Managing time and maintaining work-life balance seems to be the most difficult tasks especially when time seems to be running out. It might be your changing responsibilities at work or the new work culture, you might have limited time to spend with your family or scroll down some news. With such hectic schedules, you might wonder if you can take some time out to play piano.
The chances seem impossible and taking out time for a practice session can be difficult. Not only us, but professionals struggle managing time for these sessions. Although difficult, it is possible to balance music, family, and work. Let’s look at how you can do that.
Be Consistent
Consistency plays a crucial role when you try to balance your basic responsibilities and practice music. Devoting 2 hours at the gym once a week won’t make you stronger, but going to the gym for 5 days and exercising for 30 minutes makes you stronger. Similarly, eating a couple of healthy meals each week clubbed with fast food throughout isn’t making you healthier. But doing the opposite can be good for your health.
Making consistent efforts to play piano allows you to make more progress and enjoy your sessions. Practicing for 45 minutes just a day before your lesson doesn’t have the same effect as 10 minutes of practice each day for 5 days a week. Devoting 10 minutes to play piano is easily possible even when we have the most hectic schedules.
Make a Schedule
Setting a schedule yourself is important than waiting for others to let you play piano. Set up a timer for 30 minutes each day just after you have your dinner. You may also try incorporating practice time as your first task each morning before having breakfast. The remaining day after a perfect and consistent session becomes less stressful and promotes creativity within.
Prepare a Routine
Just like making a schedule to practice, preparing a practice routine is very useful when you have limited time to practice. Once you are aware of the duration and what you will be practicing, things become a lot easier. In addition, learning to isolate and identify components making a skilled pianist helps a lot.
Get Your Family Involved
In case you think practicing piano eats up your family time, it’s better to skip the worry and get them involved in music too. It’s wonderful to play music together and a great way for a family to spend their precious time. You may even expose your family to the benefits of playing piano. Doing this motivates them to engage with music and you never know if you might end up forming your family band.
Avoid Stresing or Comparing
Stress is one major reason people lose motivation in music. Similarly, comparing your skills or progress with other famous musicians might discourage you to continue playing piano. our objective should be to play music and this feeling has to be there whenever you play piano. Instead of treating it as a chore, it should be a game. If you make it a chore, the activity would become tiresome and boring and you may become resentful of the piano and yourself. Hence, avoid stressing or comparing your practice too much.
Excitement and Attention
There are several forms of practicing music and you should start maintaining a listening journal. Small efforts like taking out 10 minutes at least 3 times a week to consciously listen to your favorite song can do wonders. It becomes better if you listen to them over your headphones in a quiet place while staying away from distractions. Write down your thoughts about the song in your journal.
Answers like why a piano makes you feel a certain way or why are drums played when they are and not during other parts of the song. Sit quietly and take notes in your journal. You may also write answers to questions like what music is to you or is music a particular song or an artist? Or it is a feeling, an emotion, or a feeling? Asking such questions and answering them yourself while balancing your practice time with daily chores maintains the excitement and attention levels towards music.
If you are a resident of Tampa Bay and looking to purchase a new piano, you should get in touch with Dave’s Piano Showroom. They offer an exclusive collection of different kinds of pianos.
Picture Credit: Freepik