To-Do List Update

Update: I successfully completed my to-do list from today.  And I created a to-do list for tomorrow.

The only reason this warrants a post is because I'm at a point with two of my pieces that I can practice conducting.  This is fantastic!  This is my life.

How I Work...

I just wrote myself a to-do list for tomorrow.  I sent myself an email labeled "Monday To-Do List."  In it, I set reasonable expectations (I think) of things I think I can accomplish tomorrow while still doing things like making sure my little one has love and attention.

As we head toward the beginning of school, I find myself acknowledging that it is time to tie up some loose ends.  For example, I have to finish reading the textbook I'm teaching from for my Seminar in Music Literature class.  I cannot finish planning the class or find supplemental articles until this is done.

Additionally, I love working on my music.  I normally save that because it is so enjoyable, but that sometimes means I don't give it as much time as I should.  However, I have decided that music preparation (which means better rehearsal preparation) can be a top priority.

So I'm giving myself time this week to get lost in music.

Fresh- no longer!

My music has some of the first markings!  A fresh, new binder of music... now with some preliminary form analysis markings.  Small, but exciting.

Silence and Stillness

Moments of silence, moments of stillness... this is how I need to prepare my music.  Sure, I am as rushed as anyone.  And when we feel rushed, how do we prepare music?  I make the necessary markings, make some decisions that I know I can change later, try to avoid listening to any recordings but spend time playing through the music, and make sure I can sing through any parts that I can't sight-read with confidence.

But who wants to live in music that way?  That's not preparing music; at least, not really preparing music.  For me to understand, to love, to live, to help the music sing, I need to spend time in silence and stillness.

Well, stillness for sure.  And "silence" is relative, because there is internal hearing.  There is sound in my head.

I am on a road trip visiting family, and I have not opened up my music yet to prepare it for the fall.  I have my binder stocked and ready to go.  It's waiting to be prepared.  But in the midst of reading a textbook for my Seminar in Music Literature class, preparing rubrics and assignments, designing a schedule for the semester, creating syllabi... I don't want to shove in music preparation for five minutes here and five minutes there.

So one thing I am preparing to do is to carve out sacred time in which I prepare music.  It has to be time when my brain and inner ear is fresh.  I'm recommitting to musical music preparation, not music preparation done in short bits that feels stale.