CHALLENGE
For Lauretta Violin Studio, February's (belated) mantra is CHALLENGE! When I'm juggling a ton of repertoire, I sometimes feel unprepared for rehearsals and performances. I often think, "Oh, I can't play this passage," or "This is not worth practicing. There is no way I can accomplish what I need to in this passage," instead of challenging myself to, indeed, play the passage! At a recent rehearsal, I chose to challenge these thoughts, however. Instead of accepting my lack of confidence, I chose to "will" myself into playing the difficult passages. Although some passages required more practice time, I was surprised by my ability to play other passages somewhat successfully. With a little more practice (not a ton), I realized I could play these daunting passages well! As a professional, I understand my weaknesses, but I wonder if I view my weaknesses as limitations instead? Might I limit myself from improving by acknowledging my weakness too often...