Happy Mother's Day Everyone!
First, I want to extend warm wishes to all the "Mamas" in the community...I just returned from a lovely brunch with mine, and without her, I would never have even tried to learn piano. :-)
Second, I apologize for missing last week. I had some things come up with a loved one (everything is alright thank goodness) that just required my attention and I didn't have time to film a Friday lesson. Interestingly though, the experience reminded me of something that I thought I might pass along to you to consider as you continue on your musical journey....
All of us like to make plans and commitments to things as doing so gives focus to our life experience. And, we all like to meet those commitments and carry out those plans when we make them. But every once in a while, something comes along in life that just flatly overrules the plans we've made, and there's nothing that can be done about it. And this can be so frustrating.....especially when you tied it to a goal of some sort. I really wanted a full year of uninterrupted #FreeLessonFridays on my YouTube Channel, and a full year of uninterrupted weekly blog posts, and last week will leave a gap in that record.
Many of you create practice schedules for yourself and promise to give at least 30 minutes per day 5 days per week to the piano or something like it. It's wonderful to create aspirational structures like that, and it's wonderful when they help inspire you to some consistency in something good for you. The danger is that sometimes we get more involved in fulfilling the obligation to the structure we created than we are in the reason for having created the structure.
For example....I didn't start this blog or the idea of weekly free YouTube content just to have a weekly commitment.....I conceived of that plan because I wanted to pass along extraordinary value to my most engaged followers and students, and attract as many new people as possible who would be a great fit for the "Piano Man Approach" Courses. Regular content most certainly is helpful in achieving those objectives, but making sure the content that drops is truly good, useful, insightful, practical, and well communicated is even more important. If had tried to knock a video out last week in the midst of everything else that was happening, it most likely would have been rushed, disorganized, and choppy because I was distracted, tired, and not at all focused on my work. So it's an example of how sometimes, even though I set this weekly marker as a goal and commitment I truly intend to keep....when life throws something I can't plan for my way, it's even more important to remember the "BIG GOAL" that this smaller goal is intended to help fulfill. My real desire behind the weekly content and blog posts is to inspire, empower, and uplift those who are already in my community, and to attract and welcome new people to that community.....and if an unforeseen set of circumstances makes it impossible for me to serve that bigger goal in a particular week, it's better to take a week off from that commitment than to throw something together just to get a mark on the chart.
I tell this story for those of you who have life intervene in some way that causes you to fall off the practice wagon, and in your disappointment with not keeping the schedule or the commitment, you walk away completely for long swaths of time. I know the feeling....I've done that repeatedly in my life, but it was because I had forgotten what I was really trying to do. Your practicing isn't an exercise in meeting a daily or weekly challenge....it's to empower you to find more joy, pleasure, and connection in your life experience through the gift of making music. And let's face it....sometimes you're in the wrong headspace to practice effectively, or you have a thousand other things you have to attend to that leave you too drained and exhausted to sit down and work on Rhythm Patterns. Guess what....that's okay. The piano will be there for you the next day or the day after. Don't allow the inability to achieve perfection in your plans to disappoint you enough to walk away from what the plans were actually intended to help you do. Keep your eyes on the big prize, and just come back to it when you can and pretend like there was no interruption. When you remember what it's all REALLY about, missing a mark on the chart of completion every once in a while becomes no big deal, and you relax into the rhythm of growth and improvement in a way that's harmonious with the rest of your life and the other commitments that you need to keep.
Have a great week gang....enjoy the freebies! ;-)
This week's free content is below:
#SoloTuesday
"Don't Know Much"
(Linda Ronstadt / Aaron Neville)
Or if the video doesn't display here, simply click THIS LINK to view it on YouTube!
#FreeLessonFriday
Powerful Tool for Creating Medleys
Or if the video doesn't display here, simply click THIS LINK to view it on YouTube!
#SundayJamz with the YouTube Music Mafia
(We're on temporary hiatus with #SundayJamz while Robbie tends to some other work that has come his way...stay tuned!)
#SundayFunDay Livestream Concert with Piano Man Steve, 5 - 12 - 24
Or if the video doesn't display here, simply click THIS LINK to view it on YouTube!
***Special Extra Livestream***
"Talkin' Piano, Man with Piano Man Steve & Kevin Laurence", 5 - 8 - 24!
Or if the video doesn't display here, simply click THIS LINK to view it on YouTube!
***Special Extra Livestream***
Billy Joel 75th Birthday Bash Livestream Concert with Piano Man Steve, 5 - 9 - 24!
Or if the video doesn't display here, simply click THIS LINK to view it on YouTube!
Have a great week everyone....and remember, if you're not having fun when you're making music....you're doing it wrong! :-)
Piano Man Steve