Oboe: Back On Track!

For a period of time, I kinda’ stopped practicing my oboe. I was unhappy with myself for not practicing. I really wanted to do it, yet I did not have the motivation and discipline. Maybe it was because of the cold winter, or simply because my oboe reed was deteriorating and I didn’t care to buy a new one cause’ it was costly.

So anyway, for nearly 2 months, I had no progress on the oboe. I started to dread the lessons with Mr. Jacobs because I couldn’t keep up. My mouth would tire very easily because I did not practice! So yes, I wasn’t doing well with my third instrument.

I asked God to help me, to give me the discipline to just do it. But in my heart, I did not really want God to help me. I made myself believe that I didn’t have the time for it. On the other hand, I can’t really blame myself about being “lazy”. I had to practice for piano and violin, and that took up at least 5 hours of my average day. By the time I settle for the oboe, I’m too tired and I can’t be bothered to assemble the parts and wet my reed.

However, at last week’s oboe lesson, I finally got fed up with myself and my lack of practice. It was too embarrassing to turn up for lessons unprepared and showing no improvement or commitment to the instrument. My teacher also gave me a very good suggestion concerning my practice schedule – he said I should try practicing oboe FIRST, before playing violin or piano. And just 15 minutes would do me good. Then at least I won’t be playing with my mind, fingers and body already tired from practicing violin and piano. I thought his advice made good sense!

So that’s what I did. I whipped out my oboe nearly everyday after school, and practiced just 15 minutes before starting on my other instruments. And hey, it jolly worked for me! This time, I also genuinely prayed that God would help me to get back on track with my oboe. Although I’ve been practicing only 15-30 mins each day, it has been good enough to help me remember the fingerings and develop the face muscles around my mouth bit by bit.

I’ve learned that even 15 minutes of practice a day makes an enormous difference. The key is to have constant and regular practices. Gah, as if we all don’t know that! But the truth is, we all try to ignore that fact. Sigh, there’s just no other way to it!

Anyway, here’s the happy ending: I had my oboe lesson this week, and for the first time since 2 months, I finally had such a productive and fun lesson!!! I learned much more and it was all because I could PLAY. Hahaha. All of a sudden, I feel extremely motivated. =)

Slow Down & Speed Up

I discovered that in order to determine whether or not I have fully (to my best extent at that point) memorized and understood [the key parts of] a piece, I must be able to play it at varying tempos. I must be able to play slowly and also quickly at random parts throughout the song. It’s like changing the metronome time from fast to slow, without affecting the quality of the notes being played. For once, it is not about playing musically or with rubato or not, it is simply about being able to confidently play what I have committed to memory, at the threat of having to slow down and speed up.

When slowing down, I must still be able to produce the notes accurately. Ironically, it can sometimes be much easier to play fast because then it becomes almost automatic; whereas playing slow will force the mind to think about the notes coming next. Therefore if I do not know my piece well enough, playing slow might stop the “memory flow” – meaning, my mind has a tendency to go “blank” when anticipating the next note.

By speeding up, I must also be able to produce the notes quickly and accurately (in my mind – whether by automated memory or photographic memory of the page or bar of notes). By doing this, I’m forcing my mind and memory to produce the notes faster than normal and therefore my familiarity with the piece is also tested.

It actually works both ways. I must both learn to slow down and speed up to keep my mind and memory on alert. If I can’t play slow without stopping halfway, because my mind goes blank at some point (this always happens to me that’s why I prefer fast songs), that means I haven’t practiced enough and I don’t know the piece as thoroughly as I should.

If I truly know a fast piece, I would be able to play it slowly because then it is no longer about the hands playing automatically and “without thinking”, but it is about my ability to savour every note. So even when I’m playing it fast, I am actually conscious of every note, and not only playing automatically. That’s why I need to force myself to play slow for fast pieces. I will then have the chance to slowly reflect on each note, although it is to be played fast.

I discover that once I am able to play a fast piece slowly, it means that I’ll be ten times better when I play it fast. Because then I’ll be playing it with the awareness of the beauty and significance of every individual note.

On the other hand, speeding up a piece with moderate or andante tempo forces the mind to produce the memory of the notes more quickly. Thus this enhances the playing of the piece because then when it is played at the correct tempo, the mind is always on the alert, already thinking of and knowing what is coming next (because it has already done so when you played faster than normal).

My Ideal Student

Recently, I started teaching another new student! This was another pleasant surprise, as with my other students. My new student’s name is Ethan. He’s a beginner. It so happened that his mom (somehow) heard that I teach piano, and she actually contacted me through Facebook! Haha, amazing right. :P

So today I taught 7 year-old Ethan for the second time. His mom says that 2 years ago, one teacher said he is not mentally prepared (a very restless boy he was) to learn yet. So now here I am teaching him.

At first I was a bit worried. It’ll be my first time teaching a lil’ boy – and you know, I never had a lil’ bro and I seldom have to look after boys. So I had no idea how it would turn out. What if he can’t sit still? What if he doesn’t like me? What if he doesn’t listen enough to get what I’m saying?

I just committed my worries to God and went ahead with it. To my sheer delight, Ethan was such a wonderful boy to teach! Yes, he’s a tad energetic (what do you expect, he’s a 7 year old!), but he’s also very responsive and a clever boy indeed.

I now realize that the best students are not the ones that sit quietly and listen to & obey everything you say. No, no. My ideal students are those who respond to my teaching by asking me “why do it this way and not that?”, or hard questions that will keep me on my toes. BUT, the great catch is: although they ask questions and may sometimes disagree, they must also be students who know when to ask the right questions and can submit to the teacher’s advice.

To my surprise (and delight), Ethan is one such student. My very first student in Melbourne, Amelie, was also such a student. Unfortunately now she’s gone back to Germany.

I thank God for such a privilege to teach music!

Expectations

I realize that when a teacher expects little of her student, there’s no motivation for the student to excel. Small expectations result in mediocrity. High expectations inspire excellence.

At first, it was difficult for me to live up to the high expectations that my music teacher had, but in the long run, it proved to be a good thing for both of us. Her high expectations spurred and motivated me to do more than what I thought I was capable of. It’s not easy, but it is worth the extra effort.

I learn that when a teacher expects great things of a student, the student will almost willingly want to excel and show the teacher that it is nothing too impossible.

Although I think we all know this, many times we still see teachers who don’t care any better and they don’t expect anything of the students at all. In truth, I’m tired of such teachers. I often end up wasting my time in school cause’ the whole class is in a racket (yes, even in Year 10) precisely because the teacher has lost control by not having any expectations of the class. Of course, it is a challenge, but then I suppose that’s why outstanding teachers and exceptional students (who willingly want to excel because they are motivated by the teacher) are a rarity.

I think this is something I can learn from and apply to in my life and also when teaching my piano students.