Maintaining Motivation During Quarantine
It can be difficult to stay engaged in practice when the sun is shining and the world is on pause–and it’s not just an issue among young musicians; it’s something much of the music world is dealing with. What’s the point of practicing right now, when the world seems stagnant? Here are a few ways to keep motivation going:
- Remember why you started in the first place. Maybe you wanted to play a specific piece, or maybe your goal was to learn hymns, or maybe you started for your own enjoyment as a new hobby. Whatever your path, remind yourself of what you want to be doing with piano and pursue it. Let your teachers know–they love to help you!
- Motivation follows action. Sometimes it helps to decide, even if it doesn’t initially sound interesting, to just practice for five minutes, and after that five minutes, you can do whatever you’d like. You may find yourself still at the piano half an hour later! You may not, and that’s okay too. You’ll do better if you find a time when you’re feeling refreshed. If five minutes is too much, it’s better to wait.
- Remember what you’re capable of. Remember where you were when you first started music lessons. How much have you learned since? There’s no cap on how far we can advance, so use this time to go for a higher level than you’ve been before.
- Set a goal. A goal can help you to play longer–if you’re determined to finally pass off that hymn, you’re going to stay on the bench and get closer being able to play it for others.
- Don’t forget to have fun! Sometimes we focus so much on “practice this way” and “fix that” that we forget to enjoy our practice. The secret of motivation is that enjoying what we do and being relaxed while doing it helps us focus even better! Take a break from practice steps when needed to just enjoy music so you can stay connected.
Talk with your teachers about how practice is going for you so they know how to help you even better. And enjoy your practice!