read more books.

The road may be long, there are many rivers to cross, but I really believe that if you want something you will find a way to get there, eventually, in some shape or form. Despite the inevitable competition among musicians, we are all linked through this art form and we need to support each other. Please feel free to share your own experiences in the comments below.

The journey continues....

5 Things to do with a Metronome

For some, the metronome is the bane of their existence, something to be groaned at. But not me, for me it's one of the most useful tools I have for a good practice session. And particularly after attending a series of masterclasses at Waikato University where Richard Aaron from Juilliard was one of the visiting professors, he really reignited my creativity when it came to getting the best use out of that little ticking box.

Here is my top 5 ways to make the most out of your metronome.

5. A classic method of use, it's an oldie but a goodie. Setting the beat to a specific tempo that is required, so you know you are playing the piece at the right speed. In the case that the correct tempo cannot yet be achieved - set a slower tempo and gradually working it up. Gets the job done, simple as that.

4. Set the metronome to click on the smallest denomination. For most things semi-quavers should do the trick - but if the piece has demi-semi quavers for example you'd want to set it for that. This method forces you to subdivide accurately. It really helps suss out tricky rhythms, and to place notes well, for example with dotted rhythms, and even when there are a lot of longer notes , it's easy to get complacent and a bit elastic when it comes to changing notes - the metronome won't let you get away with it.
Having an internal pulse is super important and especially in orchestral playing, this is a great way to practice so it sets you up with solid subdivisions when it comes to following the conductor and keeping the section tight.
It's worth mentioning that this way of practice can be a little off putting at first, especiallly at quicker tempos (the metronome can turn into some sort of machine gun sound effect) but when you work up to it gradually, the subdivisions become more of a 'feeling' than hearing each and every click.

3. The metronome beats only on the first beat of the phrase. This will mean usually 4 bars, but depending on the music you could get away with 2, 3 or more. This is sort of an extension on number 4. It really tests your internal pulse and rhythm of the piece. Obviously the longer the phrases are the harder it is to land at the same time as the metronome. It helps identify phrases that might be dragging, or rushing. It also allows for some more musical shaping than the previous method, while still keeping a steady pulse. But be warned it sounds a lot easier than it is.

2. Set the metronome to alternative rhythms. I've been experimenting with this method since learning about finding and playing different jazz rhythmic feels. The main idea is to set some sort of irregular click going, something different to the main pulse and even sub-divisions, for example off beat quavers, a swung (tripletised) rhythm, a dotted rhythm or even something as simple as beat 2 and 4. In the first instance setting any alternative click to a piece will help solidify the rhythm, if for no other reason than it messes a bit with your head and you have to really concentrate on placing notes correctly.
More interesting though, is if you look really closely at the piece, where do the phrases lie, what is the rhythmic shape, what is the style and feel of the piece. Then choose a setting that fits into one of those elements.
I'll explain; for example if a piece makes a feature of triplets, setting a swung click will feed into those triplets and everything else will have to be carefully placed and fit into that same feel, unifying the whole theme, rather than the triplets sticking out.
Another example; a piece has a straight rhythm nothing unusual, but there are several semiquaver runs that start on the second half of the beat, stick on an off beat click, the runs will then start on a click, and everything else will move along with that same sort of syncopated feel. 
Now these are just examples, and not everything will really work, but try some different things and you might find that some alternative rhythmic feel might inject a spark into the piece which is just what it needed.

1. Set the metronome clicks really really far apart. This one is taken directly from Richard Aaron's masterclass, and quite frankly it's genius, ever since, I have been using it often with many of my young students, his advice: to practice this regularly from an early age and it will develop a stellar internal pulse.
So the idea is to space out the clicks far apart, maybe 4 bars or more apart, then you listen to a couple, try and work out some subdivisions that work so you can clap on the next click - for most people, this is really hard. The trick is to keep a quick and steady internal pulse going in between each click keeping track of how many 'beats' or bars are in between. - Give it a go!
The students I've been doing this with haven't got it spot on yet, but they have improved dramatically at keeping a steady rhythm and following the beat in orchestra.

