Wynton Marsalis knows how to practice. As a younger man, he was equally at home in front of a symphony orchestra playing the Haydn concerto, or laying down some serious jazz with Art Blakey. Check out his 12 Rules of Practice after the video.
Failing Better: The 4 Types of Mistakes (and how to learn from them)
Why Understanding These Four Types of Mistakes Can Help Us Learn By MindShiftNOVEMBER 23, 2015 SHARE by Eduardo Briceño This article was first published in the Mindset Works newsletter. We can deepen our own and our students’ understanding of mistakes, which are not all created equal, and are not always desirable. After all, our ability…
John Coltrane on Practice and More
Right off the bat in this 1966 interview with John Coltrane, he touches on where he practices, and how he leaves his instruments out and at the ready, like when he says, “My flutes are by the bed, so when I’m tired I can lay down and practice.”
Strategies Coltrane mentions and many more are covered in The Practice of Practice. Check out the rest of the 1966 interview with John Coltrane below (start at 0:33).
Practice Like This: Free KINDLE Edition Today Only (11-20-15)
Today only (11-20-15), get a free KINDLE edition of the new book, Practice Like This.
What Lots of Practice Sounds Like: Daniel Diaz
Nothing to say, but check these guys out…. (video)
When Do You Get to STOP Practicing?
And the thing is, no matter how good you get, you can continue to improve and deepen your understanding. Embrace the struggle, enjoy the process. The obstacle is the path.
Here’s what that unending practice sounds like from Pat Metheny.
What Every Musician Needs: Mo’ Rhythm (there’s an app for that)
There is a new tool that can help you acquire better rhythm for yourself in a fun and easy way: Mo Rhythm Africa, from San Diego percussionist and teacher Monette Marino. More on the app below, after the video.
Evidence of Practice: Kaki King’s Guitar & Light Show
The first time I heard Kaki King about ten years ago, her playing blew me away. This mesermizing TED performance is evidence of lots of practice, and not just the musical kind. Playing around with effects and images is another way to keep practice interesting. Check her out!
TODAY ONLY: 2 Free Kindle Books on Practice (11-2-15)
Happy November! For today only (11-2-15), get the free Kindle edition of The Practice of Practice (a longer-form read on music practice) and Practice Like This (all killer, no filler version on practice in general).
Meklit Hadero: Finding Musical Inspiration In Everyday Sounds
Here’s Hadero’s short talk about finding inspirational sounds in the most ordinary places. She hints at the creative kind of practice mentioned in the last blog post, and covered more deeply in The Practice of Practice and Practice Like This: Songwriting as practice. It’s a particularly powerful form of practice because you own what you’re doing, it’s exploratory, and best of all, it’s fun and can make time fly.
Play With Yourself: How to Get Better With Multi-tracking
One of the revelations I discovered while researching The Practice of Practice was that some musicians–like Erin McKeown who turned me on to the strategy–use composition and multi-tracking, or looping, to improve. Trumpet Wizard Adam Rapa breaks down why using multi-tracking is so good for your practice from a blog post over at the fantastic 21st…
Frustrated With Practice? Listen Boston Brass’s Lance LaDuke’s Talk
Watch, listen and learn. Lance LaDuke talks about overcoming frustration with practice, what to focus on in practice, and how to think about (and do) practice.
The Practice of Practice 