I’ve just realized that whenever I establish a proper piano practice routine for myself, it always revolves around things that I feel I should practice. At the end of this long routine, there’s usually a tiny dedicated space for things I would really want to practice.
More often than not, I never reach that part.
I think a part of me believes that indulging in what I genuinely want to play doesn’t count as deliberate practice, it’s just a waste of time—a non-essential activity, perhaps even a form of procrastination from what I truly should be doing.
This productivity driven approach, unfortunately strips the joy from my practice sessions. They become a task, after which I feel I deserve a reward, like watching Netflix.
Yet, I remember a time during my teenage years when practicing piano was the reward itself. My greatest pleasure was to stay behind at school and play until I had to leave.
So as an experiment, I’m planning to invert this routine for the next while, starting with what I want to play, and that’s Radiohead’s music.
There’s no particular reason or objective behind this choice. I just want to learn and play their songs purely for the joy it brings me.
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