No doubt you’ve heard the old adage, “Practice makes perfect.” …but does it really? As the daughter of a North Carolina music teacher, I have seen first-hand that there is no such thing as perfection in music. Of course practicing is vital to the mastery of any discipline, but – as a musician and a music teacher’s daughter – I would also argue that the pursuit of perfection can be dangerous (and even damaging) for students. Perhaps it’s time to modify “the old adage” and put a little less pressure on ourselves – especially as we simultaneously develop our musical skills and our affection for music education.
Growing up, I took piano, violin and (eventually) voice lessons from my mother. As a child, I heard her students’ lessons after school and on Saturdays for many years. Her in-home studio grew to include students from two other neighboring towns, and eventually, my aunt and I pitched in to assist with her 60-75 weekly music students. My mother praised and encouraged her students when things went well during the lesson. When things didn’t go well, however, she still nurtured and challenged them – always giving them home practice tools so they could achieve success in subsequent lessons (or for an upcoming recital). As I continued my own musical study throughout college and graduate school, I found myself using many of my mother’s practice tools and techniques. I even began utilizing them with my own music students. Although, I didn’t realize it at the time, she really gave me a wonderful gift that I’ve used throughout my life.
As music students, we are often taught that practicing is the way to help us avoid making mistakes, and – though this is true – it might not be the best way to explain the value of practice to students. Practicing helps us achieve that higher level of performance that we all dream of. It helps us play music with less worry about technique, fingering, etc. – bringing us joy and gratification as we play. But, the phrase – practice makes perfect – establishes a very high standard that could be impossible for most of us to attain – especially those of us who can’t spend hours practicing every day. Expecting perfection causes some students to feel frustrated that they aren’t succeeding immediately (or “fast enough” – whatever that means). …and it can cause some sensitive souls to give up on their musical dreams! Establishing a culture that strives for perfection can easily make anything short of that seem like failure. Who wants to be a failure? Unfortunately, too many students take this distorted view of “success” to heart and give up when they don’t immediately succeed – robbing them and their families of a lifetime of music. This is the worst possible outcome.
Of course, it’s important to work hard to achieve our highest level, but every student starts from a different place of skill and experience. Good music teachers can evaluate their students’ strengths and weaknesses, and work to develop them in ways that both encourage and challenge them to grow – much as my mother did with her students. Accomplishing (and mastering) a given goal or task, and then meshing that new skill with the student’s own interpretation engages a student’s imagination and creativity – and there is no better reward for achieving a musical goal. The result is a refreshed and energized student who is motivated by her recent success to take on the next challenge. Instead of anxiety and frustration, the student feels capable and inspired! She might even be motivated to share these lessons with students of her own someday!
So, how can we build a culture of excellence without pushing for perfection? The answer, ironically, is practice. Changing your studio’s culture won’t be easy, but – if you work at it a little bit every day – you can make big changes! Simply being aware of the need for change and mindful of the things you say can turn things around quickly. For example, establishing more realistic (and personal) goals can be an important step. Breaking a difficult piece down into small “chucks” makes it easier for a student to succeed. This is especially true if you sprinkle in some easier “fun” music in between. There is absolutely no rush to put the difficult piece together. Just work 2-3 lines at a time as “exercises” and put them together when the student is ready to see the bigger picture.
Changing the way we praise is another big step. Instead of rewarding a student for playing a piece “perfectly” or “without mistakes,” we can focus on the student’s musicality and individual growth. We can focus on the process instead of the outcome. “I love your fingering in this section” or “You played that line very musically!” can be more helpful than “I love your “ You played that piece beautifully” or “Great Job!” Of course, we have to point out mistakes and build strategies to improve performance, but we can use humor and praise to get our point across even when things don’t go well. “You played a few creative notes there, didn’t you? That was fun! …but let’s try again and see if we can recreate what the composer had in mind.” There are always ways to express the need for change without quashing a student’s spirit or creative process.
Anders Ericsson, an internationally recognized researcher in the psychological nature of expertise and human performance said, “Practice is important, and it’s surprising how much it takes to master something complicated.”
Ericsson’s research suggests that someone could practice for thousands of hours and still not be a master performer. The same is true with teaching. Some of the best teachers I have ever known (my mother included) were life-long learners themselves. …and just understanding that – even as teachers – we’re always learning to be better musicians made a world of difference!
“The best way to get past any barrier is to come at it from a different direction, which is one reason it is useful to work with a teacher or coach.” – Anders Ericsson
Finally, technology might help with our industry-wide fascination with “perfection.” Apps like Piano Marvel can help us build stronger sightreading skills in a modern, video game-like environment. This emphasizes the need for accuracy, but focuses on improving our skills from wherever they are at the moment. The goal is to get better – not to be perfect. Other apps may focus on playing along with a band (where blending with the other performers can be more important at times than playing every note perfectly) or isolating individual skills like rhythm exercises, ear training, finger strength, etc. These apps can be tremendously helpful because they give students opportunities to succeed in smaller, more manageable ways while simultaneously improving their overall performance capabilities. In short, they are fun… but they serve a big purpose.
My friend, Dr. Qingqing Ye, pianist and teacher, most eloquently says this about practicing:
“As a performer of classical music, I felt obligated to practice for perfection. However, what I learned more from this process is that I needed to constantly find ways to comfort myself for never being perfect. I realized that there is no such perfection in a live performance, and we might not need an ultimate perfection to satisfy the audience.”
– Dr. Qingqing Ye, Artist in Residence, Scottsdale Philharmonic
If we look at practicing this way, we can enjoy making music so much more. Let’s just work on the technical aspect to the best of our ability understanding that we might “mess up” from time to time – just like the composer did when (s)he wrote the piece. When we can apply our own musical wisdom, expression and insight into the piece, it really becomes our own interpretation. To me, this is what practice should be. We’re not robots. We’re people and playing a musical instrument should give us a chance to demonstrate our humanity and our personal growth. Practice shouldn’t make perfect. It should simply make progress.
