Master Skills & ABILITIES

Issues - These learners lean toward the technical, theoretical, exercise side of music and so may need to be encouraged to actually perform and make music a lot and not just study or practice it indefinitely. Can you say ‘Doctorate in Music Theory’?

Because many of these people are in the habit of using their mind and intuition constantly to determine direction and worth (and they value their time), they may come to music having already tried to scope things out and have decided what’s useful and important. In doing this, sometimes they reject areas or methods of learning before they actually have enough musical depth and context to know if an area is useful or not; they can conclude too early that they know what’s really needed to get them where they want to go.

As musicians these people may rely on their brain to cover not practicing, so the brain takes 75% of the learning load rather than the 33% it’s really suited for. Especially as a young person, they may show up to the performance or lesson expecting their concentration and last minute cramming to pull their musical ‘grade’ from a D to an A – when such mental prowess is only good for about one letter grade, comparatively.

And because frequently, both in life and in music, this ‘mind over matter’ approach has worked - it actually did pull this musician’s chestnuts out of the fire, they can begin to rely upon that magic rather than developing their abilities and becoming all they can be musically.

Solutions - Make sure you’re performing regularly, both in each practice session and before others. Join a band, enter contests and take gigs (including free ones), meet and jam with friends, perform for people whenever you can. Get your music into the real world and not just in your head.

When you’ve verified the credentials and chops of your instructor/mentor, ask them for the reasons for the various lines of study and performance they suggest rather than rejecting them outright or secretly. Music is a pretty complicated and involved milieu and you should personally shine and rejoice in mastering its intricacies. Don’t reduce it to a graphic novel.

Music is a performing art, requiring physical skill and artistic depth, not just information. It’s not enough to just figure it out; you have to be able to do it well. Normally your strong mental focus produces the best results when applied also to day to day efforts, as an investment in skill and greatness. Don’t rely on last minute miracles (although they do happen).

Everyone is tethered to their personal combination of skill/work/knowledge/gifting and can only jump as high in music as that tether reaches. Work more, and both the starting point and the height of your jump will become higher and farther.

Other Issues - Because musicians of this type have spent much of their life constantly trying to determine what’s important and how to be effect at it (life), many of them carry an internal hierarchy of priorities of life. This person may have many competencies and skills. As a new item comes up, this student tries to determine where it fits in the scheme of life – how hard is it to learn, how much do I have to work on it, and how good do I want to be? The most common problem for this student is not prioritizing music high enough in their life to master what they want to be able to do. After all, you think the most important thing in life is to accomplish great things – so just how important is music to you?

Conclusions and results - By making sure you constantly put your music out in the real world, you can be a most excellent musician and singer. Be careful not to rely overly upon cognition and your ability to pull a poor performance up to a great one by sheer concentration and will power; this ultimately ties you to earth. Develop your physical skills and ear and you’ll amaze yourself with what you can do (well, you probably already think you’ll be pretty great if you put your mind to it – and you’re right!!). Clarify where music fits in your life and master it to that level – and you may want to raise it up a notch or ten as you get into it. You’ll love the depths waiting for you there.

This type of student has the balance of skills and perspectives to be anything they want in music: singer, instrumentalist, performer, soloist, composer, singer/songwriter, front man, band member. Many musicians at home, around campfires, and church with hidden, strong abilities to sing and play and make great music are this person. Frequently we see this student as the ‘musician’s musician’, that it, the ‘guitarist’ guitarist’, the ‘vocalist’ vocalist’, etc., the guy or gal the pros look up to but a regular person hasn’t necessarily heard of. If they make music their passion, they can be amazing musicians, blending intuition/emotion with knowledge/skill. Take lessons at Promethean Studios; we’ll teach you efficiently and with a broad and deep understanding of what’s necessary to learn and be excellent. We can show you the skills you want and more.

Promethean Studios at Dallas Music Lessons: Private In-Studio, Group Lessons, Bands, and Camps. Lessons | Guitar, Voice, Piano, Keyboard, Bass, Saxophone, Flute, Oboe, Drums, Percussion, Singing & Voice, Mandolin, Ukulele, Songwriting/Composition, Worship, Theory students | Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Professional Teaching, Private In-Studio and Group Lessons in Modern Rock, Classic Rock, Blues, Praise & Worship, Jazz, Country, Classical, R&B, and Metal styles | Music Seminars, Music Workshops, Master Classes, Music Clinics | online lessons, SKYPE lessons, live internet lessons | Teaching Wylie, Allen, Carrollton, University Park, Coppell, Farmers Branch, Rowlett, Farmersville, Princeton, Frisco, Garland, Metroplex, Highland Park, Lake Park, Prosper, Lucas, McKinney, Melissa, Lewisville, Murphy, North Texas, Park Cities, Flower Mound, Richardson, Rockwall, Dallas, Sasche, The Colony, Anna, White Rock, Plano, and Addison.