That said, keeping some notion of routine, work and other activities, going during lockdown is very important, at the same time it can be challenging.

For me the first couple of weeks was ok, I'm normally out and about so much it was a welcome reprieve to stay at home. But life must go on somehow, and I have been lucky enough to be able to continue, to some extent, my teaching practice remotely.

I offered those who could and wanted to, lessons via Zoom. Having briefly dipped into online lessons in the past I found certain functions in Zoom are more favourable than Skype for example.

But it has still been quite a big learning curve for me and my students, and continues to be after the initial novelty has worn off. I have found there are a few things to really consider in order to make the most out of online music lessons.

#1 BE PREPARED

I cannot stress this enough, and not just regarding content but also the setup.

• Find a place with as few distractions as possible.
  Making this your lesson location helps with the routine, like "going" to a lesson.

• Position yourself
  Somewhere that is well lit (facing the light, not in front of it) and putting yourself in the frame, not too far, keeping all the important things in view, fingers and bow etc.

• Set up early
  From time to time there are inevitably technical issues that come up and if you find them out in advance you might just have a chance to solve them before the start of the lesson.

• Zoom has some easily customisable settings that improve performance during a music lesson:

  • Turn off the video enhancements to allow more bandwidth for the sound, for example any HD option or 'Touch up my Appearance', these can be un-checked in Video Settings, or Meeting Settings if using the mobile app.

  • Also important to 'Enable Original Sound'. This can be found under Audio Settings -> Advanced (or again directly in Meeting Settings on the app). This disables the echo cancellation and audio enhancing features, which tend to filter out instrumental sounds, particularly the low register in the cello.

• Have material prepared in advance
  It goes without saying really that teachers need to have copies of the students existing material on hand to reference during lessons.

• New material
  I myself have the majority of my teaching material in books, scanning it takes time, and this should be sent to the student in advance so that they can print it out or have it ready digitally.

• Sight reading
  Have it scanned and ready to pull up in a shared screen (but checking first what device the student is using, this doesn't work so well on a mobile phone)

#2 GET CREATIVE

With an online platform we don't get the same connection we are used to in face to face lessons. So we do have to think of new or adapted ways to keep inspiring and motivating each other, as well as ways to problem solve remotely where often we would get more hands on.

Given how visuals and sound can be more impaired over a video conferencing platform we have to make more effort to be very clear and concise (and talk slower) when giving instruction.

• Setting specific goals for the lesson is always a good thing to do, but in this format it feels like we can be more effective limiting it to maybe one global goal, rather than chopping it up too much.

• We can then think of novel ways of getting this understood when physical demonstrations aren't going to be as effective.

• From a students (or parents) perspective it is important to point out any problems that you have noticed so that these can be addressed - it's not always evident from the other end of the camera.

Finally, get inspired by trying new things, most of us like some sort of routine, but when that can't happen, things that we normally do can start to feel too hard, too isolated. So trying something completely new can be a way to find a new perspective, and gives us some motivation to get past this.

• Creating fun new resources, an animated PowerPoint to play along with, little activities to do in between lessons, can be great for younger students.

• Exploring new techniques.

• Encourage students to recording themselves playing, as a quartet using an app like Acapella, or play along with a backing track or a drum loop.

• Try your hand at improvisation or even writing a tune. Teach some tips and tricks how to get started.

The possibilities are many and students will feel challenged and empowered, and will come out of it much better off even if it differs from the regular program.

The main thing is staying connected - to music, to the instrument and to each other.

Then, once we get through the other side together, our love and appreciation of the arts will be stronger than ever.

Further Reading: The Strad: How to set yourself up as an online string teacher

If you found this post useful please remember to click the like button, drop me a comment below or subscribe to the feed.
Keep Well, Keep Safe and Be Kind.

The best thing about the break though - ample time to get back into some solid practice.
This term has been super busy, especially trying to fit in work on my side business (Tricot et Toile) around classes and performances. Regular practice kind of took a back seat. Luckily over the summer I worked out a good routine and schedule for my practice, so it's easier to drop back into it when everything else cools off a bit.

It's easy to find lots of tips and tricks online about practicing and how to practice specific things in more detail, but I haven't found much describing what a good practice session actually looks like - the nuts and bolts if you will - sometimes I find it helps to see what those ideas look like in a practical sense, to then adapt it to your own practice.

Typically, depending on the time I have, I'll do 1 or 2 chunks of 1.5 - 2 hours each -they go a bit like this:

- Tuning (2 mins) - It's important to spend the time to tune properly, 'near enough' is not going to do your intonation any good. I try whenever possible to tune by ear to a concert A, my other strings in perfect fifths. Using the tuner is quicker for sure, but after a while it makes your ear lazy.

- Warm up Scales (10-15mins) - When short on time it's tempting to skip this part, but even just 4 or 5 minutes makes the work you do from then on so much more effective. Scales are such a great way to get you physically and mentally in the zone. I find it's also a good indicator of the day I'm having, if I can crack into it or if I'll need to take things more slowly. I tend to switch between all different types of scales and patterns to keep it interesting.

- Studies (10-20mins each) - I usually have 2 or 3 that I work on at a time. I might spend 1 or 2 weeks looking at it before going on to something else. Studies are an excellent way to target specific areas of technique and develop or maintain skills that are perhaps not as often addressed in the repertoire. Currently I'm working through some Dotzauer studies, but I also like Sevcik and Werner.

- Repertoire (1 hour approx.) - Depending on time and how much there is to cover, I usually divide it up, working 15-20mins on each part. For example:              

15 -20 mins each on 2 movements of Symphony
20 mins on Overture

or

15 mins each various excerpts
15 mins each 2 sections of Concerto

This way I can cover a large amount of repertoire, spending time on certain areas or aspects of the music. Rotating through everything over a series of practice sessions. I will of course periodically dedicate a longer time in order to run a whole work or larger section.

When doing 2 sessions in one day. I've found I work best doing one session in the morning, then at least 2 or 3 hours where I can get on with some other work, admin, lesson prep etc. Make something to eat and then return to my cello later in the afternoon. The structure I follow is basically the same but I will vary the material. This way I have more energy and focus, as opposed to doing it all in one hit.

When time is limited, an abridged version of the schedule will leave out the studies and I will be much more selective about choosing the parts of repertoire needing the most attention, either based on technical difficulty and/or performance deadline.

Around 95% of my practice is spent with a metronome.

The most important thing I've found is the quality of practice above quantity. If I'm really focusing, correcting things, listening and feeling everything, the practice is far more effective. For me, I do this better thinking in terms of small chunks. If I sit down for an hour and half to practice just as it comes, it's far too easy to whittle away the time without really achieving much

At a master class with Richard Aaron, professor of cello at Julliard, I remember him saying he'd get his student to set the timer for every 6 minutes and then note down what they had done in that time. Making you hyper aware and accountable for every minute spent. Whilst I'm not quite that disciplined, a little time pressure certainly keeps me focused and motivated.

Here are a couple of nice resources with further tips for good practice:

BBC Bitesize guides - this is aimed at school aged students but the concise pointers can apply to everyone.

Creative Commons article: This longer article goes more in depth with ideas and advice around effective practice techniques.

I hope this inspires and motivates you to work out the best most positive and sustainable practice regime for you. Please do let me know if this was useful and fell free to share any ideas or questions you might have.

It's not chamber music as such, don't get me wrong, that has its place, but when you're there at a wedding or a community function your job is to entertain people, creating a great atmosphere, not being intrusive, but also not necessarily being listened to - it's not really a performance in that sense, but if there is a great spark between the musicians, it will set up a vibe for the event that everyone will love. (Honestly I've done quartet gigs that there has been zero spark, and not only has the music not been great, but the guests hardly even noticed when we finished up)

This summer's gigs were great though. It started off catching up with my old friend Louise from the Beaumont Belles, she's recently come back from exploring Europe (and playing the odd harp along the way). So we hadn't really played together much for a long while, and it may have just been a few classic carols for a Christmas fete, but it was fun, and the visitors loved it, partly the harp has such a dominating presence, but also we both know what the other can do, how our sounds can weave together and when to let the other cut loose and run with it. That's the beauty of a duo really it's so easy to communicate and let the music flow with how you're feeling.

Hot on the heels of that came some pre-concert entertainment for audience members while they enjoyed drinks on the veranda. Myself and some friends, namely my brother Dave on guitar and his mate Earl on a variety of percussion. Again playing familiar Christmas songs, changing up the styles, for example, my personal highlight, a ska version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...pretty silly but really fun - and credit must go to those two, I was really along for the ride, we weren't taking it super seriously, but they really know what they're doing, enjoying themselves and making a great sound and the atmosphere of the event being as it was familial and relaxed, the audience LOVED it, it set them up for a really good show.

