What NOT to practice

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I’ve been on the go for a bit. Lots of driving with plenty of time to think. So, of course when I wasn’t practicing by reviewing tunes in my head, I was thinking about practicing. And that got me thinking about what should be in the “to be practiced” pile and more importantly, what should be in the “NOT to be practiced” pile.

You already know what is in the “to be practiced” pile. [If you don’t (or you’re not sure), drop me a message and we’ll get that sorted for you!]

But what (really) belongs in the “NOT to be practiced” pile? The list could be endless, but I’ll strive for brevity here.  Things that belong in the “NOT to be practiced” pile include:

1. Notes that don’t align with the tune (mistakes)

2. Technique that doesn’t serve you (there’s a reason teachers pound placing and closing – just sayin’)

3. Trepidation (stressing over that tricky bit that’s coming up)

4. Stressing over what’s for dinner (or other, unrelated event)

5. Hunching (talk about a physical manifestation of stress!)

6. Dead air (this is that long space between notes when you’re playing faster than you’re ready to just then)

7. Focusing on having not practiced (just get on with it…now)

8. A long list of notes (rather than a whole with the fullness of phrases)

9. Focusing on how someone else is coming along with the tune

10. Focusing on what the teacher might say (rather than being ready to hear those pearls that are about to erupt)

11. Shoulds (I should be better, I should have practiced more, I should be more comfortable, I should be like Soandso Overthere, I should have already learned this, I should have overcome this sticky section, I should, I should, I should…)

Typically, here I would give you a list of things you can do to overcome these. And I do have a list, but instead, I invite you to think about all these things (and all the others that popped into your head while you were reading). Are you including any of these NOTs in your practice? Which arrive bidden? unbidden? Which are you partaking of which get you nowhere, but burn up your practice time?

How would your practice benefit or be improved if you didn’t spend time on these NOTs but instead focused on making music? How would your life improve? Do you have others? Want to share them with me? I love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Your Comments

Kate said: There is a line driving you Nuts, in “regular” practice, just skip it. Work on it separately. Slow down, leave out notes if necessary (you have the score, the listener doesn’t!). DHC commented on the troublesome riff: “anytime you get up to make a cup of tea, or walk by the harp, just play it!”. After a while, it’ll settle. Also: beware overpracting exercises. I did that. Wasted a lot of time/energy. You aren’t going to Perform them! A thought: re “should”: my career was medical/surgical. It was a good day if nobody died.  So harpers, get a grip! It’s ok. Cheers, Kate 

 😄🪉🎶

   

Connection

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I know I’m always rattling on about practicing technique and focus and documenting. And all those things are important. So important!

But it is easy to get so focused on those details as to lose track of the big picture – the benefits and rewards of playing an instrument. Like playing with others. Like laughing together over an incredible blooper. Like feeling as one as you play together. The connection that is nearly palpable when you play together – especially when you’re tight, but even when you’re not.

Here we are, serious as usual (ha!) in front of Glenfiddich Distillery in Scotland

I have spent the last week with my Banrigh ensemble mates. What an incredible week! We played together. We bore down in places to ensure we were trying to say the same thing in the music. We skittered over other places and just got on with it. Sometimes we’d get hot but then we hug it out. And laugh – we laughed a lot, with each other, at each other, at ourselves.

Since we’re not physically located together, we often work alone all the while anticipating when we’ll be together in space again to make music. And it’s the time when we’re alone that we need to remember – to keep front of mind – what we’re doing and why. Through all the drills for technique, learning tunes, forming our expression of the music, thinking through how we’ll fit together, the real focus will always be on the making of music together.  

Please don’t lose sight of the brilliant community you are a part of – harpers in particular. Harperists as well. Ensemble members, part of a whole, an important element of the experience. Musicians in general. And don’t forget the connection with the audience and being a part of a mutual happening.

If you don’t have a community within which to make music – reach out. Don’t be afraid to ask someone who plays a different instrument to play with you. Maybe it will work. Maybe it won’t, but you won’t know unless you try. I know some of you live far from other harpers, and there are online groups that would be very welcoming. But keep in mind that there’s probably someone just as lonely holding a guitar, a fiddle, a harmonica, an accordion, or sitting on a piano bench just as lonely and they’d probably love to make music with you.

Are you part of a community already? I’d love to hear about it! And if you are feeling alone and lonely but aren’t sure where to look – let me know. I’m happy to try to help connect you!

