"Practice doesn't make perfect. Practice makes permanent." Sound familiar? This idea of habit formation has been central to my most recent "Lap Four" goal - see my earlier post if you're confused. Historically, I have problems with consistency. One day I play a brilliant concerto, the next I forget how to slur an octave. Home run, strike out. In my multifaceted approach to solve this problem (and subsequent random internet surfing), I came across several videos, web resources, and a book by New York Times writer Charles Duhigg. He describes the "Habit Loop," which led me to two important realizations:
![]() I set out to deconstruct my habit loop. CUE: Public performance. ROUTINE: Freak out, lose control. REWARD: An "engaging" performance. Sometimes this is a euphemism, sometimes not. Here's his story, the cookie-based version of my bassoon habit: After months of diligent work refocusing on the reward - engaging an audience with a musical experience - I finally stepped beyond my most recent plateau. I played in a master class, and, for the first time in what felt like forever, I was happy with what I presented.
I played representatively. I played how I play when I'm alone. I played how I play when I am having fun. *gasp* A friend of mine asked me later that evening what I felt to be the biggest change in my playing over the past several months, and I gave him a highly inadequate answer. (So, this post is partially for you, Adam!) I gave him a technical answer. I did blah blah to my reeds and think of my sound as blah blah and by body blah. Blah. After more reflection, here's the real answer: I practiced right. By "right" I don't mean that I was practicing wrong before. I mean I practiced being right and knowing I could be right. I practiced being right more than I was being wrong, which I had always before thought of as a waste of time. However, it stands to reason that we will always do what we have always done. If nine times out of ten you crack a note, that one success only means that you have a 10% chance the next time around. Play it correctly ten times in a row, then your chances just over 50% (11 rights for 9 wrongs). Math! I stopped practicing to be perfect, and I started practicing to be permanent. I practiced right, and it felt right. Go give it a shot, and let me know what you think!
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