Re: [Harp-L] practice harps/accelerated learning

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Don't think "practice" any longer. There is no Practice VS  Performance

I'm not sure that works for me, though it might work beautifully for other 
people.

The first part of my daily practice session is a warmup.  I'm not even 
going to define what I do here for the warmup, only that I'd never do that 
stuff in public performance, except maybe to demonstrate to other players.

In some ways the whole practice session is a warmup, so that I do not 
inflict my warming up on the audience, if I'm playing live, and so that I'm 
hot from take one when I'm in the studio.

The second part of my practice session is distinct from performance for 
another reason: it's when I'm experimenting, trying out new ideas, 
perfecting the ones that work.  Most of that would bore my mother to tears, 
much less an audience.

Very importantly, though I'm playing freely and trying to play new ideas 
when I'm playing for other people or recording devices, it's never as free 
as my practice sessions, where I could care less if I make mistakes, or 
rather WELCOME mistakes to see if they contain any new ideas.  I make 
mistakes in performance of course, and part of live improvisation is 
recovering from mistakes in such a way that they are no longer mistakes.

I'm never so rigorous while practicing.  Like I say, in practicing I'm 
listening for and even encouraging mistakes because some of those mistakes 
are brand new ideas.  And when I get a brand new idea I practice the idea, 
and practice and practice, and try out variations and no audience would 
want to hear me do that.

If anything, Iceman, I would say that performing is a kind of practicing 
for me.  I'm playing freely, but with the knowlege that somebody is paying 
me to make engaging, enjoyable and accessible music, and that I have to 
forget everything I know and just bring merriment.

After a performance I often feel like I learned just as much as after a 
great practice session.

Perhaps we're on the same page.  I really liked your post and it stimulated 
my thoughts on these matters, and I thank you for that.

Ken