When is the last time you ‘failed’ at something? I failed yesterday to stick a drop jump and I failed to execute a finger change when I increased the tempo in a piece I am working on. These may seem like small fails, but they are important learning moments.
When we encounter a ‘fail’ we have a number of choices, we can simply move on, we can give up or we can pause, employ curiosity, and identify where our weakness lies. Then use what we uncover to strengthen or reinforce our approach. Sometimes this means breaking down movement, regressing tempo, or going to the foundation of the building blocks that contribute to the movement.
But what if our ‘fail’ is a big one? Not advancing in an audition, not playing as well as we would like on a recital. Sometimes we let these ‘fails’ define us, I know I did. Time to reframe! Yes, we didn’t play the way we hoped, recognize that being a musician is a process. Offer yourself compassion, reflect,
and employ changes that will strengthen your playing from the foundation (movement).
Today, reframe your ‘fails’ as learning opportunities.