Comments on: Level Up Your Musical Patience http://musiciansdojo.com/level-up-your-musical-patience/ Understanding the Art of Music Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:32:00 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: gemarrs http://musiciansdojo.com/level-up-your-musical-patience/comment-page-1/#comment-189 gemarrs Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:23:34 +0000 http://musiciansdojo.110mb.com/?p=404#comment-189 Dear Frightened Musician, It sounds to me this professor, during normal training, is someone who uses a certain recoil tactic on students. Whether he is aware of it or not, the tactic (as I've discovered from other people using it on me concerning other areas of life), involves getting the student motivated to breakthrough any barrier that is in front of them by getting them riled up in a negative way. This is meant to make you think to yourself "I'll show them". It's a mechanism that only certain people have the instinct to follow (unless the person normally not armed with this instinct is made aware of this tactic and chooses to follow suit anyway). Under the condition he does this during an actual official performance, it sounds like his career might be at risk under the supervision of his superiors (at least after a point). You have a conscious you choice here. If you choose to be taught under this instructor this is what I suggest: Stay aware of the teaching method used here. It's simply his method of instilling passion into how badly you want to improve and master your playing skills. Don't take it personally against the instructor. Keep in mind the point behind their method and keep your mind focused on this point: To keep your emotional drive active and healthy so you are always being driven to improve every practice session. Some people develop an ability to take this negative feedback and translate it into a positive message inside their head, ie "Are you really that bad of a musician" = "I know you are a hell of a lot better than that, now show me what you're really made of!" Otherwise, if you are concerned to a point where you have considerable doubts about being able to keep your head together under these methods, feel free to go to a different instructor with different teaching methods. If you find you won't be comfortable and in turn it hinders your progress, then going a different direction is probably going to benefit you more. I've always believed, personally, that every student should have passion instilled in a positive light. They need to be able to have confidence by their own means that they have the ability to master their instrument. That's just me though. Good luck, and feel completely free to keep me updated! :) Dear Frightened Musician,

It sounds to me this professor, during normal training, is someone who uses a certain recoil tactic on students. Whether he is aware of it or not, the tactic (as I’ve discovered from other people using it on me concerning other areas of life), involves getting the student motivated to breakthrough any barrier that is in front of them by getting them riled up in a negative way. This is meant to make you think to yourself “I’ll show them”. It’s a mechanism that only certain people have the instinct to follow (unless the person normally not armed with this instinct is made aware of this tactic and chooses to follow suit anyway). Under the condition he does this during an actual official performance, it sounds like his career might be at risk under the supervision of his superiors (at least after a point).

You have a conscious you choice here.

If you choose to be taught under this instructor this is what I suggest: Stay aware of the teaching method used here. It’s simply his method of instilling passion into how badly you want to improve and master your playing skills. Don’t take it personally against the instructor. Keep in mind the point behind their method and keep your mind focused on this point: To keep your emotional drive active and healthy so you are always being driven to improve every practice session. Some people develop an ability to take this negative feedback and translate it into a positive message inside their head, ie “Are you really that bad of a musician” = “I know you are a hell of a lot better than that, now show me what you’re really made of!”

Otherwise, if you are concerned to a point where you have considerable doubts about being able to keep your head together under these methods, feel free to go to a different instructor with different teaching methods. If you find you won’t be comfortable and in turn it hinders your progress, then going a different direction is probably going to benefit you more.

I’ve always believed, personally, that every student should have passion instilled in a positive light. They need to be able to have confidence by their own means that they have the ability to master their instrument. That’s just me though.

Good luck, and feel completely free to keep me updated! :)

]]> By: A frightened musician http://musiciansdojo.com/level-up-your-musical-patience/comment-page-1/#comment-188 A frightened musician Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:15:48 +0000 http://musiciansdojo.110mb.com/?p=404#comment-188 Dear musiciansDojo, I am a drummer and have taken private lessons for years. Although I do not play guitar, your blog posts do apply to musicians all around! Thank you! My central question is on the fear of studying music performance at a university or conservatory. I have recently been contemplating on whether to study at the University of North Texas. As this is a predominately jazz school, I am also looking to study in the field. My only concern is studying with the professor at the university. You might be familiar with his name, Ed Soph. He is notoriously known for attempting to bash and discourage and degrade drummers. There are true witnessed events of him stopping student performances and yelling out, "Are you really that bad of a musician?" My concern is going through such an intense and extreme program as such. I also know though he is one of the best jazz drumset professors in the world. When contemplating this subject, what do you have to say? Dear musiciansDojo, I am a drummer and have taken private lessons for years. Although I do not play guitar, your blog posts do apply to musicians all around! Thank you!
My central question is on the fear of studying music performance at a university or conservatory.
I have recently been contemplating on whether to study at the University of North Texas. As this is a predominately jazz school, I am also looking to study in the field. My only concern is studying with the professor at the university. You might be familiar with his name, Ed Soph. He is notoriously known for attempting to bash and discourage and degrade drummers. There are true witnessed events of him stopping student performances and yelling out, “Are you really that bad of a musician?”

My concern is going through such an intense and extreme program as such. I also know though he is one of the best jazz drumset professors in the world.
When contemplating this subject, what do you have to say?

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