How To Create A Consistent Practice Habit

There are many things in our lives that we’ve created habits out of, such as brushing our teeth, drinking our coffee, or remembering to feed the goldfish. 

For the most part, we’re able to get through these tasks without giving them much thought. In fact, many of us almost forget that we do them every day! 

Habits are some of the most useful tools we have as humans, as they allow us to accomplish tasks we deem necessary without having to use a lot of energy to do so. The beauty of a task is that the minute it becomes a habit, the easier it becomes. 

For someone that is just entering the world of music lessons, the habit of consistent practice is crucial. Unless that person can establish a consistent practice routine, the motivation and growth can wear off. 

Today, we want to help with a few suggestions to create a more consistent practice routine, whether you’re working with students or practicing yourself!

 

Practice Each Day!

Establishing a habit takes time. For this reason, it’s important that you start with very simple expectations of yourself or your students. These expectations can be as simple as practicing every single day, even if it is only for a few minutes. 

Keep practice fun and light-hearted if you can. The more you enjoy practicing, the easier it will be to make it a habit. 

As you continue getting better, these simple expectations will grow. By this point, you’ll be able to establish more demanding practice parameters that are relevant to your or your student’s skill level.

 

Be Consistent With Your Timing

Ensure that you practice at the same time each day to create a habit if possible. For example, you can set a time to practice as soon as you get home from work. A young student may practice as soon as they get home from school or finish their homework. 

It is important to pick a time where there aren’t many other distractions to worry about, which brings us to our next point.

 

Find A Quiet Place To Practice

Your practice plan should include logistics, and this is where many people go wrong. It’s much easier to focus when you’re practicing somewhere where you aren’t prone to distractions, such as social media, games, television, etc. 

The practice location should also be quiet and well-lit, allowing for better focus without getting tired. 

You’ll surely have to consider the type of instrument you or your student are playing too, as this will likely determine what kind of practice space is practical. Those practicing acoustic guitar might be able to practice just about anywhere, while someone practicing piano will have to be in a place where the piano exists. 

 

Track Practice

Documenting each practice session is crucial, as it’ll keep you or your student accountable and provide incentives for future practice. There’s nothing like checking off the boxes for practice to feel a true sense of accomplishment. 

There are many ways to track practice, though it can be as simple as writing things down in a practice planner, a whiteboard, or a chart that has assignments and dates. With computers and note apps on smartphones, keeping track of things is easier than it ever has been! 

 

Celebrate Practice!

Consider acknowledging practice anniversaries that come around! Have you or your student been practicing for a full month consistently? If so, celebrate your victories! 

Many experts say that it can take anywhere between 21 days and six weeks to create a consistent habit. Of course, those habits can be unlearned just as fast, which is why it’s just as important to continue making milestones for you or your students so you can look back and celebrate the accomplishment of consistency.

Seeing where you came from is a great motivator that can get you excited to take your skills even further!

 

Final Thoughts – Creating A Consistent Practice Routine

One of the most crucial things when it comes to creating consistent practice routines is making things fun! 

Remember why you decided to pick up an instrument and begin playing in the first place. It wasn’t to start a lifetime of boring practice routines that you dreaded getting into, was it? 

Make time in your practice routines to noodle around or play over your favorite songs! In doing so, you’ll appreciate your practice time much more and look forward to them, which will help create a likable and consistent habit.

While Carnival of Animals is widely loved and played around the world, there is so much more to Camille Saint-Saëns. This October, we’re looking into the life of the great French composer, Camille Saint-Saëns, a man whose compression and wit took the place of excessive emotion. 

 

Camille Saint-Saëns’s Personal Life

Camille Saint-Saëns was born on October 9, 1835, becoming a child prodigy in his early years. Saint-Saëns performed at his very first recital in 1846 before moving on to the Paris Conservatory to study organ and composition. By 1855, the orchestra at the Conservatory performed his piece, Symphony No. 1.

By 1857, he became an organist in Paris at the Church of the Madeleine, where he would play for more than 20 years. During this time, he met Lizst, and the two formulated a friendship that would endure throughout their lives. 

 

Liszt would go on to describe Saint-Saëns as the best organist in the world. 

 

By 1861, Saint-Saëns began working for the Niedermeyer School, where he became the professor of piano. Some of his pupils went on to become recognizable names in the world of music, including Andre Messager and Gabrial Faure. 

Saint-Saëns would continue working for this school until 1865.

After the Franco-Prussian War came to an end in 1871, Saint-Saëns founded the National Society of Music. He used this society to promote French orchestral music from the new generation of composers. In that same year, he produced Le Rouet d’Omphale, which was his very first symphonic poem. 

Along with Danse macabre, Le Rouet d’Omphale became one of his most performed pieces. 

