It’s nearly the end of March, the time when we feel like it should be warm and glorious. These are the days that beg to be enjoyed. And the weather guesser said it is Spring. And yet, it is cold, dreary, and windy. It doesn’t feel like it will be glorious any time soon. And although the forsythia has bloomed, the ground is still too cold to do Spring-like things. And so, we look longingly out the window, weary of donning coats we’d prefer to take to the cleaner to put away until the winter comes again.

Given this, we should be delighted to stay indoors, in the warm, holding a cup of tea, practicing like mad. And yet, these are days in which it seems very difficult to bear down and practice. Competitions aren’t for weeks and weeks (NB Scottish + Welsh Harp Day is 5 May!).  It’s that lull between the holidays and the mad Summer weddings season. So, why is it that we…just…can’t…even…get to the harp?!? Or if we do get to the harp, we diddle but don’t really practice – why?!?

Maybe it’s inverse cabin fever – or maybe the doldrums of not having anything urgently pressing on our calendars? Or maybe we need the rest?

No matter the reason, this is a time when we also pile on guilt because we know we need to be practicing. But even that doesn’t seem to goad us to action. Let’s face it – we…just…can’t…….get on the bench!

So, how do we get out of this? This is slightly different from your regular practice, if only because you are specifically trying to lure yourself onto the bench. So, it’s more about getting there than being there. Once you get there – you know what to do!

Here are seven ways to help you get to the bench and get moving again:

1. Make an effort to say hello. No, seriously, walk up and just say hello to your harp. This might seem silly but try it. Humor me. Maybe even touch it. This is especially important if you don’t have a dedicated space for your harp and you must move it to play. Sometimes, saying hello is all it takes to remind you that – why, yes, you would like to play, just a little.
2. But maybe the simple greeting doesn’t evolve to playing. You could simply sit on the bench. If you are really a hardcore case, convince yourself that you are timesharing – sitting on the bench is a start toward practicing AND it is housekeeping – dusting is important too. So, it could qualify as home care. But, often simply placing your behind on the bench leads to playing.
3. If the first two haven’t lead to you playing (or left you racked with scandalous guilt), maybe commit to playing for just 5 minutes. Get out your trusty timer, because you wouldn’t want to cheat! Just spend those 5 minutes playing a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g (really – anything!). Make sure you enjoy the time – because it could lead to longer bouts of playing.
4. Still not making it to the bench? Make a date with your harp. Write it down on your calendar. This is not the time to get up an hour early or to skip dinner. Just make – and keep – a date with your harp. It could be a 5-minute date, you could meet for coffee, it doesn’t have to be long, just be sure you keep the date.
5. Get a buddy (especially useful if you know someone else in the same boat). Work with your buddy to be accountable. Although this might work best with another harper, your buddy can be anyone trying to be accountably motivated – to exercise, to diet, to read more, whatever. You can help each other by checking in each day to assure you both stay motivated and do what you mean to.  Knowing you’ll be embarrassed to have to tell someone else that you didn’t get to it is very motivating for getting it done!
6. Accountability buddy too cheesy for you? Be accountable to yourself! Keep a log of your progress.
7. Plan a treat. While you could give yourself a cookie every time you make it to the harp, a better treat might be to select a piece of music you would like to learn. That might take more time than you’ve allotted at this point, but it could be a nice carrot!

Whatever you choose as a means to help yourself get motivated – the real point is to get you back to playing! And cut yourself a break.  But if it helps, remember that regular practice – even for a short duration – will move you farther along than long, but sporadic, practice. Whatever you do, don’t hector yourself. You’re not quitting after all, you’re just reminding yourself how much you enjoy playing.

The Spring will come, and with the sunshine and longer days, you will look forward to getting back – so use these tips to help pass the time ‘til you get there. Do you have other ways to get yourself back when…you…just…can’t….? I’d love to hear them (in case I need a new way the next time I’m in the same state!).

Mindfulness is everywhere just now. There are mindfulness apps, there are coaches, and there are plenty of scolds telling us that we need to be more mindful.

This is however, much like so many other things. There is no end to the line of people telling you what you should do. You need to eat low fat low carb clean whatever-is-popular-today. You need to have these countertops, this color cabinets, and definitely not have an avocado refrigerator! You have to wear skinnies, or was it wide-leg? Oops, nope, it’s ankle pants.

There are a lot of people telling you what is right for you. But you probably already know what is right for you!

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention. Of being “in the moment”. Of focusing on what you are doing right now. Of not being fixated on on what has happened before or what might happen later, but only on what is happening.

And in our current world, it is easy to get caught up in not being focused. And so, there are loads of people willing to tell you how to be focused. But the most important part of mindfulness is knowing you.

You likely already know what works for you. Answers online may help but will not change that essential you.  And if you’re paying attention, you will have a pretty good idea of what you need to work on. Rather than telling you to breathe or meditate or do yoga, I’d like to suggest a few other ways to be mindful during your practice and playing. How do you get your mind to focus on playing the harp rather than on all the other stuff you could be thinking about?

