I have had a number of discussions with parents lately about
getting their child to practice, so I thought I’d write a blog this week on
talent and the art of practicing:
I often get told how talented I am and asked “just how many
instruments do you play?” People have this idea that I came out of the womb
with a guitar in one hand and a saxophone in the other, playing a lovely duet
to my mother from birth. The truth of the matter is that every single detail of
my musical life has come from practicing. I am borderline obsessed with
practicing different instruments all the time.
Lately, I have been reading a great book by Daniel Coyle
entitled 52 Tips For Improving Your Skills. The book is filled with clever,
quick tips that seem part Stephen Covey and part Stephen Colbert. Mr. Coyle
analyzed hot beds of talent throughout the world and looked at common traits
from a variety of fields. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Stare at who you want to become - Covey’s keep-the-end-in-mind
is a rationale that works to keep the ship heading to its destination.
2. Spend 15 minutes a
day engraving a skill on your brain - If you can spend 15 minutes for 30
consecutive days on a specific small task, you’re on to great things!
3. Steal without apology - The year is 2014; learn from the
past . . . from everyone.
4. Buy a notebook- Keep a record of what you are doing . . .
in detail.
5. Be willing to be stupid - Taking chances is the only way
that great things happen.
As you can tell, it’s a great book that I would highly
recommend for yourself or others on the conquest of developing a skill. A few
other suggestions that I’ve garnered from my years of teaching:
* Play in a group - Individual practicing only goes so
far. Playing music with friends is one
of the greatest conversations in the world.
* Find another adult to encourage your child - Receiving
outside encouragement is like compound interest on an investment.
* Having a child-friendly teacher is wonderful, but make
sure it’s not all fun and games and that good, sequential learning is taking
place. Sometimes honesty is a difficult and necessary companion to growth.
* Perhaps the single biggest component to practicing is
taking the time to practice slowly. Most young people love to play fast through
everything. If you can isolate a problem and play it 10x correctly, you will be
ahead of the game.
What does this have to do with spirituality? Well, think of
these tips in regards to Bible study, or memorization, or your prayer life. The
art of practicing has many applications.
I challenge you to pick up some of these tips and put them into practice
today!
Richard Hickam
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