I’ve notice that people who have a stable life enjoy a very healthy amount of practice, and therefore make good progress with their instrument. And, at the opposite of the spectrum, that it is very difficult to keep spending time on the piano when your life is in transition.
For example, if you’re about to move and buy a place and you’re pregnant and your partner is changing job, chances are you’ve got little time available to think about scales and arpeggios. And even if you have time, your head is simply not in that space. Should you get a minute to yourself, you might spend it more likely on sending some important papers for the new mortgage (Have you notice that there is always some crucial document that needs to be prepared or sent right away when you purchase a home?), rather than sitting at the keys.
Among my students I get both kinds: the ones with the steady lives and the ones without.
But there are a third kind. I need to talk about them because they deserve to be mentioned.
You have some people who are literally at the middle of a storm, and yet, they still practice, no matter what. I never name names in my blog, but they know who they are. They are relentless in their pursuit of music, and it’s against all odds. I especially relate to them because they sacrifice a lot to keep their passion going. Their piano is their most precious possession and they use it like Rose used a piece of wood to avoid drowning in Titanic. I am, by the way, of that kind: I came 5 000 miles from my home in a country that didn’t speak my language for the love of music. Against all odds.