Remember - the metronome is your FRIEND. My advice would be to get a metronome that has many different functions, so you can set different rhythms, subdivisions and turn on and off beats and has the biggest range of speeds available.
A great app I use is Pro Metronome, has heaps of functions I need for free, and a heap more for purchase - the best thing, that you only purchase the bits you want, and not the ones you don't. Its available on the iTunes store and on Android. 
And if you have any other nifty tricks you like to use , let me know in the comments section, I always love to learn new ways to make the most of my metronome!

Mindfulness for Musicians

Most of us know music is an artistic, emotional and often spiritual expression of ourselves. Listening to music can get us excited, cheer us up, it can equally be relaxing and conciliatory.
Playing music can be a reprieve from the daily grind, it can lift our spirits and be an emotional outlet. But as musicians, whether starting out or trying to make a living, we can put enormous pressure on ourselves, and this can result in a lot of tensions and anxiety relating to our music.

There has been a lot of publicity about 'Mindfulness' in recent times. It has become trendy, seems like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon so to speak. While I do not agree with all of it, having read bits and pieces on meditation, mainly from a Buddhist tradition, along with various ideas and strategies to improve mental health, I find the idea of focus in the moment and non-judgmental awareness fits in very well in music practice.

In today's world of constant pressures of work and life, everything moves so fast we hardly get time to notice. Mindfulness brings back to us this awareness of ourselves and our surroundings, experiencing every moment. Giving us a break from worrying about the past or the future.

Music too is like this, a great piece of music can hold our attention and draw us in to the moment. The cliche of the 'tortured artist', isn't always too far from the truth. There are many things that can be easier to express through art or music than actual words, for whatever reason. But we can still find ourselves putting pressure on ourselves to practice more, to perform better, and this can get very frustrating, to the point that it's no longer enjoyable, or good... the more frustrated we get the worse it sounds.

Incorporate some 'mindful' activities to combat these moments:

BREATH
Practice breathing,
1. While still and;
2. While slowly making the movements that you use to play.

Unless you actually need to breath to play, for example, singers, wind or brass players where the music is going to determine much of your breathing pattern. Others such as string players, pianists, guitarists, percussionists, harpists etc... we must make a conscious effort to breath.

Try this: Play a simple exercise such as a scale. Practice breathing, much as you would control your breath whilst running long distance, time your breath in and out with the movement of the bow or per octave.
As you do this, feel every movement, notice every muscle, how it moves, if it is holding tension, is your weight distributed evenly, is the weight being transferred as it should be into the instrument.
As you notice each of these things, try to adjust them, release the tense muscles, transfer the weight, economise and optimise your effort, control the movements. 

The next thing you will be noticing is the quality of the sound as you make these adjustments, hopefully it is improving, but perhaps at times it is not, continue adjusting, focusing your attention on that area.  

Note that this is contrary to the main principle of mindfulness; being that you notice all , but make no judgement. But, in order to improve our playing, the practice session must have some critical objective judgement involved. Use specific and descriptive words when you do this exercise ie. the notes could be more smooth, or the sound more even. Try to avoid pejorative terms.

This can in some sense be likened to the practice of a walking meditation. Noticing the movement and feel of muscles and senses.

FOCUS

A lot of meditation practice is about discipline, focus and concentration. This certainly holds for music practice too.

• Try to make sure you have as little distractions as possible that may interrupt your flow.
• Set an alarm for a certain amount of time to work on an activity. This is especially useful if you have limited time available to practice and makes sure that you can cover everything you want to and don't get stuck on one particular thing. For example working away at a particularly difficult exercise, the alarm goes to remind you to move on: you avoid getting to a point of frustration and start to undo your good work by over-working it. 
• Try to notice how many times your mind drifts away from what you are playing during each exercise or piece. Even the fact of deciding to do this can help focus your mind on what you are playing, and if you notice there is more drifting than focusing, you might have done enough for the day.
• All this focus can make for very good quality practice, but it can be mentally tiring. Take little breaks, just for a minute, stand up, walk around, then get back into it. And... know when your done - if you've lost concentration it can be counter productive. (See previous point). You know your ow limits and how long you can maintain effective concentration on one activity.

