Corporal Punishment

The Excellent Musician

Professional musicians’ careers are the source of their income, and their reputation qualifies them for further employment in different groups. In order to have gotten this far in their musical skills, however, they had to undergo the training necessary to become fine musicians. After all, even the most renowned musicians in the world had to start with the fundamentals. The foundation of an excellent musician is based upon the amount of practice, private lessons taken, and participation in performances.

The most obvious prerequisite of an admirable musician is simply practice. At least once in his life, almost every music student hears the famous quote, "Practice makes perfect." This saying could not be truer. No person, no matter how good, could look at a piece of music for the first time and play it perfectly. Instead, a musician practices his or her scales, tonguing and slurring, and high and low notes, for a long time. Going over scales prepares a musician for the many sixteenth note runs that occur in almost every piece. If the scales are memorized, the black ink becomes a mere twitch of the fingers across the instrument. The difference between a person's tonguing and slurring can make or break the piece he or she plays. It is not easy to play high and low notes, so practicing those notes and playing them perfectly will amaze audiences. Stamina always requires practice as concerts can be quite taxing on an embouchure. However, students can only do so much by themselves. More than mere practice is needed.

One of the best ways to excel early in a musical career is to take private lessons from an instructor. When a student comes to a private lesson, he of she gets one-on-one help that definitely could not come from a band instructor who has other students to help. From private lessons, the musical student learns a greater appreciation for his or her own instrument since he or she is working with someone who plays the same instrument well. Such an instructor becomes a compass for the student and helps the player excel beyond those who do not take private lessons.

In addition to practicing and private lessons, the actual public performance of pieces enhances a musician's skills. Opportunities to exhibit a player's skills come in many forms. There are concerts, solo and ensemble festivals, statewide festivals, and regional and all-state groups. During performances, the student gets to play with other musicians and players on his or her own level. Prestige also comes in the form of requests to play solos, accompaniments, and even scholarships for playing at the college level. When such opportunities occur, the student realizes that all the hard and exhausting work was worthwhile.

Practice, private lessons, and countless performances are essential ingredients in the creation of a fine musician. After long years of practicing,

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