PS – I’ll be at the Ligonier Highland Games on Saturday, 18 July at Idlewild Park in PA. It would be delightful to see you there! We could play together for a bit.

Where’d she go?

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Ohio Scottish Arts School is done for 2026. What an incredible year! We had amazing instructors in Jo Morrison, Sharon Knowles, and Stephanie Claussen. They brought so much energy and knowledge and depth and music – it was breathtaking and I am fortunate to get to work with them. Add in the other incredible instructors and – whew! What a week! I, of course, as usual, didn’t take any photos, but there are some great captures on the OSAS Facebook Page. It was also my honor to be one of the judges for the OSASPBA competition – what a hoot! We had good tunes, good times, good friends – it’s a good life.

This week is the week in between OSAS and Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. I’m delighted to be invited to judge the Harp Competition and perform a few times with my Banrigh peeps. If you’re within the sound of my voice, come on out and see us. Bring your harp and come play. We’ll also be having a “petting zoo” to share our beautiful instruments with people who haven’t gotten to try them before.

Eventually I’ll be headed to Ligonier Highland Games – at their new time in their usual location. If you’re planning on Ligonier in September – come out at the new date, 18 July. I’m looking forward to judging that Harp Competition and will see you there!

As you can see, I’m on the fly and having a great time, so come out and see me if you’re available. Let me know you’re coming so Iet me know to look for you! And if not, I’ll see you soon!

Who asked you?

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This week I’m at the Ohio Scottish Arts School, but I still wanted to have a moment to catch up with you! The great thing about going to OSAS is what I learn. I have the pleasure of being a teacher but this year we have 32 students and I am excited to find out what I will be learning from each of them! Of course, all that learning can lead to self-inflicted feedback!

When was the last time that you played something, were truly happy with it, and then celebrated your success? Sadly, some of you (if you’re being honest) are saying, “never”. Hopefully you’re not one of those. Because celebrating successes is important.

Unfortunately, even when we are doing well, we are quick to let our inner critic have the floor. We discount our good work and highlight our mistakes. We provide ourselves with self-inflicted feedback! Have you ever heard yourself say these things to yourself:

– Well, it was good, but I messed up the entry of the third tune.

– I played it so much better at home

– It wasn’t perfect

Or some variation thereof?

While it might feel like you’re helping yourself, mostly you’re just beating yourself up. The downside to beating yourself up is that it does nothing to help you grow. It just draws your attention to flaws but with too much focus.

How can you fix this? “Reframing” is all the rage just now. If you’re not jumbled up in the lingo, reframing simply means looking at things from a different perspective to give you access to potential new solutions. The best things about reframing are that it’s easy and it’s helpful!

You could reasonably wonder why you might need reframing. Maybe you don’t, but statistically, it’s more likely you do. Because reframing is a great tool for calibrating your self-talk.

Your inner critic might have a point – but only if it “moves the needle” for you and gives you a way to improve. So, the next time you start telling yourself that you could do better I’d urge you to reframe your thinking.

An easy way to get started is to “reframe” your feedback through the lens, “how would I tell a good friend this input?”. You’d never tell your friend they weren’t doing well enough. You’d be encouraging. You’d be supportive. You might provide suggested paths forward, but you wouldn’t suggest that your friend would get lost on the path you’ve suggested!

So, the next time your “critic” provides “feedback”, do yourself a favor and run it through your friend filter. It will help you reframe both your thinking and your feedback and position you to learn from yourself!

And if you find that your inner critic is running roughshod over you, you can always ask, “Who asked you?”

When you feel your inner critic rising, give this reframing a try – and let me know what you think of the approach. Let me know what you think!

Take the Win

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It’s World Cup season and the Beautiful Game is everywhere. If you’re a sports fan, that is great news. If you’re not, it does seem to have been going on forever and it’s only just started.

The World Cup is all about winning – and preferably winning big. But is that the best model for us as musicians? Probably not. We aren’t trying to beat everyone in the world – we only need to be a little better than we were yesterday.

But when a win is big – it is very clear. There’s no missing it. It is loud and proud. But the types of wins we need – small, incremental steps from where we were to where we’re going – are much more challenging to spot.

