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Judy Minot
Judy Minot

35 Followers

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Feb 2

What Should I Focus On?

I received this comment in response to an earlier post: “If I had a better idea of what to focus on as I practice, I might be able to focus better.” Let’s take a look and see if this idea can help us practice more effectively. Focusing Isn’t Easy Could you focus better…

Music Practice

3 min read

What Should I Focus On?
What Should I Focus On?
Music Practice

3 min read


Jan 30

Consider Your Audience

Long before I called myself a “writer,” I wrote an article for an aikido newsletter. I asked another aikidoka who worked in publishing to check it over. She told me I needed to consider my audience. “Ask yourself with every sentence: Is this necessary? Is it written just for me…

3 min read

Consider Your Audience
Consider Your Audience

3 min read


Jan 12

Accepting Criticism

How to have a more useful response to critiques of your playing — A friend of mine is a concertina teacher. He was approached by a potential student who asked, “Will you critique my playing?” My friend answered, yes, among other things, he would listen and point out areas for the student to work on. The student replied, “That might be hard for…

Music Practice

5 min read

Our Reactions to Criticism
Our Reactions to Criticism
Music Practice

5 min read


Jan 5

Paying Attention

I’ve written before about the power of our attention when we practice, and that practicing in a focused and mindful way yields more, and faster, rewards than practicing long hours.¹ Learning to be more attentive, or mindful, when we practice and play is one of the most valuable things we…

Music

4 min read

Paying Attention
Paying Attention
Music

4 min read


Dec 30, 2022

What Can You Let Go Of?

As I write, the new year is two days away. Some of us use the date 1/1 as a starting point to set goals, intentions, or resolutions. At this time of year I often recall a concept I read a while back: Instead of listing what I want or plan…

2 min read

What Can You Let Go Of?
What Can You Let Go Of?

2 min read


Dec 16, 2022

The Joy of Playing a Supporting Role

A few days ago I was chatting with a violinist friend. He expressed his opinion that violinists who play first violin in orchestras have a more “attention-seeking” or “look-at-me!” way of playing in general. Second violinists, according to my friend, are happy to play the supporting role, playing harmony notes…

Music

5 min read

The Joy of Playing a Supporting Role
The Joy of Playing a Supporting Role
Music

5 min read


Dec 8, 2022

In Praise of Simple Tunes

When we practice, we mostly work on things that are hard to do. I might work on unisons on the fiddle, or fingering triplets on the accordion, or just practice a tune I love that has a hard passage or is in a weird key. …

Music

4 min read

In Praise of Simple Tunes
In Praise of Simple Tunes
Music

4 min read


Dec 2, 2022

Making Things Up

Dear Readers, I’m sitting down to write about the practice of practicing after a long hiatus in which I mostly…played! It’s been wonderful to get out of the practice room and (carefully) attend in-person music events: jams, gigs, camps, festivals and performances. My beautiful routine of writing and practicing has…

3 min read

Making Things Up
Making Things Up

3 min read


Sep 5, 2022

Measuring Up

When he was in his teens, my husband was a competitive swimmer. For several events he was his country’s national champion. As an adult he continued to swim to stay fit, until just a few years ago when he switched to using a rowing machine. Recently he told a friend…

3 min read

Measuring Up
Measuring Up

3 min read


Nov 21, 2021

Lessons on “One Point” from Bull Durham

For some time I’ve been wanting to write about using the aikido concept of one point in playing music. “One point?” laughed my son, another aikidoka, “That’s tough to understand. You’ll have a hard time explaining that.” Challenge accepted. In the movie “Bull Durham,” Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) gets rookie…

Music Practice

3 min read

Lessons on “One Point” from Bull Durham
Lessons on “One Point” from Bull Durham
Music Practice

3 min read

Judy Minot

Judy Minot

35 Followers

A musician and author of the book Best Practice: Inspiration and Ideas for Traditional Musicians

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