1. Breathe. Ok, I know I said I wasn’t going to tell you to breathe, but I am always amazed at how many people truly don’t breathe when sitting on the bench. I have gone so far as to draw breath marks into the music or to add a breath into the phrase as I teach a tune. Breathing is something that requires a little attention when you’re focusing on something else (like learning or mastering a tune).
2. Check in. Just as when you arrive in a hotel, you have to check in so they know you are there and you can get settled, you can check in with yourself – see what baggage you have brought (and leave it on the floor), make sure you are comfortable, that there is enough light, and that you know when your time there will end.
3. Attend. Actually pay attention to what you are doing. Don’t think about work or what’s for dinner, why you can’t play the same things as Betty Sue, or what you’re going to play for your Carnegie Hall audition in 150 years. Pay attention to what you are doing right then.  Scales? Focus on your fingering, placement, sound quality, and control. If you’re doing etude work, assure you’re getting out of the etude the point of the activity rather than just banging through it.
4. Be content. You are practicing. This would suggest that you are building a skill, a repertoire element, or a performance package. The key word there is building – developing. Be content that you are making progress. Don’t waste time being upset, chagrinned, angry, or despondent that you have only made as much progress as you have – rather, be content that you have made progress.
5. Don’t settle. Why yes, this is the tempered opposite of the item above. Don’t settle for anything less than your best effort. Don’t accept sloppy scales, a fumbled second phrase, trailing fingers, or anything else that smacks of not paying attention. Don’t flog yourself but do genuinely work while you’re on your bench. This is a path to being content!
6. Mind the time. While it would be ever so nice to have four hours a day to practice, that is impractical for most. So be sure you know how much time you’re going to dedicate and use it. Use all of it. But honor your plan and only use all of it, but no more. This will help you be focused on what you’re doing rather than wondering, “How much longer? Are we there yet?”

Of course, you can also have a mindfulness practice of more standard mindfulness stuff – that can only aid your focus when practicing. But you know you – do what works for you.

What other things do you do to help yourself focus and be mindful when you’re on your bench? Leave me a comment, I’d love to hear what you do!

We all know playing an instrument is “good” for you – impacting brain function, helping you learn more and differently, reducing stress, helping you meet new people, and of course, just having fun. Bud do you ever stop to think about why you play?

The good news – there are no wrong answers to the question.

The better news – there isn’t just one answer (or at least, there doesn’t have to be).

The best news – there is a test and you ace it every time you sit on the bench!

It is likely that we all play for different reasons – our own reasons. It is also likely that our reasons are similar. Perhaps most importantly, all our reasons are good.

But do you ever think about what your reasons are? I mean really think about it. Not the tossed off answer you give to people who gawp when you tell them, “I play the harp.”. Not the easy (and likely irrelevant) answer. I mean the answer from deep inside you. The answer that pushes you to work, to learn, to practice. That (or those) answer(s) hold the key!

Your answers don’t need to come out of your mouth (unless you are an irrepressible extrovert!). Rather, they can be the mind fodder of quiet walks or long drives (like the kind you might make going to the 40^th Annual Ohio Scottish Arts School this summer (more on that later)). These answers are worth pursuing because they hold the questions we should ask ourselves each time we practice. Here are a few to consider:

I play for my own enjoyment. This sometimes means “I don’t want to perform”. This answer appears to lead to the easiest practice – if you aren’t working to perform for others, you don’t need to work too hard. But in actuality, this might be the hardest to practice for! If you are the only listener (absent the cat and the curtains), you may discount any progress you show. You may set the bar too high (or too low). Or you might stagnate – playing the same music repeatedly but without feedback you might not be driven to continue to develop, explore and experiment. You must just be sure your practice actually meets the answer – that you are actually enjoying the time at the harp. Don’t stagnate but explore new things to find those that you enjoy most and develop those.

I’m a performer at heart! This might be the easiest answer. People are naturally curious about our instrument and are often in awe of musicians. They may wish to be close so that they get to participate in the experience. You know you can focus on preparing a performance package but be sure to include some “me” time in your practice. Your performance will be improved by including this time. This might include a return to fundamentals for a focused meditative time, revisiting old material and brining a new perspective to it, or dedicating one practice a week to having fun rather than perfecting and polishing.

I like being unique/playing a rare(ish) instrument. This may be the most seductive answer because it doesn’t seem to require much practice at all. To remain unique, you need only say you play and others will still be in awe. You might not defer from playing but you are also not committing to being a performer, so the bar isn’t set too high. But you might be tempted to slack off or cheat yourself out of valuable practice time and the opportunity to do more than scratch the surface and thereby miss so many occasions to surprise and delight yourself! Commit to a more active role in your musicianship – play well enough to let your uniqueness come blazing through your fingers.

I play to put some good in the world. One could argue that doing good requires that you be good – at playing! Whether you do good in the world as a volunteer or as a professional, one off or every day, your practice needs to assure you are strong enough to get through the session and to move about the world with your harp. Include strengthening exercises for your whole body as well as exercises for the “playing parts” (after all – all of you is in this together!).

I play because I must! The harp evokes your soul and emotions in a way no other instrument can, and you are compelled to play it. In addition, the harp is so forgiving to beginners that sitting and evoking is easy. But be sure to practice and master many techniques to assure that you can successfully – and consistently – evoke any emotion you choose, when you choose so that you can meet your need.

There are obviously many answers – these are but a few. No matter your answer, be sure you back it up with a solid practice that permits you to give your best answer! You are going to ace the next test!   What’s your answer?  Leave me a comment and let me know.