Finally, in the new year, I was asked to fill in at a wedding with other members of The Black Quartet. I've played with a couple of them before but not since the Aotea Youth Orchestra days. It was great catching up with them again. These folks are fabulous musicians, so much energy and connection between them, so coming in like that, for the most part, it was pretty easy to gel in - there were, if I'm honest a couple of numbers where it became apparent I wasn't entirely match fit on my sight reading (....where does that freakin' repeat go back to?!?), but aside from that it all went pretty well.
And it would have been even better had there not been 30kn winds playing havoc with the pages and at one critical moment (as the happy couple walked off down the aisle) knocked my entire folder clean off the stand! Happily my improvisational skills have improved since the old Aotea days. But it's been that long since I've played an outdoor wedding - I didn't even think about pegs, should know better really.

I think at the end of the day, playing gigs like these, with different people, in different places, gives us a bit more freedom to express ourselves. You have to connect with the other players at quite a fundamental level, read the crowd to an extent and deal with unexpected environmental forces. Playing in a larger group in an orchestra or a show is great too, I love the energy, the bigger the better, but it is more prescriptive, we need to follow the conductor, manifest his (or her) interpretation of the work, the performance is a lot more formalised.
Whereas when you are playing in a small group, particularly with people you know well and play with often, you have the liberty to express yourself more freely. Take your emotions of the moment and send out a tear jerking version of O Holy Night, for example, or equally feed off the others energy with a croony version of Embraceable You. The whole experience is a lot more collaborative, and the energy can be a lot more direct, between the players, through the music and out to the guests - a bit more grass roots I guess. And if you are having a good time, so will the guests, even if they are not particularly paying attention.

Performance can take on so many forms it's hard to decide which I like to play best - on reflection, if the collective energy is there it doesn't matter what it is.

Midway through last year my ancient iPhone was dying a slow and painful death. I couldn't quite justify a whole new phone at the time, so I started looking for a metronome which could do everything I wanted it to do, basically what Pro Metronome does - I couldn't find one, at least not without costing me a fortune.Eventually I had to bite the bullet and got myself a shiny iPhone 6 SE - the first thing I installed was...Pro Metronome.

It has a fairly comprehensive set of basic features:
- 13 different sounds + mute/light only so chances are you'll find something you can works with.
- You can set the number of beats (1-16) and time signature (any note length from semibreve down to demi-semi quaver - whole notes to 32nd note)
-Each beat can be controlled individually with 3 levels of sound  as a regular beat, sub accent or accent, you can also mute any beats.
- Alongside the beat display, there is a visual light display that can be customised in several ways , from only flashing on accented notes to flashing different colours on all the different levels of beat. Personally I prefer the pendulum mode as when I'm working with some tricky rhythms it gives me some visual anticipation for the next beat.
- Pro Metronome features an impressive speed range from 10-500bpm, combine that with the ability to mute beats and it's really gives a lot of scope to play around - super useful when your trying to work on your internal pulse.

The App has a number of paid add-on features, that you can buy as a bundle (NZ$6.99) but you can also purchase individually (from NZ$1.69), which I think is really good of EUM to do this as I don't necessarily want to pay for features I'm not going to use.

-Sub Divisions:
I use this all the time, as the name suggests, it lets you hear different subdivisions to the beat. There are up to 16 rhythmic variations to choose from, including off beats, syncopations and triplets.
I find this really useful  for speed control, rhythmic accuracy and what I call cognitive confusion (I'm sure there's a proper term but I can't find it) where in order to play something straight and even, you practice against an alternative rhythm making it harder to play in time, so when you play again normally it feels easy.
You can also overlay a regular beat click using the accent levels. For example I might set the subdivision to offbeat semi-quavers and set an accent on just the first beat of the bar to keep my own internal beat in check.
With such a large number of combinations, there is something for every style.

-Practice Mode
Another useful paid feature I recently started using. I find it very useful for practising short exercises or passages that are easily repeatable.

I have been mostly using Automator - you can set the duration for each tempo by time or bars, then pick a start tempo and a target tempo and the increment which to increase each round. It then gives you an approximate time to complete. This is great to use as a warm up on a scale or short repeatable exercise, a bit like a musical beep test (but more satisfying and less competitive than the gym version). The only improvement I'd like to see here is that when you press start there be a count in. Using it for a continuous warm up activity, between pressing the start button and having my bow ready to play I miss the first couple of beats - but not a huge issue when I start slow and will be repeating it many times anyway.

The Warm Up setting is a bit more fiddly, for my purposes at least. Here you can set a tempo and then set multiple sections where you choose a multiplier for the tempo (faster or slower) and a time. Given that the things I play have a set number of bars, setting the time is not as useful. It does indicate how much time equals a bar at the given speed, but I found you still have to do a bit of maths so that rounding doesn't catch you out and you have to skip the last half beat of the bar.

It is still a very useful tool, and you do have a bit more control than automator to speed things up and slow down as you wish.

Other paid features are available like Polyrhythm, letting you play multiple rhythms simultaneously and Rhythm Trainer which mutes certain bars to train your internal pulse, but I haven't used these. There is also a tone generator, but I have a specialist Tuner app which I'm very happy with.

On the whole I find the app very user friendly and intuitive with swiping and tapping both getting you to the different menus. The tempo is easily controlled, with multiple manners to adjust it, including a TAP button. The display is clear and simple, and most importantly the sound is loud and clear. I would definitely recommend this app to anyone wanting to work a bit more seriously with the metronome.

You can download Pro Metronome from the App Store
For Android and iOS

If you found this post useful please click the like button below. If you have any questions or comments about this or any other metronomes do leave a comment underneath, I’d be happy to open up the conversation.
I do reviews for practice tools, concerts and other things from time to time, so subscribe to my feed to get the latest updates.

As I recall this past year, there have been many ups and downs, my teaching practice took off, there were many interesting performances, and, having set substantial goals for myself, I was very motivated to practice.

A highlight early on in the year, was playing in the theatrical piece "Think of a Garden", met some fabulous people, played some interesting music and was honoured to be involved in such a dramatic production.

To get some of the lowlights out of the way. I was a little what one might call 'a victim of my own success'. I was called upon at the last minute to take over cello lessons at 2 new schools, that alongside an increase in private students and a period of intense rehearsals, I was totally exhausted, resulting in a (very minor) car accident, it was the shock more than anything. At the time I was averaging around 220km per week in my Honda Logo, such a great little workhorse. It got a much needed wake up call, that we cannot do everything and we need to make sure we are looking after ourselves, especially when our schedule is full to bursting.

Another thing of equal parts plus and minus, was that surges of new private students meant that I actually had to make a waiting list and even turn some people away. I did consider extending my hours, but decided it would be counterproductive - I didn't want to risk any more accidents!

I guess THE highlight of the year, was playing the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto with the Philharmonic Society Orchestra in August. I'm the type of person that needs concrete goals to work towards, and for a performance musician, that means... performance. I can learn a particular piece, or work on technique, but if I don't have the culpability of actually performing soething in front of an audience, I find it difficult to stay motivated.

Believe it or not, this is the first time that I have learnt a work of this magnitude in its entirety and to performance level. There is an awful lot of work involved. Which I put in over a long period of time. My timetable as it is, this seemed the most reliable plan of attack, not to mention a work like this needs an element of maturity, much like a good Bordeaux, to be truly at its best.

In preparation, I found it best to look at it from many angles, the concerto, while not in movements as such, has several distinct sections, which can be worked on as bite size chunks. Rhythm, tone, style and speed were all elements that needed attention. There was a lot of work done with the metronome, which paid off in the end as far as the orchestra were concerned, however some may have considered it a bit too square.

In the process I sought out to have some lessons. Sometimes you just need someone else to point things out. Andrew Joyce, principal cellist in the NZSO, was so inspiring, his enthusiasm and passion emanates in all directions. He was very helpful in giving some ideas for the quick passages, preparing the left hand better and deciding on some phrasing right from the outset, often this is something I add in later on, especially for technically tricky bits. I also had the pleasure of working with Edith Salzmann, cello professor at the University of Auckland. She too was very encouraging, pointing out how there comes a point where we should shift the focus from the left hand to the bow, the fingers can do their thing essentially  on autopilot, and sound production will be optimal. She also advised me on the importance of 'leading' the orchestra.

As the concert date drew nearer there were many times of doubt and nerves, but finding the will to keep chipping away, I knew somehow it would all come together.

The performance itself was the most emotionally and physically draining thing I think I've ever done. By no means perfect (at the previous rehearsal, I'd peaked too soon), but good enough. The audience loved it, I was literally trembling at the end, played a short encore of Bach Sarabande from Suite II, then as recent tradition dictates (round the cellists I know) I joined the back of the orchestra for the second half - a symbolic effort only, as my brain had crashed entirely.
In the days following a serious come-down ensued.

So now looking ahead...

