Monday Day 23 I hit 3 hours! This felt really amazing, especially since I started in the afternoon. I just made it my #1 priority, and I allowed myself to include feldenkreis and any memorizing activities...
Tuesday 1.45! Played for my friend Laura and she talked to me about memorizing the shape of my hand... the fingering... and moving from one place to another... patterns and positions. This got me over the hump of not being able to retain the prayer chords in the beginning. Its helping a lot.
Wednesday 2.15!
We are doing this! Yes!
My plan for Wednesday was three hours but I had a migraine headache and it was hard. I did some copying out of the notation, playing on piano, listening with score, and practicing. I was frustrated that I didn't make three hours because I had the time... I just didn't feel good!
Thursday 1.28 Still had the migraine. Went back to bed... hard to focus... not motivated... so finally just quit trying. But still an hour and a half! Thats good!
Friday 1.30 Busy teaching day today. Got in a good warm up before my morning lessons then had a gig this afternoon. Good practice session tonight. Oct. 1 so Started the first movement! Still trying to memorize the last movement. Getting there slowly. As I get closer I am more aware of the bowing as I play and using it to my advantage. Laura also talked to me about being dependent on some kind of cueing. I wrote out a basic map of a section where I wrote just the rhythm and some bowing and that was a huge stepping stone for memorizing. Taking away a lot of information, but giving me cues that made me successful. But I have to learn to work without external cues. Tonight I found that I could play by memory so much better when I watched my reflection in the window. NO! Another cueing! I am fearful of not having any cues so I don't want to even try playing from memory. I see this in my students too. We must TRY! We must do! Play without any cues that aren't in your own mind!! I tried visualizing myself like the mirror reflection but in my head with my eyes closed. This helped some and could be a good strategy for performance anxiety as well.
I feel like the mountain of memorization is so big... so many pieces and movements that are not yet memorized... So I just keep muddling through. I still feel like I lack focus, but I am working, am trying to put in the time and hone in what I am needing to do to reach this goal. I do feel proud of learning that last movement in one month. Its not up to tempo, but I can really play 99% of it. Its better each day.
Tuesday 1.45! Played for my friend Laura and she talked to me about memorizing the shape of my hand... the fingering... and moving from one place to another... patterns and positions. This got me over the hump of not being able to retain the prayer chords in the beginning. Its helping a lot.
Wednesday 2.15!
We are doing this! Yes!
My plan for Wednesday was three hours but I had a migraine headache and it was hard. I did some copying out of the notation, playing on piano, listening with score, and practicing. I was frustrated that I didn't make three hours because I had the time... I just didn't feel good!
Thursday 1.28 Still had the migraine. Went back to bed... hard to focus... not motivated... so finally just quit trying. But still an hour and a half! Thats good!
Friday 1.30 Busy teaching day today. Got in a good warm up before my morning lessons then had a gig this afternoon. Good practice session tonight. Oct. 1 so Started the first movement! Still trying to memorize the last movement. Getting there slowly. As I get closer I am more aware of the bowing as I play and using it to my advantage. Laura also talked to me about being dependent on some kind of cueing. I wrote out a basic map of a section where I wrote just the rhythm and some bowing and that was a huge stepping stone for memorizing. Taking away a lot of information, but giving me cues that made me successful. But I have to learn to work without external cues. Tonight I found that I could play by memory so much better when I watched my reflection in the window. NO! Another cueing! I am fearful of not having any cues so I don't want to even try playing from memory. I see this in my students too. We must TRY! We must do! Play without any cues that aren't in your own mind!! I tried visualizing myself like the mirror reflection but in my head with my eyes closed. This helped some and could be a good strategy for performance anxiety as well.
I feel like the mountain of memorization is so big... so many pieces and movements that are not yet memorized... So I just keep muddling through. I still feel like I lack focus, but I am working, am trying to put in the time and hone in what I am needing to do to reach this goal. I do feel proud of learning that last movement in one month. Its not up to tempo, but I can really play 99% of it. Its better each day.
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