Category Archives: Music

Internal vs External Goals

Posted on April 26, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Internal vs. External Goals External Concerns We spend a lot of time in our lives trying to impress other people and win their approval. Whether it’s our parents, teachers, friends, loved ones, audiences, or … Continue reading →

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

Know Who to Listen To

Posted on April 19, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Know Who to Listen To Criticism Comes from Many Sources As mentioned in last week’s Practice Tip, musicians get negative comments from a lot of sources – even people closest to you. Sometimes musicians … Continue reading →

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Dealing with Negative Comments

Posted on April 12, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Dealing with Negative Comments There Will Always Be Criticism No one ever achieved greatness without dismissing the glaring criticism of others. And, there will always be criticism! Musicians must develop a thick skin about … Continue reading →

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Tough Stuff

Posted on April 5, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Tough Stuff What is “Tough Stuff”? In every song or piece you want to learn, there is inevitably one section that seems too high, too fast, or too hard. Sometimes there are many of … Continue reading →

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

Feel Calm Stay Focused

Posted on March 29, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:How to Feel Calm and Stay Focused Transitioning into the Zone Making the transition from all the crazy activity of your day to the relative calm of your practice room is not automatic. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Achieving Goals, Motivation, Music, Music Practice Tips, Performance Preparation, Positive Thinking, Visualization | 2 Comments

Learning from Live Performances

Posted on March 22, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Learning from Live Performances Practicing Can Be Lonely Becoming a great musician takes more than great practicing. The practice room is a solitary place, and it’s important not to isolate yourself from the real … Continue reading →

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Listening to Recordings

Posted on March 15, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Listening to Recordings Playing the Right Notes is Not Enough In addition to learning the notes of the song you’re working on, it’s important to understand the correct way to play those notes. Of … Continue reading →

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

Making Time for Music

Posted on March 1, 2017 by David Motto

David Motto’s Practice Tip of the Week:Making Time for Music When You’re Busy Musicians contact me daily to tell me about the challenges they’re facing. As a performance coach, it’s my job to help them meet these challenges so they … Continue reading →

Posted in Achieving Goals, Motivation, Music, Music Practice Tips, Visualization | 5 Comments

Inner Critic vs Inner Coach vs Inner Cheerleader

Posted on February 17, 2017 by David Motto

What do you call your inner voice? The most common name for our inner voice is the Inner Critic. Does it have to be that way? I think we would be better off if we could change our inner critic … Continue reading →

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We are what we repeatedly do

Posted on February 16, 2017 by David Motto

Ancient wisdom from Aristotle

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