As far as performance goals, I do have something in mind and will certainly be sharing that with you as it unfolds.
My main goal for 2019 is to keep on top of my timetable, being rigourous with planning and organisation, so that I minimise risk of things falling through the cracks, also benefitting my students, and being careful not to take on too much. And, just as importantly, keeping fit and healthy, more regular exercise (also for my poor somewhat neglected dog), and eating healthy which also requires forethought and preparation especially on those rehearsal heavy weeks.

As always if you enjoyed this post please click the like button at the bottom and subscribe to my feed. If you'd like to share your goals for the coming year or you have any questions, just add them in the comments section below, I love to know what your big plans are for 2019. Let's make this another great year to remember.

I then attended this past weekend's performance of the Shostakovitch Cello concerto performed by Johannes Moser and the NZSO.
Once again at the Auckland Town Hall, the city’s premiere classical venue. Tickets are pricey though, especially with all the added fees, so this time we were at the back of the stalls, but it didn’t matter, the sound was great and although I do like to observed peoples technique, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the energy, even at that distance.

The concert started with the Borodin Overture to Prince Igor. This was a delightful entree, as with any fine meal, the entree should be not too heavy but enough to whet your appetite for the main course, this did exactly that. As someone said to me, it could have been the soundtrack to a western, it did have that kind of feel.

Johannes entered the stage to great applause wearing all black, his top, half something shiny (vinyl maybe?), reminiscent, I thought, of Star-trek, a welcome variant to the traditional tails. My thoughts were that this guy is a bit of a rock star, I would not be disappointed.

This first concerto by Shostakovitch was written for Mstislav Rostropovitch in 1959, who remarkably memorized it in just 4 days. There is so much complexity both technically and emotionally in this work, listening to it I find myself being put through the ringer, to play it, undoubtedly even more so.

From the first opening theme, the passion and vigour with which Johannes plays is evident. He is an extraordinarily physical payer, but not in a forced or pretentious way. He appears to be enacting the music, he and his instrument are one being, and the sound and energy is mind-blowing. Fairly near the opening, one particularly wide and energetic bow release knocked the concertmasters stand, recovery was instantaneous, there was an authenticity to it, sometimes unexpected stuff happens, I like that.

The second movement follows with a dreamy folk like melody, where the first movement was smacking you in the face repeatedly, this has a weeping, heartfelt type of intensity. Johannes transitions seamlessly between the light, almost hopeful and innocent themes, to those darker and more intense, his presence soaring above the orchestra even in the most delicate of moments.

The movement culminates in the theme once again but this time as flawless and haunting harmonics. When I’ve taught my young students to play harmonics for the first time often their reaction is that they sound scary, like a horror movie. I don’t recall ever hearing them that way, until now. It was terrifying!
Clearly not everyone around me was as transfixed, with all the shuffling and wriggling and squeaking chairs, it was quite off putting.

The cadenza which follows essentially takes the form of an unaccompanied third movement. Critic Lev Ginzburg reportedly described it as a monologue-recitative and a deep meditation. I really felt it, more so in this performance than any recording I've heard, perhaps that is the magic of live performance. This was a truly magical performance, I was mesmorized (restless wrigglers notwithstanding)
I'm not sure if it was written to be comical, but the jumping five note runs leading in to the 4th movement lead me to start giggling. I wonder if it was more a reaction to the nervous energy, the way some people start laughing as a defence mechanism when witnessing something gruesome. Johannes and the NZSO had me so immersed in this music that this type of visceral reaction was inevitable.

The final movement burst forth with the same, if not more, raw passion and energy as the first. There was a fabulous connection between the soloist and the orchestra. Johannes physically connected with the a players, they were connected as people as well as through the music, we don't always see that, and it really elevates the overall experience.
At the conclusion, to a rapturous applause, the only word I could utter rhymed with duck, it was such a phenomenal performance, I was otherwise speechless.

The encore came shortly after, apparently to "clear the air" They played Elegy by John Williams, indeed a very beautiful work, still full of sadness and anguish. But on second thought anything lighter and more uplifting would have been incongruous.

The second half the NZSO played selections from Prokofiev's Ballet Romeo and Juliet. I am a big fan of Prokofiev and love to hear the Dance of the Knights. But for me there was something lacking in this as a programme choice, despite the intention as a stand-alone work, it felt disjointed and long. I would have preferred maybe one of Prokofiev's Symphonies to keep the momentum going.

All credit to the NZSO it was a massive play and under the baton of Peter Oundjian, his debut performance with the orchestra, they gave us a stunning evening out.

Courtesy of RNZ National

After the weekend of concerts, Johannes did a great interview on RNZ with Kathryn Ryan that you can listen to here. What in interesting person, his character clearly comes through in his playing.

The same goes for art, the emotional reaction we have to a painting or a piece of music is not necessarily the same as that of the artist when they were creating it. Going one step further, even the most innovative of artists has influencers, those that have gone before that have been an inspiration.

As a musician, when we play a piece of music, of course we try to understand the story the composer was trying to tell. But interpreting this as ourselves we must draw on our own experiences and find our own inspiration.

I find it really interesting to know what music people choose to listen to, if any. I think it tells a lot about a person. For me, there is an eclectic range of things I like to listen to, depending on my mood. Then other things, I might not put the record on, but I love to play.

I wanted to share some of my music choices, it's harder than it sounds, there is so much great music out there,  and such a vast array of styles...how to choose? Well it made me think of Nick Hornby's book 'High Fidelity' (a good read by the way) The main character and his buddy in the record store pass the time making 'Top 5' lists. so I thought I'd give it a crack. Starting with the top 5 genres. Here goes...

Top Five country/folk songs:

- Simple Twist of Fate - Bob Dylan
- Cowboy Take me away - The Dixie Chicks
- Oh my Sweet Carolina - Ryan Adams
- The Night they Drove old Dixie Down - The Band
- A Man Needs a Maid - Neil Young

Top 5 Classical works:

- Cello Concerto in E minor Op. 85 - Edward Elgar
- Adagio for Strings - Samuel Barber
- Piano concerto in A minor Op.16 - Edvard Grieg
- Symphony No. 7 in C# minor Op. 131 - Prokoffiev
- Symphony No. 5 in E minor Op. 64 - Tchaikovsky

Top Five Rock songs

- November Rain - Guns 'n Roses
- Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
- Angie - Rolling Stones
- Venus in Furs - The Velvet Underground
- Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits

Top 5 Blues:

- Bell Bottom Blues - Derek and the Dominos
- Still got the Blues - Gary Moore
- Many Rivers to Cross - Jimmy Cliff / Blind Boys of Alabama
- Cosmic Blues - Janis Joplin
- Change is Gonna Come - Otis Redding

Top 5 Alt-Rock/Pop Tracks

- Tom Traubert's Blues - Tom Waits
- Paranoid Android - Radiohead
- Lonesome Tears - Beck
- Into my Arms - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
- Hope There's Someone - Anthony and the Johnsons

Top 5 Albums (to be listened to complete, beginning to end)

- Drella - Lou Reed and John Cale
- The Last Waltz - The Band
- Berlin - Lou Reed
- The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders of Mars - David Bowie
- Infidels - Bob Dylan

So it was considerably more difficult than I thought to narrow it down that much, You might find some of the categories a bit dubious but so often I find it hard to put them in a box. Plus there were so many great songs and artists, folks like Phil Spectre, Amy Winehouse , Ben Harper, Aretha Franklin, Björk, The Cars, that didn't quite make the cut. But that's I guess the beauty of the top 5, you really have to think about the song and what it has that merits it being there. Many of these made it because of a personal connection or memory or they have these epic instrumental arrangements.

Maybe you are familiar with some of these, maybe you've never listened to any of them. Either way it would be great for you to share your Top 5 'Somethings' in the comments below. I'd love to find out what inspires us in different ways as musicians, plus I always enjoy discovering new music I've never listened to before.

Following various discussions with colleagues and other teachers, considering both my own and my students techniques I find myself conflicted.

Of course I want my students to develop good technique. But prioritising mastery of technical aspects at the cost of moving through enjoyable and inspirational repertoire? Perhaps this philosophy will never produce any virtuosos, but I do believe music is more about creativity, expression, and sharing and enjoying the art than being technically accurate.

Personally I feel, as a teacher I need to strike the right balance with each student between developing the technical aspects and building a repertoire that is fun and musically satisfying. This varies depending on age, motivations and learning style.

There are differing opinions on when children should start learning, but whatever the age, a child's developmental stage must be catered for. At 6 motor skills and cognitive skills are still developing, gross motor skills come before fine motor skills (which are mostly used in instrumental playing). By 8 or 9 the child should have reasonable dexterity - a good judge could be in handwriting. Yet children are, of course, still developing, things like the fine motor skills are still being refined. On top of this, we all develop at varying rates, a young student may not be physically able to correctly manipulate the bow for example - right at this moment in time, it's just not happening - but that isn't to say that it never will.

