Musical Enjoyment

How do you get the most enjoyment out of playing an instrument? Get really good at it!

Although I teach this principle all the time in lessons, it came back to me in a very practical way for myself recently. After I had written a piano arrangement of a song and had begun playing the finished product, it occurred to me that something didn't seem quite right about it. So, I analyzed the arrangement itself, examining various elements of the music, and ultimately decided that it was exactly as it should be. Then it dawned on me – it wasn't the content of the music that was the problem; it was how I was executing it! So, after I sat down and worked on playing it extremely well, I was satisfied.

This kind of thing happens all the time in lessons...a student says he/she doesn't like a piece; then, after working harder on it and dedicating himself/herself to a great finished product, suddenly the piece becomes much more appealing and the enjoyment of playing it really kicks in. And out of that, a valuable lesson can be learned: the better you are at something, the more you enjoy it. Now, that is not always the case, obviously. However, it is a principle that I try to instill in students...as well as one I try to remember for myself!