 

In 1878, both of Saint-Saëns’ sons passed, eventually leading to a separation from his wife three years later. In the following years, he went on several European tours, as well as tours in East Asia, the Middle East, South America, and the United States. During these tours, he performed five piano concerto pieces, as well as a number of keyboard works. 

What audience members loved the most about these performances, however, were his symphonic compositions. 

From about 1880 until his death, he studied, composed, and performed in a variety of fields of dramatic and instrumental music. One of his most popular compositions during this time was Symphony No. 3, which he dedicated to Liszt. This piece made use of two pianos and an organ. 

 

In the same year he wrote Symphony No. 3, and he also wrote Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of Animals). The piece was meant o be played by a small orchestra. During his lifetime, the piece was never performed. However, since his death, it has become one of his most famed pieces. 

Some of Saint-Saëns’ other popular works include Cello Concerto No. 2 and  Piano Concerto No. 5.

Saint-Saëns certainly retained a conservative mindset throughout his lifetime, upholding traditional ideals of French music while putting an emphasis on form and polished craftsmanship. 

 

The Influence Of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Music

Richard Wagner often said he had always admired Saint-Saëns for his technique, which he deemed “brilliant.”

 

He was often remembered for his symphonic poems and was one of the first Frenchmen to write in that genre. One of his other most popular works was his opera, Samson et Dalila.

This opera was exotic for the time, and its main excerpt, “Bacchanale,” was extremely suggestive. The opera dramatized the life of Samson, the strongman, and Delilah, the woman who would seduce and betray him. 

The opera staged a number of grandiose scenes, including mass dances and the fall of the temple. Many say this was one of the most challenging plays to direct during the era.

 

He was a pioneer of French music, as well as a gifted organist and pianist. During his lifetime, he wrote many plays, essays, poems, and criticisms. He was noted for adapting the virtuosity of Franz Lizst when writing symphonies and concerti, bringing his own French style and tradition into the mix. 

One of his most performed pieces became Symphony No. 3 for organ.

Notable Facts

• Samson et Dalila, one of Saint-Saëns’ many operas, was rejected from stages in Paris due to its prejudice against portraying biblical characters on stage. Luckily, Saint-Saëns was able to take it to Weimar in 1877, thanks to Lizst’s recommendation, where it was performed in German. By 1890, it was on stage at Théâtre Eden in Paris, and subsequently became one of his most famous operas. 
• In his memoirs and essays, Saint-Saëns described the contemporary music scene during the time as ironic and shrewd.

Though we might try our best to avoid it at all costs, many of us have to accept that stress is simply a part of life. Of course, though everyone experiences stress, the impact that it can have may vary depending on a number of factors. 

Some people suffer from overwhelming senses of anxiety, while others feel irritable or get headaches. In unfortunate cases, stress can get so bad that it can cause depression, a mental health disorder that is all too common. 

In short, stress can be a catalyst for other physical and psychological health problems if not taken care of. 

 

The good thing is that for all of the problems out there related to stress, there are an equal number of solutions. One of the best ways to reduce stress is with music. Today, we’re going to dive in and talk about how playing an instrument can reduce or relieve the stress you deal with daily. 

 

Why Music Can Eliminate Stress

Playing an instrument or listening to music can brighten your mood, similar to the way that looking at bright, positive colors can enhance your mood. If you listen to cheerful, upbeat music, you may feel an overwhelming sense of optimism. On the other end of the spectrum, slower music can soothe or calm you, very similar to the way white noise works.

Of course, every person is built differently, and the way we react to certain types of music can change based on our personalities. Some people benefit from listening to music that others would typically find intense, such as heavy metal or rock and roll. Other people like music that is soft and soothing, such as jazz or classical. 

The point is that music can inhibit stressors by taking your mind off of them, helping you to decompress and relax. By playing an instrument, you can further distract yourself from the feelings of stress that you’re having. Because your brain is only able to perform a single function at once, it is forced to prioritize playing music instead of focusing on the things that are causing you to feel stressed.

 

How Playing An Instrument Can Be Beneficial

Researchers say that playing instruments can help musicians lower their heart rates and blood pressure, regardless of their skill level. It can also reduce stress levels, lower anxiety, and deter depression. 

Beyond that, playing an instrument can increase your ability to problem-solve, as well as improve your overall mental capacity. If you’ve ever had a truly productive practice session or gotten in the groove while playing with friends, then you know what it feels like to be in the “flow state,” as many call it. 

If you ask us, there is nothing quite like that feeling! 

 

General Music Benefits

Beyond playing an instrument, there are many benefits that music can give us in general. For starters, listening to music is a wonderful way to improve your focus, which is why so many people enjoy listening to music when studying, working or exercising. 

While listening to music, you can instead focus on what’s going on with the music instead of focusing too hard on the things going on around you.