These small spurts of growth are precisely what we need to watch for. They occur in snippets of practice time. They occur in your sleep when your brain finally puts the pieces together. And they’re most obvious in that moment that the tune, or phrase, or shape that has been fighting you finally succumbs!

You will find these moments more easily if you’re watching for it! So, pay attention. Do your accounting and capture these moments. Savor the moments. Pat yourself on the back (no, literally). And capture both the event and the feeling. Keep a pad of small slips of paper or yellow stickies near by and put them on the wall or in a journal book higgledy-piggledy. You can procure a trophy and use it to stick your notes to. Or get a big jar and put the slips in there. On each sticky write down what you did, when, and how you feel. I’m thinking words like delighted, shocked, chuffed, pleased-as-punch. Whatever the words, put them on the sticky. Just do it.

Later, when you’re inordinately pleased with yourself you can pull them out and bask in your progress. Or when you’re feeling glum that you’re stuck in a plateau, you can pull them out and re-enjoy your journey and realize that you’re not stuck, you’re just marinating.

Take the win. It might be small but if you’re paying attention, the World Cup is actually a compilation of small wins concatenated to make a trophy. You’ve got this!  YAY – You win!

How will you capture your wins? Let me know – I’m always looking for good ideas!

100 Days

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I’m not sure what it is about big round numbers, but they are kinda captivating. Like this little bit of inspiration – what could you do with 100 days? I mean – come on – just think of all the things you could do with that time! And keep in mind that in about 100 days we will be looking at the end of summer (of course, it may still be beastly hot). Of course, we’ll have also put away all the fun of summer, but still – before you need to pull out a sweater, what could you do with 100 days?

You could convince yourself that the year’s half over. so you might as well coast.

Or you could dig out your goals for the year, take their measure, and decide the year is wash and maybe next year you’ll start over.

Or you could dig out your goals for the year, take their measure, and decide that you crushed that and you can cruise until January.

Or you could see that opportunity of having all that time remaining to do more cool stuff.  For you. To make even more progress. How great is that?!

So what could you do in 100 days?  How about:

1 Commit to learning one new thing each day (doesn’t have to be music, but that’s probably a sure bet!).

2 Commit to practicing every day.  Actually practicing.  It doesn’t have to be a full blown, formal practice, it could just be for fun.

3 Commit to paying a compliment each day – to yourself. Out loud. And mean it.

4 Commit to identifying what you’d like to do in the following 100 days after this.

5 Consider making an “activity board” so you don’t get stuck in a rut and leverage your creativity!

6 Think about what you would do (differently?) if it was the beginning of the year rather than most of the way through it).

You can focus on music (after all, why are you here?) or you could take an even broader view and approach to enjoying the remainder of the year.

Which of these will you do? What did I forget to include? Let me know in the comments!

* if you’d like to use this tracker, just copy the graphic and print it.

Sherlock Practicing

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Do you have a problem? You know the sort of thing that gets in your way when you’re playing. But it’s small. Annoying but not really worth focusing on. After all, you’re motivated, you’ll get over it.

Well, that’s just silly. You don’t develop bad habits or problems overnight. And you don’t fix them by ignoring them! Whether it’s dropping your thumb on a crossover or not closing in a chord or not placing ahead, it won’t get fresher by ignoring it. So, what can you possibly do? Well, here are a few ideas.

The easiest answer is to ask your teacher. That’s a straightforward approach because they can see you from a different perspective and bring all that experience of correcting problems (yours, their own, other people’s). Easy peasy.

But not everyone has a teacher. And some are no longer in regular lessons and have to be their own teacher. Then you have to turn into Sherlock Holmes and detect not only the problem but also its cause and its solution. That’s a tall order. You need a process. A few tools will help too. No, not a magnifying glass! Remember that Sherlock said, “I have the advantage of knowing your habits” – so here’s how you can be Sherlock and get to know your own habits:

