Yesterday I felt miserable. I woke up feeling bad and had little energy. Having a recital coming up, however, I had to practice. My practice was unfocused and hardly goal-driven. I took several tiny breaks to pop online and view Facebook and the News, which didn’t help my lack of concentration. And while I scored nearly 4 hours of practice, it was practically unproductive (except for a few shining moments), and I ended up injuring my right hand in two places: my thumb and pinky. What a dumb thing. That night it was clear that I had succumbed to my children’s cold they so graciously shared with me and the rest of their school. Yuck.
After a great night’s sleep, surprisingly, I woke up with a sore throat, aching ears, and even less energy. Great. Well, at least I’ve been taking Zicam (zinc), so, I thought, maybe after I get the older two kids off to school and I get a nice, hot cup of coffee and another dose of Zicam, I’ll feel better. Thankfully, that was the case. I started practicing with my happy toddler watching Super Why (a fun learn-to-read 25-minute series [he’s known his alphabet for months] http://pbskids.org/video/ ), but everything felt, well, not right, like I was working too hard. I did get some productive time in, but knowing that I needed to take it easy on my right hand, I took a very long break after about 1 1/2 hours of practice. What a great decision! I had eaten a good snack, took my recital dress to get altered, had a filling, delicious lunch, and with some renewed energy (and even more Zicam), I sounded great and playing felt easy again. Then it suddenly dawned on me, I was forgetting to have fun and that practicing and the recital itself should be fun — musically satisfying, of course, but fun. With my newly enlightened mindset, practicing was once again enjoyable. I didn’t stress out about missed notes, and even though I had to stop and run an emergency second pair of eyeglasses to my husband, I could pick right up where I left off and happily continue my work. I had a great practice session. Gotta remember to have fun! What a difference!
“With every job that must be done there is an element of fun. You find that fun and, snap, the job’s a game!” — Mary Poppins
Mommy's Gotta Practice! 
Wonderful! I have also noticed that joy is so important for the learning process, and for optimal coordination of the body. When I am joyful and happy, I am naturally more poised; resulting in greater comfort and more beautiful playing. Of course, illness is a whole other ball game… Happy to hear that rest, tea, and Zicam (I’m also a big fan of zinc) helped get you back on tack. Reading your post reminded me of this old Peanuts cartoon. Enjoy 🙂
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/09/if-youre-going-to-get-any-joy-out-of-being-depressed/
Thanks for sharing this, Lynne! How perfect and true. It’s interesting how easy it is to stay in a gloomy or negative state. I’ve found that I, at times, need to be reminded why I love playing flute, and, like you said, my playing then becomes so much more beautiful when I’m relaxed and enjoying myself. I will definitely remember the Peanuts cartoon when I find myself stubbornly fixed in an anxiety-filled dark cloud either with my flute or with my children. I just need to stand up straight, feel both feet firmly on the ground, hold my head up high, and start to feel better. 🙂 What a perfect cartoon you’ve run across!