Habits and patterns in practice are inevitable. Practice is the process of internalising new information, whether it is technical or expressive, so that it can be accessed at a later point when needed in a conscious manner. The smallest of details need to be worked on in the context of larger details until the passage, section and ultimately piece can be thought of as one entity. The key to this is having a mental map of the piece which is as rich as possible in detail. This does not necessarily mean the outcome is a rigid way of playing but rather gives you the framework from which you can further your own understanding of the music.

Practice coaching sessions will involve dissecting how you approach building this map of the music and provide you with tools, ideas and plans of how to make this process is purposeful as possible. Identification of habits that could possibly be holding you back will be a key element involved with the coaching too.

As your practice evolves and changes your music, then your practice itself must adjust to accommodate new challenges and goals. How to make those changes while retaining the principles of good practice will be part of our work too.

Ultimately, practice is the process of becoming aware all the information hidden within the activity, in this case music, and then mentally annotating the information with your own information that is towards the ultimate goal of the music in the largest context possible.