I believe little exercises and gentle corrections of technique repeated over the weeks and months will set it in place in the long term. Considering also, social development, young students are starting to find their independence and their own self confidence. Music can help this flourish, but we must balance the criticism with commendation, that students don't lose interest or become frustrated or insecure in their own ability.

For adult beginners I believe the same applies, albeit from a slightly different perspective. In respect to the physical, movements might be more restricted, fingers for example that have never made these movements may find it hard to form the correct shape and to work independently as required. That's not to say you can't teach an old dog new tricks so to speak, it just might take longer, you might need to find some work-arounds. Of course I wouldn't intentionally ignore practicing good technique, but for most adult students, the goal is to do something for themselves, to have fun and enjoy playing. At the start it can be challenging, everything is so new, and as an adult student you must be 100% self motivated, not the same as for the youngsters who have parents reminding them to practice!. So with that in mind, there needs to be some satisfaction in playing right from day one. Finding that balance between technical requirements, enjoyable repertoire and a sense of ongoing improvement, otherwise it becomes a chore, while other commitments and responsibilities take over.

In both cases, particularly considering beginners, the importance of technique is to allow us to achieve a variety of good sounds, and without pain or injury. But there is no one size fits all way of playing. Even among great musicians, beyond certain cornerstones, there are many different ideas about how to achieve certain sounds. Our technique should be allowed to evolve as does our musicianship. Besides, we are all built differently so it would follow that we move around our instruments differently too.

I would tend to approach the development of technique in a slow-burn kind of way, over time muscles will get used to certain movements as the player starts to get the feel for how they can achieve the sounds they want to make. The bottom line - it should feel natural and without tension.
In the meantime working through a variety of repertoire that is at both challenging and satisfying. And, as time goes by we make constant adjustments and improvements. If we turn the learning into an iterative process it seems to me that the brain can come to grips with the new movements. The new ideas musical and technical have time to brew and mature in parallel.

I may be wrong, but I'm not convinced that labouring technique is necessarily that effective. Music is an art after all so I consider that nurturing the enjoyment and musical expression of emotions to be a more pertinent endeavour for the developing musician. A student who is enjoying music is always prone to more and better practice. It's all in finding the right balance for the student I guess.

Please share your thoughts on this in the comments below, it's a worthwhile discussion to have and helps me to improve what I do.

It certainly hasn't been easy. I sometimes miss the regular salary, routine and office banter, but if those were the pros, the list of cons would be much longer.

Leaving it all behind to focus on music hasn't always been sunshine and roses though. But, I have to remember that this is a journey, and journeys take time, the road can be windy and there can be many obstacles.

However, I feel that this year, things have started to turn a corner. Music is largely a business of personal networks. Jobs come through recommendations and word of mouth. These networks can take a while to build, but the more you prove yourself and become known within the right circles the more calls you get. And I have been getting more calls, with any luck this will continue growing in 2018.

My teaching practice has also been growing this year, and I have had some really fabulous students, who are just such a pleasure to teach. It reminds me that this is what its all about, seeing the little improvements in playing, development musically and as a person, and seeing the enjoyment that they get out of playing music. I have lost a few too, sadly, mainly due to external life factors, but it's all swings and roundabouts, hopefully a time comes where they can once again explore the world of music.

The big thing that I realised this year and which I struggled with most is that I, myself, my brain, is a barrier, an obstacle on the journey.
Thankfully mental health is getting more talked about in recent times, it was a big issue in the recent election here in New Zealand, more efforts are being put in to healthcare and support for those suffering. But I personally, still feel that it's not something we can freely talk about, fear of stigmatism, misunderstanding, pity, none of which are useful. When these reactions are in our working environments, well, I know first hand the repercussions of revealing a mental health condition at work....really not good..... so I don't....So even this is hard.

Mental health issues are not uncommon among musicians, perhaps the defective wiring in our brain is also what makes us lean towards artistic forms of expression.
But, it's a two sided coin. Being freelance means I can manage my own timetable and make it work for me, I can take on the work I want to do, and I am doing something I am passionate about. The flip side is financial pressures, self-management and promotional pressures. I really underestimated what it takes to create those networks, developing a (good) reputation, not to mention the study required to continually improve as a teacher, and of course my own practice regime. Challenging at the best of times, let alone on the days when, plagued with doubts, your self-esteem has gone out the window, you are suffering intense social anxiety and can barely manage to get yourself out of bed.

The effort can be exhausting, but I am so happy that focusing on a good lesson or having a great rehearsal or concert is a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day. I think there are some key factors to focus on:

1. Working out what it is you want to be doing, in the short, medium and long term. - set some goals to keep you on track.

2. Set a good routine as best as you can to keep well and working towards those goals.

2a. Schedule in time for relaxation and excersize, things that are totally unrelated to work.

3. Practice activities to help keep positive and have realistic expectations on yourself.

So this is my plan for 2018: Set achievable goals, create a realistic routine to get things done, prioritise exercise (this one is critical for me), be more consistent with practice, work efficiently but don't underestimate the time to complete things, read more books.

The road may be long, there are many rivers to cross, but I really believe that if you want something you will find a way to get there, eventually, in some shape or form. Despite the inevitable competition among musicians, we are all linked through this art form and we need to support each other. Please feel free to share your own experiences in the comments below.

The journey continues....

Here is my top 5 ways to make the most out of your metronome.

5. A classic method of use, it's an oldie but a goodie. Setting the beat to a specific tempo that is required, so you know you are playing the piece at the right speed. In the case that the correct tempo cannot yet be achieved - set a slower tempo and gradually working it up. Gets the job done, simple as that.

4. Set the metronome to click on the smallest denomination. For most things semi-quavers should do the trick - but if the piece has demi-semi quavers for example you'd want to set it for that. This method forces you to subdivide accurately. It really helps suss out tricky rhythms, and to place notes well, for example with dotted rhythms, and even when there are a lot of longer notes , it's easy to get complacent and a bit elastic when it comes to changing notes - the metronome won't let you get away with it.
Having an internal pulse is super important and especially in orchestral playing, this is a great way to practice so it sets you up with solid subdivisions when it comes to following the conductor and keeping the section tight.
It's worth mentioning that this way of practice can be a little off putting at first, especiallly at quicker tempos (the metronome can turn into some sort of machine gun sound effect) but when you work up to it gradually, the subdivisions become more of a 'feeling' than hearing each and every click.

3. The metronome beats only on the first beat of the phrase. This will mean usually 4 bars, but depending on the music you could get away with 2, 3 or more. This is sort of an extension on number 4. It really tests your internal pulse and rhythm of the piece. Obviously the longer the phrases are the harder it is to land at the same time as the metronome. It helps identify phrases that might be dragging, or rushing. It also allows for some more musical shaping than the previous method, while still keeping a steady pulse. But be warned it sounds a lot easier than it is.

2. Set the metronome to alternative rhythms. I've been experimenting with this method since learning about finding and playing different jazz rhythmic feels. The main idea is to set some sort of irregular click going, something different to the main pulse and even sub-divisions, for example off beat quavers, a swung (tripletised) rhythm, a dotted rhythm or even something as simple as beat 2 and 4. In the first instance setting any alternative click to a piece will help solidify the rhythm, if for no other reason than it messes a bit with your head and you have to really concentrate on placing notes correctly.
More interesting though, is if you look really closely at the piece, where do the phrases lie, what is the rhythmic shape, what is the style and feel of the piece. Then choose a setting that fits into one of those elements.
I'll explain; for example if a piece makes a feature of triplets, setting a swung click will feed into those triplets and everything else will have to be carefully placed and fit into that same feel, unifying the whole theme, rather than the triplets sticking out.
Another example; a piece has a straight rhythm nothing unusual, but there are several semiquaver runs that start on the second half of the beat, stick on an off beat click, the runs will then start on a click, and everything else will move along with that same sort of syncopated feel. 
Now these are just examples, and not everything will really work, but try some different things and you might find that some alternative rhythmic feel might inject a spark into the piece which is just what it needed.

1. Set the metronome clicks really really far apart. This one is taken directly from Richard Aaron's masterclass, and quite frankly it's genius, ever since, I have been using it often with many of my young students, his advice: to practice this regularly from an early age and it will develop a stellar internal pulse.
So the idea is to space out the clicks far apart, maybe 4 bars or more apart, then you listen to a couple, try and work out some subdivisions that work so you can clap on the next click - for most people, this is really hard. The trick is to keep a quick and steady internal pulse going in between each click keeping track of how many 'beats' or bars are in between. - Give it a go!
The students I've been doing this with haven't got it spot on yet, but they have improved dramatically at keeping a steady rhythm and following the beat in orchestra.

Remember - the metronome is your FRIEND. My advice would be to get a metronome that has many different functions, so you can set different rhythms, subdivisions and turn on and off beats and has the biggest range of speeds available.
A great app I use is Pro Metronome, has heaps of functions I need for free, and a heap more for purchase - the best thing, that you only purchase the bits you want, and not the ones you don't. Its available on the iTunes store and on Android. 
And if you have any other nifty tricks you like to use , let me know in the comments section, I always love to learn new ways to make the most of my metronome!

