I often feel that I need more time, or maybe fewer things to do. I know that I should be putting in an hour or two a day on a practice pad, and the drums, and the marimba, and learning those changes on vibes, not to mention other instruments…
It’s really a good problem to have, although when I’m trying to learn a part for a fast approaching gig, not so much…
Time management (not the time we get from the metronome!) is really important for a free lancer, private teacher, or for that matter, a busy high school or college student juggling multiple priorities. In an earlier post (Rehearsing…), I discussed the benefits of short, focused rehearsal, and how it can help us to make good progress in a small amount of time.
Managing the time that we do have is at least as important. How much time do I waste trying to find something in a disorganized rehearsal space or practice room? Do I have a plan for what I want to rehearse for the next day, week or month? If I’m preparing for an audition, do I have a three month, one month, two week, one week, and “day before” plan to master the audition material and to prepare mentally for the audition day? If it’s an audition for a band, do you know which tunes on the rehearsal CD are the ones that the band members really want to hear?
All basic stuff, but it helps to keep time and space organized so that we can concentrate on what it is that we want to do… make music.