VISUALISE

Visualisation is as important in practice stages as in performance and it is a two fold concept:

1. Visualise in your mind how the piece is going to sound, how does the very first note begin, hear it in your mind, think of the pulse and rhythm the tone and dynamics. Visualise the movement of your bow and fingers and hear the sound that is produced. take a couple of good deep breaths, feel everything relax in.

2. Visualise the piece in your mind before you start , feel the surroundings, you are aware of your audience yet not thinking about them. Draw on your musical inspiration from some imagery you can associate with the music. Focus on any accompaniment to bring your attention to the music. Always be thinking about the line you are playing, not worrying about a really hard bit on the next page or that high note you missed a few bars back, absorb yourself in what is happening now.

PERSERVERE

Almost everything is difficult at some point and there are times for all of us that certain things seem well beyond our capabilities. Perhaps they are, but it doesn't help to throw in the towel. As my mother often says, "take a deep breath, and get on with it".
Well... yes, easier said than done in the context of practicing. But do BREATH, deeply and slowly feel the air through your nostrils, filling your lungs and breathing out feel everything relax and sink down. As many times as you need, then go back to what you were working on, but this time taking it back a notch, break it down, processing every movement and note with a careful awareness.
Even if it is not as fast or loud or whatever it needs to be, as it was before, you are still better off. Psychologically, you finish the session playing it well, you feel better about coming back to it next time.

If all his is very unfamiliar to you Mindfulness in Plain English by Venerable Henepola Gunaratana is a very good, easy to read and practical book to get you started.
Also check out your local Buhddist Temple, they often have meditation and mindfulness courses or will welcome you to attend a session. You don't hve to buy into all of it, but you will get enough understanding of the practice to apply it to your own practice.

New Year's Resolution: A Practice Plan

Last January I wrote about giving the practice routine a shake up and how simply going through the motions is simply not enough to see real progress. And I feel that despite periods of extreme time constraints, I have managed to keep up a level of focus, efficiency and precision with the way I practice.

Now, it seems any new years resolutions that get made in the relaxed and festive 'bubble' of the holiday season, inevitably get forgotten, are too hard or become totally impractical once the all the parties are over and the reality of life returns. 
The antidote to this might be to not make a resolution as such,  those idealist and far fetched notions; make an actual plan - something to work towards and a way to get there. And what better than a plan for practice?

Over the break, it's a great time to reflect on what you want to achieve in the year. I have had some time to do this and so far ... so good (albeit only 5 days in...)

So here we go (and actually write it down... you'll be able to refer back to it through the year and give yourself a big pat on the back when you've smashed them out at the other end of it)

1. Work out the top 3 things you want to work on, or rather think you need to improve.

If this plan is going to last a whole year it is better to be generalised things that you can work on in may different ways and apply to different things.
A year might seem a long time to work on something, but in the scheme of things, we spend many years trying to perfect our playing, so focusing on certain aspects of technique for one year is not so outrageous.

2. Brainstorm all the specific elements of that technique that are causing difficulties.

Try and be as specific as possible here, this will help focus the work to be done in the right places. Remember to think about physiological and psychological elements as well as the physical or musical elements of the technique itself.
Considering as many 'causes' or issues as possible to do with the technique can help dig down to the root of the issue, and to address the fundamental aspects making this technique difficult. we can also find links between the physiological, metal and physical elements.

3. Note down some ideas on which excersizes can be used to target these techniques.

This can be a small list to start with and can develop over time as the technique develops and improves.
REMEMBER - Scales can address a multitude of sins.