That said, having broken my A string and realising I hadn't put new D, G or C strings on since, well, I couldn't remember, I decided it must be time for a whole new set.

At that moment it dawned on me, I'd only ever used 2 types of strings: 
Jarger - that my first teacher had recommended to me - A (dolce), D & G (med), C (forte)
and Larsson - which the wonderful Luthier in Shrewsbury, West Midlands, where I bought George, put on for me when he set it up.  (yes, my cello's name is George) - I used the same gauges as the Jarger for each string.

I had been noticing there was an edge on the upper register, it was sometimes difficult to get the sound warm enough to my liking and the A could be too bright and didn't balance well with the D, so not ideal.

So I started doing some research, firstly for a supplier. Strings in New Zealand are very expensive - even with postage I could be saving around 30% on what I could buy here by purchasing from the US or Europe. But that goes for a lot of things, I guess it often comes down to market size.

Then it was deciding what strings?
There are so many to choose from and a wealth of information available, from manufacturers, retailers, independant reviews....
At first glance this can be confusing, its hard to relate the technical aspects with the musical results, there are so many variables, core material, winding material, gauge. The information is there but I found I was going to have to filter and consolodate it to be able to understand and actaully make a choice.

So...from the back of my mind I dug up and dusted off what I learned in wave mechanics and dynamics when I studied physics - and worry not, I shan't try to explain much of any of that or for that matter quantum physics as this posts title suggests (as if I could!)

However the basics as I see it are:

• Strings must vibrate to make a sound
• The frequency (speed) of the vibration creates the pitch - you will probably be familiar with concert A being 440Hz.
• The amplitude (how wide the string vibrates) and rigidity affect the sounds tone.

Softer strings will produce a warmer more mellow tone, and are more sensitive to play (this can be an advantage and disadvantage) and harder strings are brighter and can have more stability in tone.

A lighter gauge string (thinner in diameter) will vibrate more freely, making the sound easier to start, but also brighter and possibly more delicate sounds can be produced
A heavier gauge string (thicker in diameter) can be harder to start the sound and get vibration, but there can be more depth to the sound, with a big and solid tone.

With all this to consider, figuring out what sort of sound I wanted was not as easy as I thought. I like a big sound, a big mellow sound, but a sound that rings out when I need it to. I want good responsiveness but also stability and evenness. - So basically the best of both worlds. - Most importantly though warm and big.

Now, reading as many descriptions and reviews as I could with these criteria in mind. I found combining different types of strings can work well to get a particular sound optimised across the various registers. There are some sites that sell mixed sets . As far as I could find cello-strings.com sells the widest range of combos to suit different requirements, and by buying a set you get a much better price than buying them individually.

So I decided on the CS-131 set, combining Thomastik Tungsten Spirocore medium C and G and Pirastro Passione light A and medium D strings. Only the A and D strings have an option to select the gauge.

I personally found their service very good, the strings arrived within about a week (almost quicker than local post) and right away I got to replacing the old with the new.

Initially, I was quite taken aback as the A and D not only felt really soft, almost like an elastic band, but the sound was ultra mellow, you would have said there was a practice mute on. Of course having read the reviews and the instructions on the envelope, I knew that the sound would take a while to settle in, but I wasn't quite prepared for how extreme this settling process could be.
On the other end of the scale, the medium C was considerably lighter than the heavy gauge, again, I knew this was to be expected, but it's funny what you get used to. Then putting them side by side, the diameter of the new string was, to the eye, half that of my old string. To play, the string was much more sensitive than I was used to, and having more or less never played on anything but a heavy gauge string, I kept over playing it. I was turning the amp up to 11 ... but the knob doesn't go that far ... as it were.

As time has gone on, everything has evened out. The A has essentially lost most of it's real mellowness (after several weeks) but is still sweet and well balanced with the D. The only down side is that it's extremely sensitive to rosin build up, which gives it a harsh edge, so I find I need to be a bit more sensitive on the A and clean it often, the same to a lesser extent on the D.
Not surprisingly given the lighter gauge of the C, it is a lot easier to play, particularly in the higher positions, which in the past I tried to avoid, it was never a clean sound - just too hard to hold the strings down past 4th position. It does require more bow sensitivity, but I've gotten used to that eventually, better still I can get a good resonant sound without so much effort, meaning that playing softly I can be a bit freer with the bow, it could be easy to get a choked sound with the heavier string.

Finally, with this new balance of strings the overtones are amazing, At first it was disconcerting, particularly between the G and C, the other string would be vibrating so much I may as well have been playing both. As with everything it has settled a bit, but there is still an awesome resonance, I know how to control it a bit more at least now. At certain gigs I've had since the new strings went on I'd have comments on the volume of my playing... but I really wasn't hardly doing anything ... all those overtones resonating everywhere acting like a big amplifier through the wooden floors. 

I guess the moral of all this is to try something new. Even when you think there' not much to be improved, the right balance of strings might surprise you. Every instrument is different and the strings that suit one instrument may not another. Think hard about the sound you want and where it might be lacking, but be prepared to make changes to your playing style to adapt to the new resonances and characteristics of your new strings. Also...be prepared to not necessarily get it right first time - I know in my case, next time I will be trying a medium weight A string, and possibly D, that it might be a bit less sensitive and have a bit more body and 'grunt'.

Don't forget to share your own experiences with trialing new strings in the comments below

A few weeks back, having grown a little tired of my current yoga program, I started exploring some of the different yoga channels on youtube, just to mix it up a bit.

I found this one great channel and wanted to share it because there are a couple of routines that I have found so useful to relieve some of the stresses and tensions of playing.

Last year I tore a ligament in my wrist and after many weeks in a brace I lost alot of strength and had to do a number of exercises the physio gave me to strengthen it, which did the trick nicely. I did find though that the wrist was getting tight, especially after a lot of playing. Happily once I started doing this routine, Yoga for Wrists & Fingers, most of that tightness has gone.
I try to do it regularly before and/or after a practice session or rehearsal. It really stretches out through the whole hand and fingers, wrists and forearms, leaving the hands much more nimble and elastic, just how we want them to be. All in the space of 11 and a half minutes!
DO BE CAREFUL, when we're using our hands all the time we need them to be in tip top condition, don't over do it by trying to push past your edge where it starts to be painful, especially with the last couple of poses, it can be easy to go too far. Over time the flexibility will increase and its just not worth the risk of wrecking your hands.

The other fantastic routine I found targets another area many musicians have trouble with, that is the upper back and shoulders. I find most Yoga routines focus largely on the lower body and core, and posture in general, but not necessarily really digging into that area which really holds a lot of the tension (despite our best efforts) when we play.
Yin Yoga for Neck, Shoulder & Upper Back Tension Relief really pulls everything back into place. Its a very slow and meditative practice where you breathe deeply and just sink into each pose without forcing it. I find it amazing to do just before bed, it's very relaxing, releasing tension in the neck and shoulders, not to mention in the mind as well.

I tried a number of different peoples yoga classes on YouTube and they each have their own style and merits. I like the pace of Yoga with Kassandra , she gives clear and succinct instructions for each pose without unnecessary chatter, allowing you to focus on the pose and your own breath. Always giving a variety of options to suit different levels of flexibility, the classes are simple but at the same time cover a good range of poses that you finish with an all over zen feeling, particularly after the Yin Yoga Classes. (One night after a Yin Yoga for Sleep session, I did actually end up sleeping unintentionally on my yoga mat! - pfff who needs beds)
The only slight down side is the music that pauses sometimes between loops, but that being said, it is fairly unobtrusive.

If you are looking for some exercises that will relieve some of the tension and pain in any of these areas, particularly if you are sitting for long periods at rehearsals for example, I would really recommend giving these a go, I think you will find they really hit the spot.

Remember if you like these posts, to subscribe to the RSS feed by clicking the link at the bottom and always feel free to leave comments, I love to hear your thoughts.

There has been a lot of publicity about 'Mindfulness' in recent times. It has become trendy, seems like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon so to speak. While I do not agree with all of it, having read bits and pieces on meditation, mainly from a Buddhist tradition, along with various ideas and strategies to improve mental health, I find the idea of focus in the moment and non-judgmental awareness fits in very well in music practice.

In today's world of constant pressures of work and life, everything moves so fast we hardly get time to notice. Mindfulness brings back to us this awareness of ourselves and our surroundings, experiencing every moment. Giving us a break from worrying about the past or the future.

Music too is like this, a great piece of music can hold our attention and draw us in to the moment. The cliche of the 'tortured artist', isn't always too far from the truth. There are many things that can be easier to express through art or music than actual words, for whatever reason. But we can still find ourselves putting pressure on ourselves to practice more, to perform better, and this can get very frustrating, to the point that it's no longer enjoyable, or good... the more frustrated we get the worse it sounds.

