Most of you probably know that I play the trumpet. I have played since I was about 6 years old and went on to study music at university. At university I was told that I had been playing trumpet the wrong way (in the wrong manner) all my life. I needed to stop and start again! This was really difficult. It is like being told to start writing with the other hand!
When I started changing my manner of playing it was as if my ability to play the trumpet had disappeared over night. I became frustrated at my lack of strength and my inability to play high notes. I sounded like a beginner again, 13 years after I had started playing the instrument!
After a while I found that I was focusing a lot on stamina and range in a bid to get back to my original level of playing. However the more I focused on this the worse I became and the worse I became the more frustrated I was, and the more frustrated I was the worse my playing became. It was a vicious circle of panic and despair. This happened for a long time and I gave up my dream of becoming a professional and came to Japan (even though I continued to play through a sense of habit after so many years of association with the instrument).
A few weeks ago, I decided that this vicious circle had to stop. I seriously thought about my practice routine and started to set realistic goals for success.
My new routine does not focus on range and stamina. Instead it focuses on music and technique. In other words, I am now concentrating on the basics. This means I have to learn all the scales and their related exercises with different articulations, practicing them from slow speeds to fast speeds in the middle of my range. It also means I spend more time playing musical studies and thinking about the musical message behind the notes.
It means that I am focusing on everything except my range and stamina.
After just a week of doing this I have already noticed an improvement in my overall ability, including my range and stamina, and my sound has become stronger and more like the old me! I have become happier and more motivated. I am enjoying the experience of playing music again. And more importantly, for me, my dream is alive again!
This is all well and good you may be thinking, but what has it got to do with studying English?!
It has nothing to do with English, but everything to do with how and what to study. All too often students ask me “how can I improve my vocabulary? How can I improve my fluency? How can I improve my pronunciation? What do I have to do to get a better TOEFL/TOEIC score?” The answer to these questions is simply, “don’t forget the basics!”
What you need to do is establish a routine that takes in the basics and covers a wide range of skills. For example you might want to start your personal study session spending a little time doing grammar exercises from a book before moving on to reading and then listening exercises. Your mind will respond to a set routine and you will also have a sense of accomplishment, which will boost your confidence.
You can even make yourself a study chart to follow and record your progress and improvement.
Practicing a musical instrument, doing exercise or studying an academic subject all have one thing in common; and that is routine.
Concentrate on improving all of your communication skills through the establishment of a set routine and I promise you, you will soon realize that the areas you feel to be your weakest will start to take care of themselves. And I guarantee you will feel happier and more confident for it. Take it from me; I have a new lease of life!
Happy studying!
Vocabulary:
Eureka - an exclamation, said when we make a surprising/amazing discovery http://
“it was as if…” - it was like/similar to…
stamina - strength/power
range - in this context it means high notes on the trumpet
in a bid - in an effort to do something
articulation- way of pronouncing something on the trumpet
to establish - to start
to take care of themselves - to cure/improve without effort
When I started changing my manner of playing it was as if my ability to play the trumpet had disappeared over night. I became frustrated at my lack of strength and my inability to play high notes. I sounded like a beginner again, 13 years after I had started playing the instrument!
After a while I found that I was focusing a lot on stamina and range in a bid to get back to my original level of playing. However the more I focused on this the worse I became and the worse I became the more frustrated I was, and the more frustrated I was the worse my playing became. It was a vicious circle of panic and despair. This happened for a long time and I gave up my dream of becoming a professional and came to Japan (even though I continued to play through a sense of habit after so many years of association with the instrument).
A few weeks ago, I decided that this vicious circle had to stop. I seriously thought about my practice routine and started to set realistic goals for success.
My new routine does not focus on range and stamina. Instead it focuses on music and technique. In other words, I am now concentrating on the basics. This means I have to learn all the scales and their related exercises with different articulations, practicing them from slow speeds to fast speeds in the middle of my range. It also means I spend more time playing musical studies and thinking about the musical message behind the notes.
It means that I am focusing on everything except my range and stamina.
After just a week of doing this I have already noticed an improvement in my overall ability, including my range and stamina, and my sound has become stronger and more like the old me! I have become happier and more motivated. I am enjoying the experience of playing music again. And more importantly, for me, my dream is alive again!
This is all well and good you may be thinking, but what has it got to do with studying English?!
It has nothing to do with English, but everything to do with how and what to study. All too often students ask me “how can I improve my vocabulary? How can I improve my fluency? How can I improve my pronunciation? What do I have to do to get a better TOEFL/TOEIC score?” The answer to these questions is simply, “don’t forget the basics!”
What you need to do is establish a routine that takes in the basics and covers a wide range of skills. For example you might want to start your personal study session spending a little time doing grammar exercises from a book before moving on to reading and then listening exercises. Your mind will respond to a set routine and you will also have a sense of accomplishment, which will boost your confidence.
You can even make yourself a study chart to follow and record your progress and improvement.
Practicing a musical instrument, doing exercise or studying an academic subject all have one thing in common; and that is routine.
Concentrate on improving all of your communication skills through the establishment of a set routine and I promise you, you will soon realize that the areas you feel to be your weakest will start to take care of themselves. And I guarantee you will feel happier and more confident for it. Take it from me; I have a new lease of life!
Happy studying!
Vocabulary:
Eureka - an exclamation, said when we make a surprising/amazing discovery http://
“it was as if…” - it was like/similar to…
stamina - strength/power
range - in this context it means high notes on the trumpet
in a bid - in an effort to do something
articulation- way of pronouncing something on the trumpet
to establish - to start
to take care of themselves - to cure/improve without effort
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