4. Consider what repertoire you can work on that will compliment your work on each specific technique.

Often we choose repertoire we want to play and then work on the appropriate technique according to those works. By turning it round we can search out new repertoire and find works that we might not normally approach, putting into practice the techniques we are working on.

This is a great exercise to plan and improve our own work, but also to do for/with students.
Often we get stuck into nutting out exam pieces, orchestral and school ensemble repertoire, and sometimes certain techniques can get neglected if they don't often arise often enough.

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For new students, have these technical goals be a mixture of things the student struggles with and techniques that they really enjoy or come somewhat naturally. That way, the years work can include addressing difficult or challenging areas as well as advancing the mastery of others.

You can see here a list I made for my own practice regime, other areas to look at could include things like, sound/tone production, vibrato, rhythm and pulse, shifting, physical tensions, coordination, musical interpretation etc.

When considering a plan for more established students it would be helpful to look at all their strengths and weaknesses and shortlist what needs the most attention and is most relevant to what they are currently working towards.

We all know that making a plan to reach our goals is a great way to keep ourselves on track. All we need is for once to just stick with it!!

The Power of Music

I had the great fortune these last school holidays of assisting in taking a local youth orchestra on a tour to France.

My role was 3 fold really,
1. As a responsible adult
2. To help and boost up the small and relatively inexperienced cello section
and most importantly 3. Having lived there for some years, as a translator/interpretor.

The trip surpassed many of my expectations and I found the reaction of both the young musicians and our audiences inspiring.

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The combined Orchestras play to a great audience in the Place de Celestins in Lyon, France.   Photo courtesy of AYS

This is the power of music, it traverses cultural and linguistic barriers. It was fantastic to see the kids really getting involved and how much they just love music, any spare moment or opportunity to play or to try out a new acoustic:

• Improvising 4 part a capella harmonies in the glass roof top dome and ballet rehearsal space of the Lyon Opera House.
• Busking in the Place des Heros in Arras, surrounded by small kids in awe of what they were doing.

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This little guy was just fascinated by the cello section when we played in Arras. So I gave him a quick lesson. Photo courtesy of AYS

One of these young buskers said he didn't care about the money, he just wanted to play. But seeing those kids so excited to drop a few coins in the case, it seemed as if it were of more value to them as a whole experience, showing appreciation and understanding maybe, learning the value of the performance. 

(The pros and cons of that value being monetary
is beside the point of this story)

On the other side of it, we visited large towns & small villages, and everywhere we went the welcome was outstanding.
In some ways this is part of the European way, I recall with the OSL, many shared meals, drinks and nibbles while playing and touring with the orchestra.
But also to receive this orchestra of young New Zealanders was a real community event, to come and see a visiting orchestra play.

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The two 'Chefs' Paul Harrop and Jean-Pierre Prajoux sharing the podium for our final number in Lyon. Photo courtesy of AYS

Amongst all the hatred, fear  and strife occurring in the country, even whilst we were there, luckily at the other end of the country, the terrible tragedy in Nice on the 14th of July. Not to sound twee, but our concerts brought a moment of calm, a moment of joy and happiness to what were frankly, very good sized audiences. And at many we passed a moments silence in thought of Nice.

Even when playing in competition to the final of the Euro Championship between France and Portugal, with thousands of people trying to cram into the FanZone just two blocks away, our combined Aotea Youth Orchestra and Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon (a mere 100 musicians) managed to more or less fill the Place des Celestins. I would have said maybe 200 or so, young and old, some who came especially but many passers by stopping to enjoy some music on a very warm summer evening, despite the untimely car horns growing ever more incessant the closer it came to kickoff.

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The NZ troops were instrumental in liberating Le Quesnoy. Their gratitude shows in the street names.