Incorporate some 'mindful' activities to combat these moments:

BREATH
Practice breathing,
1. While still and;
2. While slowly making the movements that you use to play.

Unless you actually need to breath to play, for example, singers, wind or brass players where the music is going to determine much of your breathing pattern. Others such as string players, pianists, guitarists, percussionists, harpists etc... we must make a conscious effort to breath.

Try this: Play a simple exercise such as a scale. Practice breathing, much as you would control your breath whilst running long distance, time your breath in and out with the movement of the bow or per octave.
As you do this, feel every movement, notice every muscle, how it moves, if it is holding tension, is your weight distributed evenly, is the weight being transferred as it should be into the instrument.
As you notice each of these things, try to adjust them, release the tense muscles, transfer the weight, economise and optimise your effort, control the movements. 

The next thing you will be noticing is the quality of the sound as you make these adjustments, hopefully it is improving, but perhaps at times it is not, continue adjusting, focusing your attention on that area.  

Note that this is contrary to the main principle of mindfulness; being that you notice all , but make no judgement. But, in order to improve our playing, the practice session must have some critical objective judgement involved. Use specific and descriptive words when you do this exercise ie. the notes could be more smooth, or the sound more even. Try to avoid pejorative terms.

This can in some sense be likened to the practice of a walking meditation. Noticing the movement and feel of muscles and senses.

FOCUS

A lot of meditation practice is about discipline, focus and concentration. This certainly holds for music practice too.

• Try to make sure you have as little distractions as possible that may interrupt your flow.
• Set an alarm for a certain amount of time to work on an activity. This is especially useful if you have limited time available to practice and makes sure that you can cover everything you want to and don't get stuck on one particular thing. For example working away at a particularly difficult exercise, the alarm goes to remind you to move on: you avoid getting to a point of frustration and start to undo your good work by over-working it. 
• Try to notice how many times your mind drifts away from what you are playing during each exercise or piece. Even the fact of deciding to do this can help focus your mind on what you are playing, and if you notice there is more drifting than focusing, you might have done enough for the day.
• All this focus can make for very good quality practice, but it can be mentally tiring. Take little breaks, just for a minute, stand up, walk around, then get back into it. And... know when your done - if you've lost concentration it can be counter productive. (See previous point). You know your ow limits and how long you can maintain effective concentration on one activity.

VISUALISE

Visualisation is as important in practice stages as in performance and it is a two fold concept:

1. Visualise in your mind how the piece is going to sound, how does the very first note begin, hear it in your mind, think of the pulse and rhythm the tone and dynamics. Visualise the movement of your bow and fingers and hear the sound that is produced. take a couple of good deep breaths, feel everything relax in.

2. Visualise the piece in your mind before you start , feel the surroundings, you are aware of your audience yet not thinking about them. Draw on your musical inspiration from some imagery you can associate with the music. Focus on any accompaniment to bring your attention to the music. Always be thinking about the line you are playing, not worrying about a really hard bit on the next page or that high note you missed a few bars back, absorb yourself in what is happening now.

PERSERVERE

Almost everything is difficult at some point and there are times for all of us that certain things seem well beyond our capabilities. Perhaps they are, but it doesn't help to throw in the towel. As my mother often says, "take a deep breath, and get on with it".
Well... yes, easier said than done in the context of practicing. But do BREATH, deeply and slowly feel the air through your nostrils, filling your lungs and breathing out feel everything relax and sink down. As many times as you need, then go back to what you were working on, but this time taking it back a notch, break it down, processing every movement and note with a careful awareness.
Even if it is not as fast or loud or whatever it needs to be, as it was before, you are still better off. Psychologically, you finish the session playing it well, you feel better about coming back to it next time.

If all his is very unfamiliar to you Mindfulness in Plain English by Venerable Henepola Gunaratana is a very good, easy to read and practical book to get you started.
Also check out your local Buhddist Temple, they often have meditation and mindfulness courses or will welcome you to attend a session. You don't hve to buy into all of it, but you will get enough understanding of the practice to apply it to your own practice.

Now, it seems any new years resolutions that get made in the relaxed and festive 'bubble' of the holiday season, inevitably get forgotten, are too hard or become totally impractical once the all the parties are over and the reality of life returns. 
The antidote to this might be to not make a resolution as such,  those idealist and far fetched notions; make an actual plan - something to work towards and a way to get there. And what better than a plan for practice?

Over the break, it's a great time to reflect on what you want to achieve in the year. I have had some time to do this and so far ... so good (albeit only 5 days in...)

So here we go (and actually write it down... you'll be able to refer back to it through the year and give yourself a big pat on the back when you've smashed them out at the other end of it)

1. Work out the top 3 things you want to work on, or rather think you need to improve.

If this plan is going to last a whole year it is better to be generalised things that you can work on in may different ways and apply to different things.
A year might seem a long time to work on something, but in the scheme of things, we spend many years trying to perfect our playing, so focusing on certain aspects of technique for one year is not so outrageous.

2. Brainstorm all the specific elements of that technique that are causing difficulties.

Try and be as specific as possible here, this will help focus the work to be done in the right places. Remember to think about physiological and psychological elements as well as the physical or musical elements of the technique itself.
Considering as many 'causes' or issues as possible to do with the technique can help dig down to the root of the issue, and to address the fundamental aspects making this technique difficult. we can also find links between the physiological, metal and physical elements.

3. Note down some ideas on which excersizes can be used to target these techniques.

This can be a small list to start with and can develop over time as the technique develops and improves.
REMEMBER - Scales can address a multitude of sins.

4. Consider what repertoire you can work on that will compliment your work on each specific technique.

Often we choose repertoire we want to play and then work on the appropriate technique according to those works. By turning it round we can search out new repertoire and find works that we might not normally approach, putting into practice the techniques we are working on.

This is a great exercise to plan and improve our own work, but also to do for/with students.
Often we get stuck into nutting out exam pieces, orchestral and school ensemble repertoire, and sometimes certain techniques can get neglected if they don't often arise often enough.

For new students, have these technical goals be a mixture of things the student struggles with and techniques that they really enjoy or come somewhat naturally. That way, the years work can include addressing difficult or challenging areas as well as advancing the mastery of others.

You can see here a list I made for my own practice regime, other areas to look at could include things like, sound/tone production, vibrato, rhythm and pulse, shifting, physical tensions, coordination, musical interpretation etc.

When considering a plan for more established students it would be helpful to look at all their strengths and weaknesses and shortlist what needs the most attention and is most relevant to what they are currently working towards.

We all know that making a plan to reach our goals is a great way to keep ourselves on track. All we need is for once to just stick with it!!

My role was 3 fold really,
1. As a responsible adult
2. To help and boost up the small and relatively inexperienced cello section
and most importantly 3. Having lived there for some years, as a translator/interpretor.

The trip surpassed many of my expectations and I found the reaction of both the young musicians and our audiences inspiring.

This is the power of music, it traverses cultural and linguistic barriers. It was fantastic to see the kids really getting involved and how much they just love music, any spare moment or opportunity to play or to try out a new acoustic:

• Improvising 4 part a capella harmonies in the glass roof top dome and ballet rehearsal space of the Lyon Opera House.
• Busking in the Place des Heros in Arras, surrounded by small kids in awe of what they were doing.

One of these young buskers said he didn't care about the money, he just wanted to play. But seeing those kids so excited to drop a few coins in the case, it seemed as if it were of more value to them as a whole experience, showing appreciation and understanding maybe, learning the value of the performance. 

(The pros and cons of that value being monetary
is beside the point of this story)

On the other side of it, we visited large towns & small villages, and everywhere we went the welcome was outstanding.
In some ways this is part of the European way, I recall with the OSL, many shared meals, drinks and nibbles while playing and touring with the orchestra.
But also to receive this orchestra of young New Zealanders was a real community event, to come and see a visiting orchestra play.

Amongst all the hatred, fear  and strife occurring in the country, even whilst we were there, luckily at the other end of the country, the terrible tragedy in Nice on the 14th of July. Not to sound twee, but our concerts brought a moment of calm, a moment of joy and happiness to what were frankly, very good sized audiences. And at many we passed a moments silence in thought of Nice.

Even when playing in competition to the final of the Euro Championship between France and Portugal, with thousands of people trying to cram into the FanZone just two blocks away, our combined Aotea Youth Orchestra and Orchestre Symphonique de Lyon (a mere 100 musicians) managed to more or less fill the Place des Celestins. I would have said maybe 200 or so, young and old, some who came especially but many passers by stopping to enjoy some music on a very warm summer evening, despite the untimely car horns growing ever more incessant the closer it came to kickoff.

