Why do we spend countless hours in a small practice room, chamber music rehearsal, or orchestra or opera rehearsal? Is it for the grade, the approval, the sense of understanding a technical/musical issue that has been bothering us for weeks?

All of that is part of the answer, but is it all of the answer?

Why did we choose to become musicians? I did because I loved to play the viola, although I didn’t always like to practice when I was younger. The variety of music that we get to perform is enormous, and it speaks to us in many different ways. All of the technical issues that are part of learning our craft can be frustrating, to be sure, but the bottom line is still creating the best music we can with the tools we have right now. We need to have a solid foundation on our instrument, yet we also need to think about the music that goes with that solid foundation. Practicing musically as well as technically helps us better understand the composers we play and then we can communicate that to our audiences.

Something to remember as the end of the semester draws closer. Remember that you love music and that you love to learn!

Until next time,
Margaret Miller