All this to say that our music could bring people together, both within a community and between nations. A cultural exchange that benefits both sides, whether it be sharing stories and ideas with our wonderful homestays, playing alongside the OSL under the baton of the fantastic Jean-Pierre Prajoux, enjoying the music of the Le Quesnoy Concert Band, entertaining audiences and paying tribute to our fallen NZ soldiers who served in the small towns in the North of France during WWI.
It was always a pleasure for me to speak to and interpret for members of the public as well as some dignitaries following our concerts. Their apprecation for our music was very humbling, to know we had come so far to play for them, they had enjoyed our music and were impressed by the sensitivity, enthusiasm and musicianship of all these young people.

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Calm before the storm, our final performance played to a packed audience in this fabulous room in the Versailles Town Hall.

It made me think that so often music can become an elitist institution, what is 'proper' or 'good' music and anything else is not worth playing, what are 'we' going to get out of it musically - and I am as guilty of this as anyone (don't even get me started on the X-Factor and its genre). But in fact music is for the people, as an artist you must be able to express yourself, and you don't always want to sell out to the commercial masses, but there is a time and a place for both. And as a musician we can feed off the energy of an audience that loves what we are doing, even if it is playing Lord of the Dance for the 50th time, the audience love it, and I loved that they loved it, that was all that mattered.

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Entertaining visitors to the Chateau Villandry in it's central courtyard, near Tours.

Music truly is a universal language, music connects people, to each other, to emotions and memories. We must remember this and not be precious or pretentious and keep it all to ourselves, but instead use it like a superpower for good.

Keep Calm and Carry on ....

Keeping motivated is difficult at times, but it is important especially as a musician. Practicing, performing, creating are all self driven. We need to keep motivated to make the most of what we are doing.

I often have many projects on the go at once, writing, teaching, practising, working on new performance opportunities, even maintaining this blog. I have come to the conclusion that there are 3 main things that can stand in the way of getting things done the way we want and these affect our motivation.

Firstly, time, and this is a big one.  We all have busy lives, demands of work, study, and everything else, we need to prioritise.We need to make time for our music, work out how much can be dedicated to it, and without a specific goal in mind, I'm mainly talking about practice. Practice is essential to improving as a player, and we must dedicate 'enough' time to it. The principle of quality over quantity applies for certain. When you're just getting started, little and often is best. You will achieve more practising 10 minutes a day than sitting down for an hour once a week. Further down the line when time is short, select a small section to work on really well rather than just playing through a lot of work.

Secondly, confidence. I think everyone has moments where they lose confidence in their ability. It's easy to give in to this and give up, thinking it's too hard, or I'm never going to get this. The better option is to fight it, use the self-doubt to work harder, and get what ever you're trying to learn better. We have to take baby steps, for most of us, learning music is hard, it's going to take some time, don't try and play things beyond your ability and expect instant results, you will just become discouraged. Not so long ago, I was given a brutal critique shortly prior to a big audition, I was given the choice to pull out or to give it a shot anyway. I chose the latter and practised twice as much. I was unsuccessful that time but I knew I had done my best and what I needed to do going forward. And I was reminded that in preparing for any performance we need to get to 120% so that when nerves kick in we can still play at least near to 100%. And remember too, when it feels like you're not getting anywhere, look back at where you have come from, what and how you were playing, then you will see how much you've achieved.

Thirdly, inspiration, music is an art, and we need to be inspired. Whether it be writing some new music, interpreting a piece or even setting some goals, these all succeed better with some good inspiration. For me, my writing gets blocked I can't hear what I want to write, my playing becomes bland and lifeless, and frankly, I stop setting goals altogether. But even in a general sense, when motivation is flagging, get inspired. Listen, find some new music that you love, or turn to the old favorites. Always look to the experts, go to concerts of really great musicians, go to gigs and experience what other people are doing. Discover new styles, and new ways of doing things, it might give you ideas for a new project or change the way you play something. It's important to find what you're into, explore all art forms, go to an art exhibition, sit in on a poetry slam, listen to classical music (Mozart to Prokofiev), jazz (Ellington to Reinhardt), Latin music (Tango), pop (eg, Beck) and the list goes on...  There will be sounds and ideas among all of these that will spark the flame and you will eventually find your own inspiration.

