We live in a world of instant gratification. Where with one click you can find out anything and pleasure is so often achieved in an instant. This presents a struggle for a music teacher, because becoming accomplished at playing an instrument does not come quickly. It requires determination, patience, self critique, and a building of skills that can take years.
Often, when children first start learning they are able to see and feel their progress without too much effort or hardship, and they are inspired and motivated to continue progressing. It is inevitable though, that at some point the going will get tougher and then the challenge really begins.
I described it to a pupil yesterday, now in her 4th year of lessons and struggling to find enough stamina to finish and really master her piece, that practicing is like riding a bike up a hill. You have to pedal really hard to get up the hill, but then you get to the top and can enjoy free riding down the hill. That feeling of joy and exhilaration that you feel speeding down the hill, is not possible without the hard work it took to ride up the hill in the first place. So too with practicing. You have to put in the time and effort to work on a piece and learn every note, every bar, every phrase, and then you get to the fun bit- playing it with ease! That feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that you get when you have really mastered a piece and you can proudly play it on demand with minimal effort, is only possible once you have done all the hard work.
With each hill that you conquer, and each piece that you master, you become more skilled at riding up hill and are able to take on bigger challenges. It is not just about learning that particular piece, but about building your technique and stamina so that you can approach the next challenge with more skill.
It has hard to see the bigger picture when you are slaving away at bar 32 yet again, but you are setting yourself up to deal with so many other musical challenges by really mastering the one at hand.
