The Art of Practicing

Einstein gave the definition of insanity as: “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”. For many of us, Einstein may very well have been giving us the definition of our own practicing. But even for Einstein, who was an accomplished amateur pianist and violinist, music held inspiration for him which opened up the scientific world to him. He reasoned that through the exploratory and creative process of music, he was able to solve problems in science that he never could have staring at numbers and facts alone.

Problem solving at the keyboard is an exploratory art. The possibility of interpretation and spontaneity is infinite, which in and of itself offers great satisfaction and why live performances will always be superior to recordings. But, in our experience, this is also why you can fumble around forever and never achieve success. Therefore, this process, the Art of Practicing, can and must be improved.

In this workshop, Michael Schneider leads you through many techniques and tips which help you hone and focus your practice sessions, while sharing often funny experiences he has had along the way. There are hilarious take-aways like his Chart of Frequent Troubleshooting Questions and list of the Common Mistakes of Practicing, along with the helpful Indispensable Tools for Coordination Issues. This workshop has been featured by:

• San Antonio Tuesday Musical Club (TX)
• Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA), State Convention
• Youngstown State University
• University of Texas at Austin
• Numerous other festivals and local music teachers’ associations throughout the United States