Remember to keep working at it, make music part of the daily routine. Even when you there's heaps gong on and I really don't feel like practice, I've got to do a bit, the most important time to practice is when we don't want to. Relish the compliments, take on the criticism. Find what inspires you and allow your enthusiasm to help you reach your goals.

An Ear for Music - Part II

The foundations of the intonation that we hear is somewhat intuitive, it depends a lot on one's musical exposure. Most western music that we hear all around, is based around the diatonic scale, a musical convention stemming from Greek times. So listening to this, be it popular or classical, these combinations of sounds, intervals and chords will sound 'right' to your ear. If however you listen to a lot of jazz or world music your ear will likely be more attuned to different types of harmonies, hearing sounds that may not even exist in western music.

I grew up in a music filled household, listening to all sorts, from Beethoven to Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithful to the Memphis Jug Band. Family get-togethers usually devolved into a cacophony of irish tunes where someone yelled out the key and after some 'discussion' on the actual name of the reel, everyone would join in , mostly it was great, sometimes not so much. In all I was lucky to be exposed to so much music. But as I mentioned in Part 1, you can practice and train your ear to hear things better.

Practice hearing not just listening. For starters, getting your ear used to the sound of what you are attempting to play. The sound of the harmonies and intervals will become second nature after listening to a piece several times, so that when you play it you know when you are playing it right. It is always helpful to follow the music at the same time, for one thing it increases your concentration on what you are hearing, and it also gives a visual reference for the shape of the music and the intervals between the notes.

As additional training, I have found it very helpful to listen and play (or sing) along with all sorts of different music, on the radio, different EP's or singles that I like. Perhaps start off with the tune, but trying to find the harmonies is a great deal more beneficial. Find a long note that fits with everything else going on, when it no longer fits, find the next one and so on....you have now found the chords changes. Most of the time the most prominent note (probably the one that you found) is the tonic, the base note of the chord, the 3rd and 5th notes will also fit, these 3 notes make up the triad, the basic chord.

After a time the ear starts to pick out these notes more easily, and to eventually predict what the next notes are going to be. As a result, anything that you play, you are anticipating the notes and harmonies, you know where you are going and what it should sound like.

The next and final part will investigate some more practical exercises that should be incorporated into any music practice to actively improve intonation.

What is it to be a Musician?

The intention of this blog is to share my experiences, ideas and advice to help you to become a better musician. To share techniques and philosophies on how you can improve your playing both physically and mentally. 

Despite having performed in orchestras and bands since a young age, and having taught since my late teens, for most of my life playing cello has been primarily for pleasure. And this is why I still play. Recently I have decided to embark on a journey to build a career as a cellist.

I really respect people that have become successful musicians, working their way up, scraping together enough to get by, and they keep at it. There are musicians that I know who have made themselves indispensable, be it as a writer/performer, an accompanist, or a backing musician. People want them, for their entertainment, recital or recording. I want to be one of these people.

Being a professional cellist is hard work, don't imagine that it's not. It takes years of lessons and ongoing practise to learn an instrument and advance your technique and musicality. There's always new things to learn and elements to refine. At times there seems to be an element of disdain from other regular 9-5ers who believe that playing music is just a hobby, we do it for fun. But these people may not understand the time and effort that goes into perfecting your art. Of course it is enjoyable, we couldn't do it if it wasn't. One needs to be in the right head space to really make the most of practice time, to really be able to convey those emotions and express what you mean to say with the music.

And this is what it's all about, expressing yourself, expressing passion. Composers have a message of their own to get across, but it is you  who is interpreting that message and presenting it in your own words, so the listener can understand. Your job is to invoke memories and emotions, to transport them to another place, to entertain them. You do this through your playing.

If you have persistence and dedication to music, you will develop the tools and techniques to be able to express yourself through  playing. Your passion and enjoyment for playing music will provide the motivation to perform and share your art with audiences. Music is there to bring people together. And this is what it is to be a musician.