  1. Notice the need. This is essential. Pay attention to the clues – poor sound, sore hands, late notes, feeling frenzied. You can’t fix a problem if you can’t at least name it. For instance, if you’re not getting good tone but you don’t recognize it’s because you’re not closing, you won’t get it sorted!
  2. Take meticulous notes. Give yourself time for this and write it down. Rarely do we have a single area for improvement! Note all your challenges – over time. Collect your thoughts on what is happening. Include your observations of what is happening? when? what else is going on? what might be related?
  3. Collect your evidence. The part everyone hates – getting the dirt that shows you that you haven’t imagined it! Use your phone to video your practice (or playing). You want to catch yourself in the act. Video is so good for this because you can push it is dispassionate and faithful. Push play and get back to playing rather than trying to play while simultaneously observing yourself. Don’t worry – we’re going to record, review, reduce (delete!) the video once the work is done.
  4. Develop your theory. This video is a tool, not a documentary. Get in, see what you see, learn what you can learn, and get out. From your observations, what is happening? Is your hand in the wrong place? Are you over stretched? Or are you not giving yourself enough space to work? Are you uncertain and not placing?  You want to determine what is not working so you can focus on that. No attribution, no negativity, just focus.
  5. Strategize the solution. Once you know what’s not working and why, then you really can work on it and apply yourself to correcting it. If more than one thing is happening at a time, then you can also parse what you know and make a plan to fix one thing at a time (while monitoring so you know what to fix next). Lather, rinse, repeat as needed (and remember, it will always be needed).
  6. Verify! Once you think you have got your fix in place, give yourself some time to make it comfortable and automatic. Then record again to verify that your fix is holding! If you find something else to work on, so be it – and don’t despair. We are all always working and developing, learning and growing. It isn’t you; it’s the nature of the beast.

Just like Sherlock’s clues, the answer is out there, you just have to find them and apply that knowledge to your own playing. Give it a try and see what you learn (good and bad) – and let me know how you get on!

Your comments:

Kate says: From a Zen master:  Perfect practice makes perfect. Going over and over the same “mistakes” just cements them. Good to take it apart and re-learn whatever the snaggle is. 

That said- it can also be beneficial to modify the snarky passage so you Can play it! Been there, done That! 

Come with Me!

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It’s been a while since we talked about going to Scotland, learning tunes and playing harps (or enjoying and listening!). Alex and I have come up with an exciting trip that will be perfect whether you lay the harp or not!   

It’s time! We have set dates for our Highlands (and Islands) trips for 2027. Yup – trips! Two!

We are going to spend our time in Scotland – with harps! What could be better?

Ok, well, bringing a harp appreciator along with you could probably make it even better – so do that!

Highland Cow enjoying the mountainside

If you’ve never been with us before, you’re in for a treat! And if you have traveled with us, you’ll see that we’ve kept all the wonderful parts of traveling in the warm embrace of David and put a new spin on it with Alex!

We’ll fly into and out of Edinburgh and then use a mix of transport modes to enjoy each of the historical centers and their sites. Some of our time will be organized tours and we’ll also have independent downtime. No matchy-matchy tour for us! We’ll hit marquee sites (for our first timers) and some of our favorite local gems (for our tenured travelers). And you know that your harp for the week will meet you there so we can have a tune for each day!

When? you ask. We have chosen two dates so you can definitely fit it into your schedule. We will have five seats for our Spring trip May 3rd to May 17th, 2027 (think cheerful yellow canola flowers and gamboling lambs!). In the Autumn we’ll have five seats September 26th to October 4th, 2027 (think blooming heather and autumn foliage!). Different times of year, different seasons, same beautiful, amazing Scotland!

As I said, we only have five seats on each trip – because we like it that way! We get to know you so we can tailor as we go so you have a wonderful experience! We have a plan but it’s not rigid, so if we want to, we can squeeze something special in – or route ourselves around the sunshine.

Here’s the plan!

Calton Hill in Edinburgh

After you arrive, we’ll head to Sterling and enjoy getting to know this fabulous country. We’ll throw back to the glory days as we explore the fabulous Sterling Castle. We’ll also get the chance to enjoy the stunning scenery with a little bit of time at the indescribable Isle of Skye. From there, we’ll head to Pitlochry for a little bit of time in picturesque small town and see some of the heart of the country. We’ll round out our time in historic Edinburgh and enjoy Scotland’s capital of culture.

Of course there’s more and you’ll find additional details on the website (https://babciaandyiayia.com/scot27) like what’s included and more itinerary details. I know you’re intrigued so if you’d like to learn more about this experience, please schedule a time to chat with us. We’ll answer all your questions and get to know you a bit better!

CLICK TO SCHEDULE A CHAT!

And if you’re already ready to go – save your spot (click the link at the top of the page). If you have trip detail questions or want to ask harp related questions, just ask! I can’t wait to hear from you! I’ll be over here, pre-packing and finding new tunes! 

