My harp New Year's Resolutions

When we come to a new year, without fail we all make lists of resolutions. I'm going to stop eating french fries, learn to bake, and start knitting. Around March, we've usually already broken all of our resolutions. What you need instead of resolutions are not just the goals themselves, but an idea of how you're going to get there.

If you decide you're going to practice one hour a day, the first step is to get to practicing every day. Then you can work yourself up to a full hour. Just sitting down and practicing an hour a day cold turkey is going to fail after the first week. Resolutions and changes are about building habits, and practicing is one habit that can only stay consistent if you work up to it.

Let's say your resolution is to have finished your current harp piece by March. What's your plan to get there? Take a look at your piece, and put a star (in pencil of course!) by every section that trips you up or slows you down. Then practice those sections separately. Once you've mastered them, look at what else needs to be polished. Are you remembering all of your dynamics? Is your tempo steady throughout? Is your teacher going to constantly yell at you for low elbows in lesson? Break it down and fix one thing at a time, then put the whole piece together and figure out what the next section is that needs work.

Resolutions are great ideas, and it's good to reevaluate your goals every year. Just make sure you have a plan to meet your goals, not just a decision and willpower. Achieving a new resolution is a daily process, not a one-time accomplishment, make it a habit and you'll achieve all of your goals this year!