Sometimes, people have the assumptions that I don’t have to practice. After all I’ve been playing didgeridoo for almost 21 years and I’ve got technique down. 

So do I REALLY practice?

Yes…. Absolutely….Here’s why.

I may have technique down and it may seem like I’ve got my crud together when I play but I can tell you, I go just as flabby as anyone if I don’t practice. It’s fair for me to say that practice these days is more like rehearsals to make sure the songs I play are spot on. But I also practice technique and skills so I can stay “in shape.”  It’s not unlike exercising to keep the body in shape. Practice also keeps my mind in shape by feeling accomplished after I’ve sat down and put the time in. There’s that good dopamine hit you get when you do the work instead of scrolling on your phone or getting caught up in the latest news. Most of all I practice because the time I put in is more like an investment in self-care. I love the process of sitting with my instrument or a composition and really woodshedding to see how I can make things better and make myself better not just in the way of better technique but also feeling better about doing something for myself. 

So yeah, practice doesn’t have to be something to fear or dread. You develop so many useful skills that can translate to other parts of your life like problem solving, getting know how you can change a bad habit into a good one or change destructive self-criticism into more constructive self-criticism to become more self-empowered. I’ve also found adding the word “yet” into the mix also helps. So if you find yourself saying “I can’t do this” just add “yet” to it and see how it changes your whole perspective. 

I love practicing for all of these reasons and I will always be a practicing musician no matter how good I get at it. For me, it’s become as much of a meditation as a way to improve my skills. So what part of practicing do you have trouble doing? Is it making yourself sit down? Making the time? Let me know if the comments below. Or if you love your practice, let us know why! You never know who you may inspire.

Many thanks for reading this! I hope you find some nuggets you can play with. Now go forth and practice and have an awesome time!

Love, Pam

P.S. This is somewhat of a running series about practice so there will likely be more thoughts and musings about it. Until then, have fun!