St Andrew's Cathedral

This is not that

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Comments added below. Have a comment – let me hear from you!

So many of us struggle to get our practice in. Whether we’re just starting or are simply reacting to daily life, finding the time can be a struggle. But sometimes it’s not finding the time at all.

Sometimes it’s about masking our feelings not our calendars.

I have yet to meet a harper who is unaccomplished, uninteresting, or unmotivated in life.

And that is part of the problem! Because when you are accomplished, interesting, and motivated, it can be more than a little humbling to be confronted by something that kicks your metaphorical butt!

And harp is kind of a bully – it looks so effortless. It sounds so effortless and ethereal. It is so soothing and relaxing. And then it knocks you for six, slaps your face with a fish, and laughs as it saunters away.

And here we are, accomplished, interesting, motivated adults, known for our acumen and accomplishment in the rest of our life, being humiliated by a fish wielding bundle of kindling!

But this is not that.

We can put up plenty of “barriers” to avoid confronting that playing the harp is a lot more challenging than it looks. That it requires all the skills we have already developed and then requires a whole load more that we have to work on – continuously!

I swear I’ve heard my harp sneer, “but what have you done for me today?” And that can wear you down. It may feel as if your harp laughs in the face of your previous accomplishments. That does not make us any less than. In fact, it only makes us more.

Here’s another way to think about it – you grow best when you are under load. That’s true for both physical and cognitive growth. The real challenge is how you respond to that load. The part of us that has already accomplished so much might want to know why we have to do this given that we’re already so lauded and recognized for our high ability and expertise. 

Rather than letting the smarty boots part of you derail your practice, think instead about the load (practicing) as being not so heavy*. And that if you divide it up over time, it becomes feather weight (granted – it’s still intimidating, but it becomes more manageable!). It’s like the elephant – you eat it one bite at a time.

Struggle makes us better, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. What you did before prepares you for what you do now. You do not need to hide from your harp – this is not that. This is this!

And you know it – you’ve got this!

Want to share a thought or leave a comment? Just click here – I love hearing from you!

* Also, don’t let something you’re very proficient at just now let you forget how much work you put in when that was the difficult challenge in your life!

Your comments

Jen- this is the most realistic rendition of harp study EVER.  I agree wholeheartedly!   The harp i s Gorgeous to look at, etherial to hear and damn difficult to learn to play!

Yes,  we are intelligent, educated, often professional adults and the harp says  ” you want it When?” – Kate  😵‍💫

You don’t say

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I had a conversation with one of my students the other day*. She said that she had seen so much progress this week. WOW! Yay! What teacher doesn’t want to hear that?

I asked what had changed to make that happen and she shared that she had practiced every day that week. And now she could actually see progress. And she was (justifiably) very proud! All I could think was, “You don’t say.” After all – those are the words every teacher longs to hear!

All this progress because the week before I had simply suggested that a small and manageable amount of practice every day was much more conducive to success than one-off marathon sessions the day before we met.

When I say small, I mean small. There is no amount of time that is too small. Only have 5 minutes. I have a plan for that! Some days only get 2 minutes – I know how you could spend them to move forward! Spend a week only plopping onto the bench and then leaping up to do other things – no problem!

Because we all only make progress when we get consistent. It’s not about trying to get 3 hours of practice every day – but rather to have some time at the harp nearly every day. Really, we want to build our practice of practicing. To make it something we do every day – like brushing our teeth.  To build the consistency it helps to have a plan.

That plan starts by being sure that your harp is easy to access when you need it. This can be challenging because we also have to protect the harp (from pets, small children, windows, vents, etc. Within those constraints, try to keep your harp where you see it! So many people have a drastic change when they move their harp from the spare room (that no one goes into ever) to their living room (or office, or other room they go in all the time). Simply seeing it will radically alter your practice time.

And the best thing is, that once you start practicing a little but consistently, you will begin to see progress.  And that progress will feel amazing! And then you might find that your small consistent practice grows and becomes a longer consistent practice. Because you love playing the harp – so you might as well do it – every day you get to!

One of you asked if my students don’t get upset when I share something they’ve said. FYI, whenever I say “one of my students” I’m actually referencing something they have (nearly all) said. This is never a single student, but rather a concatenation of all of my students and their comments over time. I’m not singling anyone out or putting anyone on report!