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The Musician’s Practice Log

     If you want a mirror held up to your practicing habits and you aren’t afraid to look into the mirror – this is the book for you! When I was a student of Burton Kaplan’s in college he was devising this book. Back then we had loose sheets of paper all over the place as he was trying to figure out the best way to chart practicing habits. This book is the result of his endeavors. It’s a wonderful tool!

     This Practice Log is designed for a 16 week semester. If you diligently fill out everything in the book you will have the most complete record of your practicing habits possible. First you’ll have to fill out the form that acts as a weekly appointment maker. You will pre-plan what times you will practice on each day thereby making an appointment with yourself. If you keep or break the appointment that will be kept track of as well! Then you’ll have a daily pre-planning form so that you think and plan first before you start practicing. That’s a lot of work already and you haven’t even begun practicing yet! However – if you want to be a champion you have to train like one and this book will keep track of everything you are doing!

     Now comes the actual practicing. There is a page for each week. Not only will you fill out what you practiced and how long, but you’ll have opportunities to reflect on your accomplishment and how well you handled yourself during the practice time. When I was a student of Burton’s we brought the book in and shared how the week of practicing went: how much, how long, what tempos, what went right, what went wrong, etc.

     In the back of the book there are various charts, forms and notes to take. Basically you gather all the material you’ve been keeping track of for the 16 week period and by filling out all the information you’ll get a grand view of how you practiced during the semester. Did you keep your appointments? Did you practice what you planned? Did you practice less, equal or more than what you anticipated? How about the quality of your practice? Having a big picture view helps you to look at your habits and shape them to serve you best.

     The fine art of violin playing cannot be accomplished without self reflection and practice. Using The Musician’s Practice Log in its entirety will greatly aid you in both endeavors. To quote James Arthur Ray: Discipline brings excellence and excellence brings freedom!

Here's a quick link to purchase the book.

 Musician's Practice Log

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