Some of the major benefits of playing an instrument and listening to music include:

• Reduced feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression
• Increased energy levels
• Increased cortisol and dopamine (the feel-good chemicals in the brain)
• Improved focus and memory

There are many studies that come from the National Center for Biotechnology regarding how music can help people suffering from various mental illnesses. They have also found that playing an instrument can be a form of pain management, helping people take their minds off of the painful symptoms of chronic conditions, such as fibromyalgia or arthritis. 

 

How Music Lessons Can Be Helpful

Of course, as you probably know, the act of playing music vs. listening to it is very different. Taking music lessons can be beneficial in helping you to deal with your stress, giving yourself a sense of accomplishment, and boosting your self-confidence.

Stress happens, no matter how much we try and avoid it. With music, however, you can make going through your daily life that much easier. Whether you choose to play a musical instrument or simply enjoy listening to music, it can do wonders for your stress.

 

 

This month, we’ll be looking at the life of Astor Piazzolla, one of history’s most renowned tango composers, bandoneon players, and arrangers. Many believe that Piazzolla revolutionized the world of tango, turning it into a brand new style, which was coined nuevo tango. His new style of tango incorporated several elements of jazz and classical music. Beyond that, he was a bandoneon virtuoso who regularly performed with several ensembles during his lifetime and wrote a number of timeless compositions. 

 

Astor Piazzolla’s Personal Life

Piazzolla was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1921 before his family moved to Greenwich Village in New York City in 1925. 

When he was at home, he would spend a fair amount of time listening to his father’s tango records, specifically records from Julio de Caro and Carlos Gardel. From an early age, he had exposure to jazz and classical music, including the music of Bach. After his father bought him a bandoneon that he spotted in a pawn shop in 1929, Piazzolla began a lifelong journey to master the instrument. 

By 1936, after moving and returning to live with his family in Mar del Plata, he started playing in several tango orchestras. It was around this time that he learned of Elvino Vardaro, whose sextet music had a great impression on Piazzolla. Many years later, Vardaro would become a violinist in Piazzolla’s string orchestra. 

When he was only 17, he moved to Buenos Aires and joined Anibal Troilo’s orchestra, who was a renowned bandoneonist of the time. Though his main role was playing the bandoneon in the orchestra, he also began arranging for Troilo, occasionally playing the piano for their performances. 

As Piazzolla got more and more comfortable playing with the orchestra, Troilo began to fear that Piazzolla’s advanced musical styles might undermine his orchestra. Due to rising tensions, Piazzolla eventually left Troilo’s orchestra in 1944 and began playing with Francisco Fiorentino, a tango bandoneonist and singer. He would continue playing with him until 1946, when he started his own orchestra, Orquesta Tipica. It was during this time that he composed his very first original tango, El Desbande. 

After disbanding the orchestra in 1950, he composed a series of works that would slowly help him develop a style unique to other tango composers. He entered one of these classical compositions, “Buenos Aires Symphony In Three Movements,” for a chance to win the Fabian Sevitzky Award in 1953. Though some audience members were offended by the inclusion of bandoneon in a traditional orchestral setting, he won the award and received a grant from the government of France to continue studying in Paris. 

While in Paris, he studied counterpoint and other forms of classical composition, which would later pop up in his tango works. 

After moving back to Argentina in 1955, he worked with a few orchestras. It wasn’t until 1959 that he put together arguably one of his most famous quintets, known as the First Quinteto. One of the last performances he had with this quintet was on the Arthur Murray Show in 1960. 

Throughout his life, he would continue to travel around the world, composing and performing in various countries and sharing his version of tango with the world. He eventually died in Paris on August 4, 1990, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage that left him in a coma. 

 

The Influence of Astor Piazzolla’s Music

Piazzolla was known for pioneering the genre of nuevo tango, which incorporated elements of jazz and classical music. It also made use of counterpoint and extended harmonies, which was quite unique at the time. 

When he composed Adios Nonino in 1959, he solidified his unique structural pattern that would remain in future compositions. He also pioneered a new form of a quintet, which included bandoneon, piano, violin, double bass, and electric guitar. He believed this setup was the most effective in terms of filling the sound sphere with the least amount of people. 

 

Notable Facts

• During his performances in Paris, he began playing the bandoneon standing up with the instrument on his thigh and his foot on a chair. Up until this time, people played the instrument sitting down. 
• Many believe Piazzolla was single-handedly responsible for bringing tango music out of seedy dance clubs and into prestigious concert halls all over the world.

 

This month, we’re eager to feature CCM piano student, Kayden Lee as our August 2022 Student of the Month! Kayden has been taking piano lessons for almost 4 years! He currently studies at CCM’s Sunnyvale location with Teacher Tan. We are so proud of Kayden’s good attitude, tremendous curiosity, and hard work toward great progress!

