The Musician's Way Blog

“In order to be creative
you have to know how to prepare to be creative.”
-Twyla Tharp, choreographer (The Creative Habit, p. 9)

Even though musical expertise results from persistent practice, it can be tough for us musicians to stick to our practice schedules over the span of months and years.

What’s more, when we arrive at the practice studio, it isn’t always easy for us to make inspired music.

Nonetheless, I believe that all of us can be consistently and deeply creative. But the key to our doing so lies in our ability to plan and otherwise prepare our practice sessions.

To help musicians establish prolific practice habits, Part I of my book, The Musician’s Way, proposes diverse ways in which performers can organize their practice, cultivate spontaneity, ignite motivation, and more. In tandem, MusiciansWay.com provides free downloads that aid practice planning, scheduling, and evaluation.

In this post, I zero in on those downloads and summarize how they can promote daily creativity. (Click on the bold headings below to view each download.)

Practice sheet
A practice sheet allows you to concisely document what material you’ll work on (see pages 6-10 of The Musician’s Way). You can then glance at the sheet and instantly pinpoint your practice aims. 

The sheet removes the burden of having to remember what to practice and thereby frees up mental bandwidth that can be tapped for creative purposes. Plus, by eyeballing the sheet periodically throughout a busy day, you can keep your musical goals in mind and nurture your artistic mindset.

Practice schedule
When you specify practice times on a schedule (whether in print or online), it helps you prioritize your creative work and structure your life in accordance with the rhythms of your practice.

I advise musicians to practice multiple times per day, if possible, and in shorter sessions that enhance learning and avert fatigue.

Practice log
If you intend to change your practice patterns, you may find it useful to note what, when, and how you practice each day. Try logging for a week, and see what you learn. 

Documenting your work reveals your habits, exposes strengths and weaknesses, and stimulates fresh thinking.

Practice graph
Use this graph to plot the quantity or quality of your practice over a 30-day period. Along with or in place of a log, it too can illuminate aspects of your work habits and inspire you to practice regularly.

The downloads page at MusiciansWay.com includes an example of one student’s completed graph.

Performance preparation timeline
When a major performance lies on the horizon, a timeline of goals is a potent tool to clarify practice objectives, counter procrastination, and foster a feeling of accomplishment.

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Music critic Ernest Newman wrote, “The great composer does not set to work because he is inspired, but becomes inspired because he is working.”

For composers and performers alike, sensible planning and consistent practice keep creativity flowing and empower us to be creative on cue.

© 2010 Gerald Klickstein