I have worked with countless musicians who were told that to achieve success, they needed to practice a prescribed number of hours, sometimes as much as eight hours every day.

Many forced themselves to put in the required hours out of obligation, despite internal resistance and personal desire to practice less; unsurprisingly, they injured themselves as a result.

Others put in the required hours out of intense desire to succeed, but their zealousness led to rehearsing with far too much tension, something unsustainable over the long term.

Yet others had poor teachers who taught them unhelpful habits, which could never lead to excellent technique and musicianship because what they were getting was simply bad, ineffectual advice.

Even if you fill your practice time with the best techniques, gleaned from the best teachers, the only way to stay physically healthy and emotionally balanced in your life and while practicing your instrument is to have your priorities in order.

Having your priorities in order means you are giving due attention to the 5 Pillars of The Art of Freedom® Method [Purpose, Mind, Body, Spirit, Artistry] on a regular basis, constantly renewing your commitment to a higher Purpose, and being very present when you practice by paying attention to your Primary Concern and your essential Being as much as possible.

In this way, you are bringing the highest standard of quality to the practice of your musical instrument, and you can’t help but be successful every step along the way. Consequently, you cannot fail to enjoy artistic mastery if that is what you want!

Ultimately, Self-Love, love of music, and devotion to a higher Purpose provide the magnetizing attraction that makes it EASY to commit to practicing because it’s enjoyable and deeply meaningful to you.

The qualitative infusing of immediate, timeless Presence into your practice is very different from the forward drive and intense passion brought about by egoistic ambition. Pushing yourself to practice more through an iron will or through fear, instead of calm, confident Love, comes at a steep price. Even if a certain degree of instrumental mastery and professional success is achieved in this way over time, true artistic mastery will remain perpetually elusive and out of reach. The inevitable result will be a life out of balance—tainted by frustration.

In short, I believe it is quite possible for a person to achieve the same (or even a superior) level of mastery in far less time and with much less effort than is commonly thought.

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The selection above is from my bestselling book, ‘Make Great Music with Ease! The Secret to Smarter Practice, Confident Performance, and Living a Happier Life'.

If the ideas I share pique your curiosity and you'd like to learn more, just reply to this email to ask about my online programs for musicians, educators, and creatives (that's pretty much everyone). There's no time like the present to wake up your Creative Spirit!

I look forward to sharing more with you about how this approach can help you feel better in mind, body, and spirit – while making better music in the process!

Love & Joy,
Jennifer 🦋

p.s. NEW!! Just send me a private message to ask me about my updated edition of Relaxed Confidence, Joy, and Authentic Self-Expression program FOR WOMEN and unlock the breakthrough in your performance that has always felt just out of reach … until now! 🙂