Hammock Driven New Year’s Advice
Fortunately my New Year’s resolutions made no mention of procrastination. They had more to do with improved musical productivity peacefully coexisting with a moderate dose of procrastination. So it was a welcome coincidence that New Year’s Day brought several articles to my inbox, each advising imagining what you want to accomplish and then doing it in short intense spurts. And it is 2 weeks later that I pass it along.
The first was Advice on Getting Better from an Accomplished Piano Player “Strong pianists, on the other hand, have an image of what a perfect performance should be like that includes all of the relevant senses. Before we sit down, we know what the piece needs to feel,..” In essence, know what you are practicing and why, practice the hard bits, visualize before you play.
From the software world, Rich Hickey espouses “Hammock-Driven Development in Thought for the New Year: Step Away from the Computer asks “When was the last time you thought about something for an entire hour?” And in How to Increase Productivity and Enjoy Life More Tony Schwartz points out that our bodies have a 90 minute rhythm of alertness that we should follow. All three articles suggest the same recipe.
Imagine, Work, Enjoy … Repeat …
Athena Tergis and I played a benefit concert in Montalcino to help raise money for an orphanage in Haiti. We were accompanied by several local musicians and had a very enjoyable evening.