All this to say that our music could bring people together, both within a community and between nations. A cultural exchange that benefits both sides, whether it be sharing stories and ideas with our wonderful homestays, playing alongside the OSL under the baton of the fantastic Jean-Pierre Prajoux, enjoying the music of the Le Quesnoy Concert Band, entertaining audiences and paying tribute to our fallen NZ soldiers who served in the small towns in the North of France during WWI.
It was always a pleasure for me to speak to and interpret for members of the public as well as some dignitaries following our concerts. Their apprecation for our music was very humbling, to know we had come so far to play for them, they had enjoyed our music and were impressed by the sensitivity, enthusiasm and musicianship of all these young people.

It made me think that so often music can become an elitist institution, what is 'proper' or 'good' music and anything else is not worth playing, what are 'we' going to get out of it musically - and I am as guilty of this as anyone (don't even get me started on the X-Factor and its genre). But in fact music is for the people, as an artist you must be able to express yourself, and you don't always want to sell out to the commercial masses, but there is a time and a place for both. And as a musician we can feed off the energy of an audience that loves what we are doing, even if it is playing Lord of the Dance for the 50th time, the audience love it, and I loved that they loved it, that was all that mattered.

Music truly is a universal language, music connects people, to each other, to emotions and memories. We must remember this and not be precious or pretentious and keep it all to ourselves, but instead use it like a superpower for good.

Here's an interesting interview about just that thing with some of New Zealand's leading musicians:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/secretlife/audio/201760118/the-secret-life-of-musical-injuries

In the last few years I have made it  priority to get, and stay fit, and I must say I feel great, I'm more alert, have more energy.  And, having had problems with my hands in the past from bad posture and overuse, I am very aware of keeping good form when I am playing, and exercising. However a recent lapse of concentration combined with over-enthusiasm at Bootcamp has left me with a wrist injury. And a brace for 6 weeks to go with it. All being a big wake up call that I do have to take care of myself.

This has made me reflect on how important good exercise is and how we mustn't push the limits too far when we rely on our hands in particular to play.

With everything in our body being connected, we can do various types of exercice on different muscle groups and see beneficial results in other areas as well. For example, improving our cardio fitness can have many benefits to our health, and is generally not too risky on our playing. Cardio, or cardiovascular exercise, is the kind that really gets our heart pumping. Something like running, skipping, or stairs for example will quickly increase your heart rate. Getting the blood pumping round efficiently, gets more oxygen going round. Better circulation can help us play faster, longer, all the things that any other athlete will benefit from with an increase of oxygen in the blood. 
Cardio is also great for your brain, keeping you sharp and focused, not to mention the increase in 'happy' hormones in the brain, which are always useful to get through a grueling practice routine.

Certainly mix it up, it's more effective if your body doesn't have a chance to get used to doing one thing all the time. So it's a good idea to combine some strength and endurance training with the cardio. You don't need massive weights to improve your strength, body weight exercises do just as fine, we really don't need massive guns to play the cello and working with too heavy weights can do serious damage, but some good muscle tone in our arms can help a lot. Endurance training is great, if we are going to survive hours of practice and rehearsal. And throwing in a bit of high intensity intervals will improve recovery rates. It's all about being in the best physical condition we can to be able to put in the energy we need to into our performances.

On of the most important things however is posture and balance. When sitting or standing for long periods of time rehearsing, we are exerting a lot of energy, but we remain for the most part stationary. With bad posture, weak balance and core strength there are many things that can go wrong over a long period of time, neck or back injury, overuse syndrome, trapped nerves .... these can be extremely serious especially when performing essentially repetitive movements for long periods of time.

I would recommend at least doing some Yoga or Pilates. Or if you're keen, do it as well as the outdoor training!
I must stress that it's super important to do these types of positions correctly, so going to some classes to begin with is a good idea. I have practiced both Pilates and Yoga but at the moment I'm enjoying the calming and mental stamina of Yoga. It is excellent for stretching out.... well, everything.... releases built up tension in your back and shoulders, builds core strength, balance and most importantly of all, awareness of your body and form. So that in time, through long rehearsal sessions you can be noticing any tensions that are building up, and relaxing, rel time, so that it does not become a bigger problem later on. Yoga also works well on improving breathing, and breath control, which is essential for every musician, and is often, especially with string players, neglected.

If you have particular issues related to playing it is worth investigating the Alexander Technique. Many musicians use this to correct bad playing position and other strains and long term injuries. Here is a link to some further information:
http://alexandertechnique.com/

For me, many of the principles of Yoga align with those of the Alexander technique, however Yoga does not have the same level of hands on reconditioning with an experienced person showing you how to hold and position yourself, and of course it's much more targeted in its approach.

At the end of the day it's a personal choice. But for general well being,  we all should practice some physical activity. It improves your physical and mental health, helps you play better, longer and faster. We must though, look after ourselves, if we do too much and injure our hands it can be a long recovery, and all the tiny and repetitive movements required to play music can have unexpected outcomes if we don't maintain good balance and posture.

So, just get on with it... the hardest part is always putting on your running shoes.

Here are some other interesting articles with varying opinions to help you decide what type of exercise is best for you.

http://billplakemusic.org/2014/04/10/fitness-and-exercise-for-musicians-choose-wisely/

http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/the-impact-of-exercise-and-physical-fitness-on-performance-under-pressure/

https://blog.key-notes.com/a-musicians-fitness-routine.html

I discovered Kodaly is sometimes wrongly referred to as a "method" but practitioners expiate this misunderstanding, explaining that "approach" is a more accurate word.

Zoltan Kodaly pulled together many elements from musical traditions, education traditions, his own and others experiences. Because learning music has multi faceted developmental advantages, it teaches discipline, reading, writing, arithmetic, artistic expression, and so on; learning as a child helps develop effective thought processes, learning as an adult, it helps to reevaluate your thought processes.

Learning this new approach, I was challenged to reevaluate my own thought processes, both as a player and as a teacher. It was encouraging to see I had already been adopting some of the techniques, and others that had always shied away from, seemed ot make sense and have their place. 
To me the Kodaly approach to music teaching is wider, and more inventive than traditional theory, which, lets be honest, can be very dull, particularly for kids (I used to dread Sunday afternoons, the theory books would come out as my mother dragged my brother and I unwillingly through the next chapter).
By breaking it into movements, sounds and other basic elements we are familiar with, often based around folk songs our mother might have sung to us, the theory of music becomes something we can relate to.
Kodaly is quoted to have said,

Music is steeped in tradition, and tradition is steeped in music. Every culture has musical roots that are entwined in the history of those people. Often times today in busy lives of a digital age, many of those traditions start to get lost.

I have spoken a lot about the music as sound in previous posts, practicing, listening, accuracy, feel ect. But not much about the music as a thing.
Most classical musicians will learn to read music before or in parallel with learning their instrument. But it can be quite challenging, there are so many new and unfamiliar things to be thinking about. So, sometimes it gets lost, the theory bit that is. Many, especially the younger ones, just want to get on with the 'fun' bit - Playing. But as with many things, without some theoretical foundation, most people will be limiting themselves in the long run.

Here are some examples, in my experience, of how understanding the music can be an advantage and improve your performance:

Sight Reading - the better you understand the written music the better you can read it. Producing rhythms more accurately, pitching intervals. You can play a piece of music without the laborious task of transcribing it by ear, and by memory.

Improvising - of course you can do this by ear, but unless you're fairly extraordinarily talented it will be a lot of trial and error. At least for me, it's a whole lot easier to read a chord chart and understand what notes can go where and how the chords fit together in a sequence.

Ensemble playing - if you can understand what is written on the page and structure of the music you can be much more sensitive and effective as an ensemble player, knowing when to bring out important bits or stand back and let others take the lead.

Composing - If you can understand the technical side of how music is written, you are better equipped to compose more interesting and complex pieces of music, to get the sound you want just right.

As I mentioned, in learning how to learn music, and therefore how to teach it, I have been thinking a whole lot more about what the music means, seeing what I hear, hearing what I see. I have become much more sensitive to those fundamental building blocks of what makes up the music.

So getting back to Kodaly: 

• Start simple, gradually building on each component, rhythm, pitch etc. so that the whole thing is not so daunting. Folk songs are the ideal place to begin, simple melodies and nursery rhymes that we are familiar with and are easy to pick up.
• Don't necessarily begin straight away with the music as it is written on paper. Using different shapes and colours, physical items you can use to build the music, other props, 'toys' and games to allow us to literally feel the music, and to see it written as something we can relate to. For example hearts indicating the beat, tugging on lycra that little arms can feel the pulse or passing a ball around the circle to show the need for a steady beat.
• Repetition. Using the same song to demonstrate at different times various aspects of the music, one time you might simply look at the pulse, another time perhaps the rythm and a third time the pitch. Equally, doing the same or similar activity with different songs. Always reinforcing the ideas, until they are second nature.