Student of the Month – Kayden Lee

Q: What is your name?
A: Kayden Lee

Q: How old are you?
A: 7 years old

Q: Who is your teacher?
A: Teacher Tan

Q: How long have you been taking piano lessons?
A: 4 years

Q: What advice would you give to a piano student just starting out at CCM?
A: Practice a lot

Q: What piece are you looking forward to learning someday?
A: Create my own music

Q: What is your favorite thing about playing piano?
A: After practicing homework songs; I could make my own music.

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Ice cream

Q: Do you have a pet?
A: No

Q: Do you play any sports or do any other activities outside of music lessons?
A: Riding my bicycle.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: Mathematician

Q: What is your most memorable experience at CCM?
A: Going to recitals.
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Parent Spotlight – Simon Lee and Connie Chang

Q: Regarding piano, what are you most proud of your child accomplishing?
A: He is able to learn hard songs on his own.

Q: What advice would you give a new parent starting in the program?
A: Every kid learns at their own pace, be patient with them. Give them lots of praise and encouragement.

Q: Why did you decide to give your child a musical upbringing?
A: It came naturally for us as Kayden loves music at a very young age. We hope that music can be one of his ways to express feelings and nurture creativity.

This month, we want to recognize the work of one of the most important female composers in history — Pauline Hall.

Pauline Hall was a Norwegian writer, composer, music critic, social activist, and one of the most prominent musical figures from the late 18th and early 19 centuries.

Let’s dive in and get to know more about the incredible Pauline Hall! 

Pauline Hall’s Personal Life

Pauline Hall was born in Hedmark, Norway, in 1890 as the son of Isak Muus Hall and Magdalena Catharina Agersborrg. Though her father owned and operated several pharmacies around the area and was not involved with music in any way, Pauline garnered an interest in music as a young child.

She began studying piano in 1908 with Johan Backer Lunde, a renowned composer of the time. By 1910, she began studying composition and theory, learning all she could from classical composers from music educator Catharinus Elling. By 1912, she moved to Paris, where she studied until 1914. It was quite obvious that this French city had a large impression on the then 22-year-old. While she initially planned on studying composition with George Caussade upon her arrival, she never made it that far.

However, during her time in Paris, she attended the theater and opera several times, absorbing the culture that she would continue revisiting throughout her entire life. 

It wasn’t until 1917 that she made her full debut as a composer, putting on her first full-length concert in Oslo one evening. While she initially got her start composing romances, her orchestral works are what truly solidified her in musical history.

Arguably, one of her most famous pieces was Verlaine Suite, which she composed in 1929. Many music appreciators say it was one of the most significant and influential pieces in her musical library. 

Hall gained most of her inspiration from French literature and impressionism, which was quite interesting, as it wasn’t until the 1930s that the sentiment of romanticism would become popular in Norway. It was because of this reason that Hall found it quite difficult to introduce the idea of new styles to Norway’s music scene. 

Beyond her work in the orchestral realm, Hall composed several pieces of music for stage productions and even more choral works. Throughout her career, she kept close to the theatre, translating several major works into Norwegian, such as Arthur Honegger’s Le Roi David and Igor Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale. 

She translated Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera before staging and directing it in 1930. During this time, Hall also took on the role of the conductor and instructor of the play during its premiere in Oslo.

In 1932, she started a vocal quintet, which she referred to as Pauline Hall’s vocal quintet. With this quintet, she wrote music for radio. However, when 1934 rolled around, she became a prominent music critic, working for Dagbladet, a prominent daily newspaper in Oslo. Hall would continue working as a music critic for this newspaper until 1964.

Hall was renowned for her ability to promote modern music, though she was also notorious for her criticisms of superficial national composers. 

In 1938, she began working with the International Society for Contemporary Music, where she became the founding chairwoman of Ny Musikk, the Norwegian sector of the institution. From 1952 to 1953, she served as the president of ISCM International. She would continue working as the Ny Musikk chair until 1961, eventually getting replaced by Finn Mortensen, a successful composer. 

Hall died in Oslo in 1969 and was buried at Vestre Granlund. 

The Influence of Pauline Hall’s Music

Throughout her career, Hall composed several orchestral works, chamber pieces, vocal works, and music for theater and film. In the late 1930s, she became a powerhouse in Norway’s music scene. 

Many music historians agree that without Hall, Norway would not have experienced modernism and romanticism as soon as it did. In essence, Hall was a driving and unifying force, using motive and the power of opposition to create a dialogue that crossed borders. 

From private concerts in homes to the world music festival in 1953, she consistently took the humanistic approach to music and kept her standard for creativity high.

 

Notable Facts

• In 1938, Pauline Hall received the King’s Medal or Merit in gold.
• In open radio debates on music from the U.S., Hall would often defend jazz, which was then a primarily black genre.
• Hall often stated she was an internationalist, opposing the views of strong Norwegian nationalists