Author Archives: David Motto

Do SOMETHING Every Day

Posted on October 4, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Do Something Every Day It’s important to make practicing a regular part of your life. Even on the days when you don’t want to do anything musically, it’s important to get started. And you … Continue reading →

Posted in Achieving Goals, Motivation, Music, Music Practice Tips, Positive Thinking | 1 Comment

SMART Goals

Posted on October 2, 2017 by David Motto

Using the SMART Goals System to Get What You Want Setting goals is great. Accomplishing those goals is even better! Everyone working on new skills, getting ready for competition, growing their business, or trying to get their ideas heard and … Continue reading →

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Redefining Success

Posted on October 1, 2017 by David Motto

One of the things that plagues musicians when they practice is stopping playing, making a quick correction, and restarting. I call this the SAD Syndrome (SAD stands for Stop And Do-it-again), and I’ve seen it happen in my own practicing … Continue reading →

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End of 2017 Goals

Posted on October 1, 2017 by David Motto

Time to Set Your 3-Month Goals for the End of 2017! Happy October! Time to set your 3-month goals for the end of 2017. Then work backwards: monthly goals this week’s goal today’s goal – which is what you practice … Continue reading →

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Two Essential Focusing Strategies

Posted on September 27, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Two Essential Focusing Strategies Focus is the Key to Success Intense focus is the key to making real progress in the practice room. With focus, musicians make great leaps forward in their abilities. Without … Continue reading →

Posted in Achieving Goals, Music, Music Practice Tips | 2 Comments

Focus in 6 Steps

Posted on September 25, 2017 by David Motto

How to Focus Intensely in 6 Easy Steps Focus and intensity are key components to staying alert while practicing so you can meet your musical goals. Though many musicians want to practice for hours on end, it’s nearly impossible to … Continue reading →

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Being Organized

Posted on September 20, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:An Important Way to Save Time and Frustration Being Organized. It’s essential if you really want to meet your goals, save time, and lower your level of frustration. To make the best use of … Continue reading →

Posted in Achieving Goals, Motivation, Music, Music Practice Tips | 1 Comment

Control Your Nerves

Posted on September 13, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Know How to Control Your Nerves Some musicians are lucky. They never get nervous. They can perform at the drop of a hat. They don’t even give it a second’s thought. If this is … Continue reading →

Posted in Achieving Goals, Music, Music Performance Tips, Music Practice Tips | 4 Comments

Your Stage Look

Posted on September 10, 2017 by David Motto

How You Look on Stage Really Matters There’s been a lot of media attention recently on how our perceptions, expectations, and prejudices influence our decision making. It turns out that judges in music competitions are influenced by what they see … Continue reading →

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Play, Don’t Work

Posted on September 6, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Play Your Instrument, Don’t Work It Work vs. Play We live in a world in which a lot of work is drudgery. Some jobs are unfulfilling, and people can be unhappy at work. These … Continue reading →

Posted in Motivation, Music, Music Practice Tips | 2 Comments