One thing I appreciate about the coming of the new year is the opportunity to reflect on things for which I am grateful, like family and kittens and glorious, sunshine-filled days. I also like to think about different things I'd like to attempt in coming year. Now, I’m not one to typically make New Year’s Resolutions - resolutions seem to be more about restricting negative actions, and people get down on themselves is they violate the resolution. I'm going to be about goal settiing to try to focus on positive changes in my life. This year there are two things, specifically, that I’m going to work on…the first is that I would like to become a better musician, and for me, that means I would like to learn how to play piano. I’ve always loved the piano, and I doink around on it the best I can – even used piano chords to help me develop harmony parts for my most recent CD. But, and this is a big “BUT”, I can’t really play it and have it “sing” for me...I'm just not fluent enough to convey feeling...a very important part of performing.
It’s a lofty goal that’s going to take way more than a year, but I’m starting by dedicating at least fifteen to thirty minutes a day, hopefully more, to practicing. That doesn’t seem like too much time to me…honestly, I probably spend that much time perusing time-wasting internet sites. Why am I telling you this…so that I can have my feet held to the fire. I’d like some of you to check in on me – a different kind of crowd sourcing.
My other goal is to promote and teach guitar lessons. I want to go back to the basics with guitar to become a better guitarist. Ironically, that’s how I’ve found that it happens…when you have to strip something down to its very essence and explain it to someone else. I used to do that with snow skiing. I was a ski instructor from the time I was thirteen years old, and doing all of those snow plows and understanding the basic physics of shifting weight actually made me a much better skier.
So my zen state for this year is to be both a teacher and a student…balancing patience and frustration. What are some of your goals for this year?
It’s a lofty goal that’s going to take way more than a year, but I’m starting by dedicating at least fifteen to thirty minutes a day, hopefully more, to practicing. That doesn’t seem like too much time to me…honestly, I probably spend that much time perusing time-wasting internet sites. Why am I telling you this…so that I can have my feet held to the fire. I’d like some of you to check in on me – a different kind of crowd sourcing.
My other goal is to promote and teach guitar lessons. I want to go back to the basics with guitar to become a better guitarist. Ironically, that’s how I’ve found that it happens…when you have to strip something down to its very essence and explain it to someone else. I used to do that with snow skiing. I was a ski instructor from the time I was thirteen years old, and doing all of those snow plows and understanding the basic physics of shifting weight actually made me a much better skier.
So my zen state for this year is to be both a teacher and a student…balancing patience and frustration. What are some of your goals for this year?