Great Advice for Music Students from Eric Whitacre

The following is a quote from Eric Whitacre's Facebook Page that offers great advice for music students entering a new school year:

"Music students: as the semester grinds on you may feel intensely burnt-out.  You may even consider dropping out of music altogether.  If that happens, go back and listen to your favorite recordings, make music with your friends, do anything you can to remind yourself why you loved music before you started studying it.  An education in music can be a very good thing, but it can also squeeze the life out of any love you ever had for it.  Don't let it."

Now that is some great advice.

Some Advice on Practicing from Abe Lincoln

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."

- Abe Lincoln

President Lincoln uttered these words at a master class he gave at The Juilliard School shortly before he took office.  It was in regards to a clarinet player who was struggling with the high register.

Alright, so I made up the above paragraph! But the quote is real and is a great lesson for all of us musicians to hear.  If you are a clarinetist who struggles with the high register, the best way to improve is to play in the high register.  Not tomorrow. Today.

Putting off sounding bad in the practice room (or simply practicing at all) until tomorrow is like leaving your bills unopened.  Never in history has that ever led to someone owing less money when they finally open their mail.  (Do people even get bills in the mail any more?!) You will simply owe even more money when you finally face reality.

Don't wait until tomorrow to attack your deficiencies as a player.  Do it today.