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Practicing

Anything can be achieved with preparation, determination, and an opportunity

6/5/2017

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"My 11-year-old son auditioned at Juilliard, and we both learned a lot about how top performers practice"
​-Penelope Trunk, Penelope Trunk's Blog

Penelope Trunk, a mother of a developing cellist, sheds light on the processes of achieving a goal. Her article emphasizes the process in which one achieves a goal: steady, hard work, with determination and an end goal. 

Here is an excerpt from her article on Business Insider:

"He learned to practice by changing the rhythm of the piece. He learned to play one note at a time with a tuner. He learned to play each measure with a different metronome timing, and then he played the piece so slowly it took 20 minutes instead of just four.
During these insane lessons where Amy and my son spent one hour on five notes, the more we worked on the art of practicing the more I saw that practice is a method to do anything ambitious and difficult. He learned to create a system and process instead of just focusing on the goal itself."

Read it here: ​http://www.businessinsider.com/my-11-year-old-son-auditioned-at-juilliard-2017-5
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Theft: A History of Music

4/3/2017

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A fun read about how musical groups drew upon various musical influences and how today's copyright laws might affect them.

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"To borrow from Cole Porter, Tchaikovsky did it. Beethoven did it. Even Robert Johnson and Ray Charles did it. Creative masters all, they each appropriated music from others in their works and were borrowed from in turn.
James Boyle and Jennifer Jenkins’ new scholarly comic book is a celebration of these and other musicians and composers who crossed barriers and built the playlist of extraordinary Western music from ancient Greece to classical to hip-hop. Published by the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain, “Theft: A History of Music,” brings these artists’ musical borrowings to the forefront, saying that instead of stifling creativity, such “thefts” were essential to musical cross-fertilization and creation of new genres... Recent changes in copyright law and the culture of the music business directly attack the essential role of musical borrowing in producing new music.
" - Geoffrey Mock
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4 Practice Tips for an Audition

12/2/2016

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Auditioning for an Orchestra can be daunting and sometimes downright scary. Here are 5 tips that will help you have a relaxed and confident audition. 

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1) Memorize your music

When we're nervous, we tend to get distracted by even the slightest of disruptions. It is important to know your music backwards and forwards so you'll always be right on track even when you lose your place in the music. 

2) Practice in front of peers

When you audition, you will be playing in front of a panel of 2-4 adjudicators. The best way to practice playing in front of people is simply by playing in front of people. Perform your excerpts to your peers, your family, or even complete strangers. Get in the habit of putting yourself outside of your comfort zone.
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3) Dress for Success...at Home

Dress clothes can be uncomfortable and unwieldy, especially if you have to readjust your positioning for the first time when performing a piece. Therefore, practice your excerpts in your formal attire, so that your body adapts to your restrictive clothing. When your audition comes around, you won't have to worry about unaccounted-for restrictions. 

4) Simulate your audition

Even though it may seem weird, you can build your confidence by recreating an audition at home.

1) Walk in to your practice room with instrument and music in hand
2) Simulate greeting your auditioners
3) Sit down and run through your scales
4) Run through your orchestral excerpts
5) Stand up and say your thank you's and exit the room
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Great article on how to practice your instrument...like a bodybuilder

12/2/2016

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"​A bodybuilder wouldn’t dream of walking into the gym without a specific plan for the day. Instead he looks at last week’s workouts and builds the current week based on them. He makes sure that by the end of the week, every part of the body has gotten its due." -Nathan Cole, Violinist at the Los Angeles Philharmonic

http://www.natesviolin.com/practice-like-bodybuilder-slow-steady-super-strong/​ 

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    Justin Koga

    Duke University 
    ​music+connect

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  • Home
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    • Suzuki Practice Guides >
      • Cello >
        • Suzuki Book 1
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