You can read more about the approach at these interesting links:
http://www.britishkodalyacademy.org/kodaly_approach.htm
http://kodaly.hu/zoltan_kodaly/kodaly_concept
http://www.kodaly.org.au/kodaly-concept/musicianship-tools/

Kodaly's intention was primarily to teach children, but of course it works for almost everyone. We all have different learning styles and being varied and diverse in our approach allows us to connect with the concepts regardless. Some of my adult students have been pleasantly surprised when playing with coloured ice-block sticks, rhythmic notation has suddenly made so much more sense.

I believe everyone can benefit from some music theory, no matter what your experience. Don't get put off by the thought of 'theoretical' study. There are so many ways to approach reading and understanding music. And if you're teaching think outside the box and let your imagination run wild. You will be amazed at what you can achieve.

I've been playing all sorts of different things recently with lots of different people; good musicians, students, a whole mixture. The common thread of whether the ensemble and the music works is the level of listening that is going on. A bunch of people playing instruments at the same time does not an ensemble make. 
Small groups, especially when talking about classical music, are often referred to as an 'ensemble'. This comes from the French meaning 'together'.  When everyone is listening, and reacting, the music comes together, it becomes music not just notes, the different parts bounce off each other and blend,  and a musical energy is created. Essentially all the feeling and emotion from music can be thought of as energy.

The word there that makes the difference is 'reacting'. When we really listen to music, we are paying attention, it's not just going on in the background while we think of what we are having for tea or ticking things off the To Do list. We notice the rhythm and harmonies, changes in key or tempo.
When you are playing the music, you must be aware of all these things as well as create them.
It takes concentration:

• Listen to everything that is going on around you (in the music that is)
• Fit in with the rhythm, pitch and dynamics of the other players. If you have sheet music it should all be written there for you, but it is often elastic, especially tempo and dynamics.
• React to what you are hearing, if another part has the lead (or tune), follow, if you have it, lead the others.
• Anticipate the changes, you can hear when things are building, harmonies often lead into one another. When reading music always be looking a bar ahead.

Think of it as a jigsaw puzzle where each person has only some of the pieces, everyone must put the right pieces in the right spot for it to all join together and make a picture.
Each players pieces are made up of their own intonation, tone, rhythm, dynamics, expression etc. even lyrics.
When all the pieces fit, you have some great music.

As I mentioned in an earlier post Ear Training Part II what you hear and can react to depends on what you are familiar with, there are so many different rhythmic patterns and harmonies that are involved in creating the right feel for any given piece of music. Classical, pop, jazz etc all have different rules and conventions that make up the texture and style of the music.
If we are not familiar with that particular style it can be very difficult to fit in with it. You can be listening and concentrating but it can still be difficult to slot your part into the puzzle.
It takes time, in the same way as learning a new language. If you have ever been in a foriegn country, even having studied your phrase book, you can't differentiate where one word ends and the next begins. After a while your ear becomes familiar with the sounds and you can start understanding more of the words.

Listen to recordings, listen to the other parts, listen to how your part fits in with the other parts, listen out for cue notes, beats or words. Take notice of the harmonies, where are the parts working together, where are they doing their own thing, where are they heading?
Pay attention to the changes in energy, it would be dull if it were the same the whole way through. there are ups and downs, louds and softs, angry parts, peaceful parts, happy and sad parts, take note of how these make you feel and then replicate it.

For musicians who don't often play in a group, there is not always the same need or opportunity to develop these accute listening skills. For example;

•  A pianist can play in his own style and the feel will be consistent, he can always keep in time with himself,
• A singer can have one or more instrumentalists accompanying her who will follow her, and how she interpretes every phrase.  

In my opinion every musician should hone their listening skills, being aware of everything going on, to be able to react and fit in with the other parts. I do admit it is a case of practice, and it is hard to do that if you are not putting it into practice, so to speak.
But you will become a better musician for it.

The key to successful and productive practice is routine and quality. I'm not talking about the quality of the playing but rather the quality of the practice.

Sticking to a regular practice routine is important in that, for one thing, if there are long gaps between your practice sessions it's a bit like taking one step forward, two steps back, as you forget what you were doing last time, and certainly your muscles have forgotten what they learnt.
Apart from that though, a regular routine helps keep you motivated, it becomes part of your day, something that generally you should look forward to. And by practising regularly, you achieve a great deal more, and can see, or rather hear, the improvements in your playing.

Quality is a slightly more abstract concept when it comes to practice. Unless you are practising something in totally the wrong way, for example playing the wrong notes, I think almost any practice is of some value. But certainly some ways of practising are more effective than others.

It is important to really pay attention, at all times. As I have said in the previous post, when your concentration starts to fade it's probably time to stop.
When practising any instrument there are many things to think about: Notes, intonation, rhythm, dynamics, form, tone, phrasing etc...... it is hard to be thinking about them all at once. So to help keep our heads from overloading, focus on one thing at a time. It might be a big shift, some odd intervals, a passage of fast notes, or very slow notes, or it might be all of these; break it down into smaller chunks.

• The shift or unusual intervals needs slow practice for intonation. Listen to a recording or play the notes on the piano of just that section, until it is set in your head. Really listen to the notes that you are playing. Sometimes, if you are really paying attention, bending the note slightly sharp then flat can help settle the true note into your ear. Once the intonation is solid, then start refining the sound, making sure the tone and dynamics are right. You might find that after adding dynamics you might need to work on the intonation again.
• For fast passages, once you have nutted out the intonation, start building up the speed. This really does require vigilant use of a metronome. Start slow, it seems obvious but you would be surprised, slow means slow, take the speed that you feel you can play it and reduce it by 5-10 notches. Now it's just repetition, gradually increasing the speed a few notches at a time (only when you have mastered the passage at the slower speed). You may find that you hit a wall at a certain speed, that's ok, you will gradually push it up further over time. 
  Practising with a dotted rhythm, and then the reverse rhythm is often very helpful in conjunction with the metronome.

These are just 2 examples of ways to practice specific elements or passages. Both involve much repetition and attention to detail. And that can be applied to all practice. The 3 time rule is also a good thing to stick by: to get something perfect 3 times in a row, is actually harder than it sounds, so you keep working it until you do.

The last thing I want to mention which I feel often gets neglected in favour of everything I have mentioned above, is the physical. Being aware of physical stance, posture, how you are using your hands, arms, face, is as important as the rest. You can't do the rest effectively without using your body in the right way. Pay attention to how it feels to produce the notes, do you have the right balance and weight in your arms for example, are you sitting (or standing) correctly. Notice how it feels when you get the notes right, not just how it sounds, it will make it easier to replicate next time.

This all seems like a lot of hard work I guess, and learning an instrument is, hard work, but also fun and rewarding and many other things besides. And remember you don't have to do it all at once. As I mentioned before, regular small practises are going to get you further than the occasional marathon. Alternate between the detailed practice and playing through  (it keeps you in context of the bigger picture, and is usually more fun) and when time allows devote yourself to a big session.

Keep your goals in mind and remember nothing really worthwhile is particularly easy.

In concentrating my efforts on quality practice where it was needed, and no longer simply running through from the top every time, religious use of a metronome, meticulously learning small chunks at a time and really listening to the quality and intonation of each and every note, practice time can easily expand to several hours at a time. My concentration span quickly grew and so long as my hands could hold out I can keep going to a point where improvement has plateaud for the day. Very quickly the results of this quality practice have shown a vast improvement over the years of mediocrity that preceded it.

Quality practice is as much psychological as physical. Listen intently to everything that you play, hold yourself to the highest of standards. Perfection is generally impossible to achieve however it makes for an ideal target point. I think this is hardest to instil in younger people, children do need encouragement and can easily become disenchanted with music if they feel they are not improving, they often need instant gratification of some kind or else it becomes too hard and they can get bored. Having said this though, constant praise is not the answer here either, there needs to be a balance where a job well done is recognised but equally where areas for improvement are kindly pointed out otherwise in the long term the student will not develop the self criticism necessary to achieve greater things.

A lot of what is needed in good practice is down to mind over matter. Keep bringing your concentration back to what you are trying to achieve. Only practice as long as you can maintain your full attention on the notes you are working on. In every practice session the improvement of the technique or passage you are trying to perfect plateaus at some point. You must pay attention and notice when this occurs, move on to a different passage and come back to it later. And never try to run before you can walk. Having recently taken the step to relearn the piano as part of becoming a better musician, I know full well the frustration when you hit a road block and suddenly it gets hard. Take a breath, slow it down, baby steps, it  will come eventually.

Most of all enjoy it. Playing music is amazing, but we all have to practice constantly to play our best. It is a life long journey. Relish every improvement, every notch up on the metronome, let yourself take great satisfaction for each passage mastered, but at the same time being aware that is is never really mastered - 'you've got the notes, now work on the tone'. Be sure to never get complacent, and know that the sky is the limit and each day of good practice you are one step closer.

The next time I will talk about what in my experience are the best ways to approach practicing.