I think the hardest part about writing a blog is trying to be mindful of my tone. I can't write at night because I sound grumpy or whiney. So I always write in the mornings. But even then I can start to sound preachy. Hmmmm...... Grumpy, Whiney, Preachy. If I throw Dopey in there I've got a pretty good Snow White reference.
It bothers me that those negatives come so naturally to me. I wonder if that's how I sound to my students. I know I get "preachy" at times and, by the way the teenagers roll their eyes, I'm guessing "dopey" too.
But learning to play the guitar is difficult for everyone. It's easy to become discouraged so I try to prod, cajole, entice, and even beg my students to take one more step. Consistent practice is the "not-so" secret. So I have to try to pile on an excessive amount of enthusiasm to last all week until the next lesson. I end up sounding like a late night TV huckster selling a second rate motivational system.
Thomas Edison once said that genius was 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. I think a version of that applies to the arts. 90% of my time is spent developing and maintaining my skill. But it's necessary. I find it frustrating when I can't create the music because my hands won't cooperate. So when I play a little song for you, the hours and hours of work that went into that song go pretty much unnoticed.
Ask any artist about drawing the human form and you will hear some pretty brutal facts about the hours spent on just drawing eyes, or ears, or the rest. Developing skills long before you get to put them to use. Dancers will occasionally practice until they can't hardly walk. (Ouch!) And poetry is so hard that many poets today won't rhyme words. (Okay. Maybe I should add "Snarkey" to my entourage.)
When I first started teaching I simply showed students what to do. If they had difficulty then I had to figure out the "how". "Don't just put your finger here. Do it this way." Then I realized that I had to explain why. The "because" that lays behind the "what" and "how". That's when the selling starts. (Speaking like a cheesy announcer) "You too can have the chops of a rock star! But wait!! There's more...."
But nothing sells like success. That first time they actually get it is always a great moment. Beautiful music is wafting from their guitar. They finish and look to me and see approval and delight in my smile. Their parents, proud and a little astonished, praise them.
Hearing someone tell you that "you can do this" isn't nearly as impactful as actually doing it. My pushing and shoving will only get them so far. But often it's far enough. The jump start needed until they can keep going on their own.
So my Snow White reference includes Grumpy, Whiney, Preachy, Dopey, Snarkey, plus Happy and Boastful. Now it's off to work we go.