20 raring2go.co.uk Raring2go! I was stuck about which subject I should tackle for the Autumn edition of this lovely little magazine. Then the Commonwealth Olympics arrived and we were all struck by the gruelling practice schedules undertaken by these young (and, sometimes, not so young!) competitors. The idea suddenly presented itself. It was nearing the end of the Summer Term, which are usually very busy for everyone. Not only do we have the regular school activities but, just to add to the fun, your youngster decides that they would like to add another after-school or weekend activity to your (already) busy lives, such as Judo, Swimming or Tennis (pick appropriate activity for the time of year). Small wonder that, well before Christmas, families trail into my studio looking worn-out and full of excuses (some quite understandable – some… creative ones!) about why the required piano practice has been neglected. So sometimes I want to rename this publication ‘Raring-2-Stop’. The memory of having to choose between piano, swimming and gymnastics was tough as a child, as I was considered ‘promising’ in all three. The rich menu of activities on offer, now, is nothing short of impressive, and I am sympathetic with parents as they strive to give their children the opportunities they, perhaps, never had. I am keen, however, to give them value for their money as it is mostly hard-earnt these days. That means progress has to be measurable which, in turn, means daily practice! Prospective customers often ask me the ‘progress question’ which is “How long will it take to get to the end of Book 1?” The answer to that is providing the parent has the time to attend to daily practice (of about ten minutes to begin with), and providing the child can (and will !) take advantage of parental/teacher guidance from the start, progress should be excellent. But the ‘watchword’ there is ‘providing’. The supplementary question is usually “how often do we need to practise?” to which the answer is “only on the days you eat”….. which quotation from Dr Suzuki sits in a frame on one of my pianos. A lot to think about there. But back to the Olympics. I doubt if a medal of any description is achievable without daily practice. And some of the schedules these talented sportsmen and women need to follow are Olympian in their own right. So whilst I wouldn’t advocate their rigid timetables, nevertheless it does follow that many hours of work are required, eventually, to bring about results. So it is with the piano. ‘Back in the Day’ when I was juggling ‘A’ levels with Grade 8 piano and Grade 7 ‘Cello, time really was ‘of the essence’. So I am sympathetic with the student who occasionally tells me that they didn’t have the time this week to complete their workload. Just don’t tell me that it conflicted with their daily session of ‘Fortnite’. How often do we need to practise? Ask an Olympian!
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