Re: dedication and sacrifice/AHN

[Philharpn@xxxxxxx]

Years ago, when there was still a military draft, a young guitar player (not 
Elvis) got his notice and realized that for the next two  years (that's how 
long a draftee served) he would have only limited time to spend on his guitar -- 
unlike the hours he had spent previously practicing. (He was serving 
stateside, so he was able to keep a guitar in the barracks.)

He also realized that if he stayed away from his guitar for two years, his 
chops would fall into such disrepair that it would take him longer than two 
years to regain them. SO he worked up a routine that he complete every day in 30 
minutes.
I don't know who he was, but he was able to keep to the schedule.

Without making too much of a point about it, there is a wide range from 
spending all your free time (as young students and young musicians can do) working 
on your instrument, studying, practicing, even playing for tips and making 
steady progress, keeping the chops up with a mere 30 minutes.

That's because 30 minutes a day keeps you in the game. It's also such a small 
amount of time that most people can steal that away from time with their 
kids, spouses, mates, whatever without serious repercussions.

And should the opportunity arise where you might have more than the 30 
minutes available, your chops will be ready when you are.

People who take music lessons, regardless of the instrument, frequently know 
something that many self-taught people never understand about practicing. If 
you're paying someone for a lesson every week, you'd better spend some time 
woodshedding in the time before the next lesson or you're wasting your money. 

Now for my 30 minutes a day, I'm going to spend 10 minutes on the piano, 10 
minutes on the guitar and 5 minutes on the chrom and 5 minutes on the blues 
harp.

But then I'm only a writer and the only thing I really know is the QWERTY 
keyboard.

Phil Lloyd/ Contributing Editor
American Harmonica Newsmagazine