Sampling of Practice Stories From Music Masters
Steven Isserlis, world acclaimed British cellist:
I remember that one summer when I was a teenager, I was seized with some sort of mania and started to ‘work on my technique’ for seven hours a day (the only time I’ve ever practised that much). The result was that my technique got considerably worse in quite a short time. Relaxation is so important a part of playing any instrument (or singing, I’m sure); the more one hammers away at a problem, the more risk there is of ingraining that problem into one’s muscles. I once knew a cellist who boasted that she was practising the shift between the cello’s two opening notes in the Schumann concerto, E and A, a hundred times a day. Of course, when it came to the concert, she missed it. (At least she hadn’t been murdered by her neighbours – that might have counted as justifiable homicide.) If one has a technical problem, one should – ideally - examine it away from the instrument, self-isolate it (as it were) and try to solve it in the mind as much as possible before returning to the instrument. The important thing is to stay calm; practice-time is not a moment for getting excited. And take breaks – don’t hurt yourself! An aching, tight body will never allow you to play with the sort of fluency that is possible with a strong-but-relaxed approach.
From Mads Tolling, Jazz violinist, 2 time grammy winner:
I grew up in the country of Denmark. I started playing the violin at age 6 together with my sister who was 5, when she started. The winters there were pretty cold. I grew up in a large house that was drafty and hard to heat up. So every morning we would wake up at 6am, and we would then proceed to put on layers of clothes to go into the living room that had the grand piano. My mother would sit at the piano and play the melodies, and us kids would imitate what she did on our violins. We would play for 45 minutes - Suzuki violin - books 1-6. When we were done, we would have breakfast and then head to school at 8am. Luckily the school was right across the street. I practiced again at 4 PM before dinner.
I think it was very good to split up the practice between two sessions. I also think practicing in the morning when the mind is sharp is more effective than when you feel tired. So, as little inviting as it may seem to play some high pitched violin music in the cold and drafty living room, it created a routine for us kids and a good way to start the day.
From Susan Day, string orchestra composer, Colorado Music Educator Hall of Fame inductee:
I started Piano lessons at age 7 and Violin in 5th grade. When I was in 6th grade, one night after dinner, I got the idea to run to the piano and practice so I could try and avoid having to do the dishes. I fully expected to be called back to do them, but I overheard my dad say to my mom, “She should do the dishes” and my mom replied “Oh, no, let her practice!” This became a nightly ritual, where I would run to the piano to escape the dishes, feeling very clever, and they would just let me practice. I never did a dinner dish through high school graduation, but I got very good at playing the piano. I always thought I had gotten away with something, but when I became a parent myself I realized if you can find a way to get your child to practice, it’s worth doing the dishes yourself!