Practice, practice, practice...

Today was a gorgeous day in Texas. I spent the morning in class, then practiced for about an hour. My violin teacher has made such a difference in my growing as a performer. She has taught me how to practice effectively, which has helped me so much in the learning process. I learned something profound when rehearsing with the Texas All-State Orchestra last year. Our conductor, Timothy Russel, taught us that there is a problem with the phrase "practice makes perfect". If it were to be stated correctly it would be "practice makes permanent". If all you do is repeat your wrong notes they become habitual and you will continue playing it the wrong way. Playing them over and over will not make them change for the better. What a novel concept! I think this applies to every aspect of life. If you have a habbit that you don't like, simply living life will not change or elimate the habbit. You have to devote attention to change and then you will be able to make a concious change. I think this is an important concept for us to grasp...we all need change is some area of our lives. At least I know I do! Thankfully, God is gracious enough to show us when a change is needed :)