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Memory Recall
Twyla Tharp, a New York based renowned choreographer tries to recall the first twelve to fourteen corrections she wants to discuss with her cast without writing them down. She describes in her book, The Creative Habit as this being a very difficult thing to do, as most people cannot remember more than three.
The practice of both remembering events or things and then discussing them with others has actually been supported by brain fitness studies. Memory activities that engage all levels of brain operation— receiving, remembering and thinking— help to improve the function of the brain.
Now, how does one apply this to music? Very similar to what Thwarp does, next time you attend a performance, make it a point to observe what the performer could have done differently. Better yet, if you perform yourself, make it a point to remember all your mistakes, however big or small they may be and then write them down when you get home. This does two things. It engages in memory activity as well as gives you perspective on where you are progressing and where improvement is needed.
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Do something different repeatedly
Going back to the taxi cab driver example, practicing something new over and over again, allows your brain to wire new pathways that help you do this new thing better and faster. In terms of music and practice, say you want to develop speed on your instrument. Take a composition and attempt playing it just a notch faster than you would normally. Or you could try playing small phrases really fast and then building by making the phrases longer as you get better.
3 Learn something new
This seems like a no-brainer, but the more you use your brain, the better it will perform for you. On days when practice seems like a struggle, learn a song. It doesn’ t have to be a big one if your motivation level is low that day. It can be even a small piece, which will still contribute to expanding your repertoire.
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