Prime Before You Paint!
I hate painting. It’s messy, it requires steady hands, blue tape, drop cloths, and a bunch of other stuff that keeps your target from looking like an unintended Jackson Pollock painting. However, once I decide to paint something, I spend two to three times as long on room and surface prep as I spend on the painting itself. If I’m going to take the plunge and spend the time and money to do it, I want to do it the right way. Surface prep, including light sanding, masking or cutting in with a really steady hand, makes the paint adhere better and look nicer when completed. If you slap a coat or two of paint on a wall without primer, the imperfections show through, and the paint and bubble and peel.
Why does this matter, and why should you care?
I think that brass players often treat their fundamental practice in a similar way. From thoughts like “just get it done” to “I hate this but I know I need to do it” to watching the ESPN app or YouTube videos during the actual playing, it can become just another thing to get done, rather than the foundation for the rest of your playing day. So, simply put:
Surface prep and set up = a quality warmup for the playing day that follows
No surface prep = day after day of not warming up mindfully with purpose.
Pain (or in this case, discomfort or annoyance) is inevitable, but you get to choose your pain. Showing up regularly and mindfully doing your routine isn’t always fun, but it makes those performance much more enjoyable, because you know that your skills can be called upon, ready to go.
Are you struggling with getting your head in the right frame of mind for mindful practice with purpose? I can help with that. Send me an email!