Learning An Instrument: Why Your Mindset Matters
This article comes from Jess Homewood at Not Your Mother's Piano Studio!
We all have days where we feel like we are crushing it. Our practice is on point. We feel like we are making steady enough progress to MAYBE get up the courage to play for a friend!
But what about the days where we DON'T feel like we are on our A-game? It’s hard not to let discouraging days get to our head. However, your self-talk can make a BIG impact on how successful you are at becoming the musician you wish to be.
Whether you are brand new at learning your instrument, or you’ve been studying it for months/years, your skill level will be LIMITED to your mindset. In short, mindset matters!
In my first several years of learning the piano, I downplayed my abilities. When friends or family asked me about my piano playing, I retreated from the question and diverted it with these all-too-common responses:
“I just play here or there.”
“I just tinker.”
“I really can’t play anything cool yet.”
I can't tell you whether I was embarrassed by the attention or if I just didn't think playing the piano was cool enough to share, but I realized that I was internalizing the message that I was sharing with my friends and family: that the limited knowledge I had wasn’t worth sharing.
And it GREATLY affected my confidence and abilities as a musician.
Until one day, I decided to give my friends and family a different answer: “Yes, I play the piano, and I really enjoy it! I would love to play a song or two for you sometime.”
It felt SO GOOD! I felt empowered and excited.
Within a few short months of consciously correcting my mindset, I started believing more in myself and looking for opportunities to share my new talent.
Again, mindset matters!
Changing your mindset is easier said than done, but you can start with these 3 mindset tips that will make a difference TODAY:
Mindset Tip #1: Clean up your practice space.
The look and feel of where you practice will determine the overall tone of your practice. I’ve seen too many of my students’ practice spaces that are cluttered, cramped, or just dark and depressing.
Start designating a space specific for your practice.
Add some light to your practice area.
Clean up the unnecessary clutter.
If you want a clear, organized mental space while you study your instrument, start with replicating that in your physical practice space.
Mindset Tip #2: Prioritize reflection.
It is so easy to look at where you WANT to be as a musician and feel a tinge of discouragement at how much further you have to go to get there.
I have one word to say about this: STOP.
Stop beating yourself up for "the gap" between where you are today and where you wish to be.
Your wins should be celebrated and given meaning! It is only when you are reflecting on your past experiences that you can clearly see your progress and successes. This leads to a spirit of thanksgiving and abundance–a healthy space where only then can you start looking to your future goals.
Mindset Tip #3: Use the magic word: YET!
Every successful master musician started out as a beginner. They had their own share of difficult pieces, off days, and bad habits. We get to benefit from their polished performances, but we forget about the years of work and study it took for them to get there.
Don’t let your own difficult pieces, off days, and bad habits keep you from believing in yourself.
When you haven’t mastered that technical section, remind yourself you haven’t mastered it yet.
When you haven’t gotten over your performance anxiety, remind yourself you haven’t worked through it yet.
When you still can’t play the theme song to your favorite TV show, remind yourself you haven’t conquered it yet.
Give Your New Mindset Change a Trial Run
Changes in behavior or habits start with changes in the heart and mind. I GUARANTEE that if you put forth an honest effort to try these 3 tips, you'll see positive changes in you and your ability to master your instrument!
About the Author
Jess Homewood is a Private Piano Studio Owner and Resource Curator for Not Your Mother’s Piano Studio. Her mantra to keep piano teaching simple has led her to create Volumes 1 & 2 for THE NO PRINTOUT PLAYBOOK, a resource with easy at-home piano games that require little to no prep work or materials.
She inspires piano teachers across the world to simplify their lessons and businesses to give them back their time, family life, and enthusiasm for their music teaching career. As a busy mom of two toddlers, she relates to many as she personally balances piano boss and mom boss life–without sacrificing studio growth or fun!
Jess has been a guest on The Dynamic Piano Teaching Podcast and The Integrated Music Teaching Podcast. She has professional partnerships with Successful Group Lessons and The Cascade Method to bring the best tried-and-tested resources to her online piano resource library. You can find her resource library at www.notyourmotherspianostudio.com and @notyourmotherspianostudio on Facebook and Instagram.