Practice Makes Better

I had a first rehearsal with a small group of professional musicians last night trying out a classical quintet repertoire by Mozart. It’s been more than a decade since I played in any serious classical ensemble. Imagine how rusty my fingers are for a delicate workout like this.

Since my younger days of learning, practice makes perfect has been the motto deeply imprinted on my psyche. It motivated me to strive for the ideal of perfection, and when it (always) eluded me, to explain the failures. It kept the hamster in me running, for a long time, until the day the wheel was broken, along with the illusion of perfection.

The hamster was lost for a while, not quite sure what to do with her life. What good would all the hardwork bring if perfection is impossible to attain anyway?

Reading time one Sunday afternoon with a glass of bubbly cocktail. Photo enhanced with AI-effects.

It is the same when it comes to writing. To become better, I need to commit to reading and writing more. Out of my limited free time and the various tasks I need to prioritize, more hardwork is perhaps the last thing I should be seeking. 

Yet,  the hamster would not stop running, not in circles anymore, now scurrying around to explore. Practice does not make perfect, it only makes better. It brings me further than where I started. Without any definitive (indefinite, perhaps) goal of perfection in sight, there is instead a reassuring forward movement called improvement.

A performance by @MusicInCommon at The Tanglin Club Nov 2023. Photo enhanced with AI effects.

Looking back, in the past year since I resumed playing music with friends, I have performed and attended over 20 music events respectively. I started taking lessons in jazz (even though I did not practise as much as I should). In the past month since I started working on the blog, I have read three books and written on average a piece every other day. Far from being great in any of my pursuits, I am getting better slowly. There is much more to do in every area; there is no end, just don't give up.

Here is a constant reminder to do our best for each day and in each task. Nothing needs to be perfect, but everything can be better.