Here’s this week’s quote:

“I’m working so hard on my time management that I don’t get
anything done.”

-Anonymous

Does this quote apply to your oboe practice at all?

It used to for me. Now, many of you may think this is weird but
I used to spend so much time doing scales that I never had time
for much else.

It’s easy when you are REALLY trying to improve one area of your
practice while neglecting the others (I was very intent on
improving my tone, and we all know that long tones are one of the
best ways to help that happen).

Or maybe you take so long getting set up or scraping on a reed
that you just never get anything else done. We’ve all been
there, in all areas of life.

Before you start your day, set your intention for your practice
so that you an get beyond the planning and the soaking. Create a
bigger goal, like “I will use less reed in my mouth today” (if
that’s something you’ve been working on) or “I will relax my arms
when I play.” and have that idea in your head even when you are
concentrating on smaller tasks.

Write down your intention for the day before you start. It’s a
great way to get more done in less time.