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Post your WOOP – June 2023
Ack! It’s hard to believe it’s June already.
What projects or goals are you working towards this month? My tendency is to want to try to “catch up” in the summer months and try to do too much. But it’s probably smarter to aim for more balance – feel free to work that into your WOOP if you find yourself in the same boat!
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6 Replies
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My June goal is to get my practicing of Chopin Nocturne Op 9 No 2 in E flat major: Andante in shape enough to perform at my Presto Performance group on June 25. Since I will be traveling a lot this month, I am ok if I wait until the next opportunity on July 9, but will stay focused on trying for the June 25 and then for sure I will be ready by July 9 LOL!
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Sounds like a good goal with a contingency plan in place. Aside from travel, are there other things that could be potential obstacles?
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Last month’s WOOP turned out pretty well. To stay engaged with the music (Schubert) for one more performance on June 3rd, I invented a story line to go with the dances (I’ve never done that before). It cued the interpretation for each dance, keeping me emotionally engaged as I practiced, and I shared it with the audience before playing. My husband told me afterward that he saw people counting which dance I was on, to keep track of the “story,” and a couple of colleagues told me they liked my intro. I was pleased at the success of this experiment.
I revived Brahms Op,. 118 Nos. 1 and 2 to play for my music club on the 14th and aggravated some wrist problems by pushing too hard to be ready quickly. I’ve started experimenting with ways to avoid strain.
Here’s my new WOOP:
WISH – To learn/memorize the rest the Schubert Op. 171, revive Op. 118 No. 3, and be able to play the octaves, chords and reaches without straining.
OUTCOME – To enjoy playing without pain and with a lighter touch that allows more dynamic range.
OBSTACLE – Trying to hurry the process; not respecting what my wrists are telling me.
PLAN – Continue close observation of the passages where I feel pain; experiment with angles and relaxation. Check out some Taubman videos and maybe schedule a consult with a colleague who has Taubman training. Try out the PM/AM strategy with the new pieces.
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Yay for the storytelling experiment! Sounds like it worked out really well.
And I’ll be curious to hear how your consult with the Taubman colleague goes. My wife studied with a teacher who took the first semester or two with every new student to help them relearn how to play in a more Taubman-aligned way. I don’t play the piano, but had to do secondary piano lessons like every other non-pianist, and my secondary piano teacher taught us Taubman principles, which I really found helpful and interesting as well. I suspect you’ll get more out of a live learning of it with your colleague than from videos where you aren’t able to get as much personal feedback, but it sounds like a worthwhile path to explore given your recent wrist pain.
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Thanks, Noa. I’ve already gotten some ideas from videos, and I’ll watch more as time allows. I’m sure you’re right about in-person coaching, but I want to get rolling with BP before I go deeper into Taubman technique.
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Yikes – where did the month go. Okay, a quick WOOP for the last week of June.
Wish- I learned a new warm-up last week. Play a single rudiment for 15 minutes straight. Tempo stays the same but I will vary dynamics and move between qtr notes – 16th etc. “at will.”
Outcome – I’ll feel more comfortable with that rudiment and build stamina.
Obstacle – time & endurance. My arm muscles will attempt to negotiate an early departure from this exercise. They will offer me candy & coffee; I will resist their offers. Mentally, when I already feel pressured for time to practice to play one thing for 15 seems inefficient. Yet, I know in the big picture it will be awesome.
Plan – If I attempt to skip this then I will walk outside for 5 minutes and recommit to the 15 minute exercise.
Deb
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