Staying Motivated as a Classical Musician during a Pandemic

After months without rehearsals and gigs, it’s quite likely your motivation as a musician is running short. Making music with others inspires me to work harder, and I’m really missing it after months of quarantine! It’s now really in our own hands to push ourselves to keep practicing and working on our music, so here are the ways I’ve been staying motivated during COVID-19. I made a video on this topic where I share even more tips, so be sure to give it a watch!

Watch the video here!

Find (Follow) Your People

When I was in high school, I created a secondary Instagram account named @e_violist. I posted videos of myself playing to get some feedback before college auditions, and I posted other music related pictures. I forgot about it once I started college, but earlier this year I decided to revive it.

My username is now @lifefromthevlasection, but I’m posting videos of myself playing, and I follow musicians I look up to, people who inspire me, and yoga instructors who focus on (and are) musicians. Opening this feed is inspiring and motivates me to practice.

Personally, I like having this separate from my personal Instagram, but if you don’t want to commit to making a second account, try following more musicians (or people who do what you do) and people you look up to in order to get motivated.

Find a Sustainable Practice Routine

Find a practice routine that works well for you, one that you can really make into a routine. Maybe it’s best if you practice first thing in the morning; maybe it’s better for your body to do several short practice sessions spread out through the day; maybe you only have time in the evening.

If you haven’t found what works for you, try practicing at different times each day, in different ways. Hopefully you’ll find a way of practicing that you like!

Make it Easy to Practice

Don’t make it harder to start practicing than it needs to be. For me, I’m a lot less likely to practice if my viola and music are packed up, so when I’m home for extended periods of time (like I have been the past few months) I can just pick up my viola, arrange my music on the stand, and get started.

I know it’s a bit stupid, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat around on my phone simply because I didn’t feel like getting up and unpacking my viola to practice. If it’s already sitting out, I’m a lot less likely to procrastinate.

Keep a Practice Journal

I started keeping a practice journal about two years ago, and I love how organized it keeps me. There are many different ways to arrange them, so just pick up a notebook and find what works for you!

I write down the date, then I warm up, writing down what I’ve done as I go. Sometimes I’ll make a few notes about what specifically I focused on and what I’d like to do next time. When I’m finished warming up, I write down how long I worked. As I go through my rep, I write down the same information and notes.

I’d actually like to get better at making more notes–what I focused on, what exercises I might have done, what went well, what didn’t go well, and what I’d like to do next time.

Some musicians create a checklist of what they need to work on before they practice, and then make sure they check off everything on the list. I’m usually able to do this mentally, but when I have many things to work on, I’ll write down a list to keep myself on track.

If starting a practice journal from scratch in an empty notebook seems daunting, you can always look into pre-formatted journals and online prompts. Here are two I found on Amazon, though I have not used them:

You could even just take a look inside these books and incorporate some of their prompts into your own blank notebook.

If you’re more tech-savvy and don’t like hand writing or using paper, Evernote is a good option. You can tag each note with the repertoire you worked on so you can look back on it later on and see the bigger picture. You can also record audio straight from the app, which would make recording yourself and listening back very simple, with everything in one place!

Find a Practice Method that Works for You

It’s important that the way you’re practicing suits you. It’s more than likely that, unless you’ve really analyzed the way you’re practicing, you’re just practicing whatever way comes naturally or what your teacher might’ve outlined. Take a look at the way you practice–what is the ratio of technique to repertoire? Are you making consistent progress? Do certain pieces often fall through the cracks, even though they need more work? How long and often are your practice sessions?

If what you’re currently doing isn’t working, experiment! Practice in shorter or longer bursts than you’re used to, change the ratio of technique to repertoire, start a new piece from scratch but in a different way than you’re used to. Ask your colleagues how they practice, and if they have any tips.

If you’d like to hear another perspective, I recently completed The HIIP Method course by Morton Music, which was very informative. I highly recommend checking this out if you’re interested in practicing more mindfully and efficiently! I only just finished it this week, so I’m still thinking about what I’ve learned and how to apply it on my instrument.

Hold Yourself Accountable

I’ve been fairly happy with the way I practice for a while now, but I struggle with consistency and motivation, especially between semesters when I don’t have weekly lessons to give me short term goals. I’ve found that holding myself accountable has really helped the last few months.

Pair up with a friend and send each other videos to watch once a week or every other week. Tell each other exactly what you’ll record, and then hold yourself accountable. This is what I’ve been doing all summer, and it’s really helped give me a goal to work towards!

Create Your Own Performance Opportunities

Since our performances have been either cancelled or moved online, a lot of us need money and just miss performing. Create your own performances! You can put on your own solo recital online, either pre-recorded or live over Zoom or a streaming website, or you could have a recital with friends where everyone submits a recording and someone edits them all together.

You could have a ticket price, ask for donations, or just do a free concert. You can also donate your time and music to nursing homes and hospitals! Many of them are looking for live performances to make their patients a little happier.

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How have you been staying motivated this year? Feel free to share your advice in the comments; I’d love to hear them! If you’re struggling, remember that you’ve never lived through a pandemic before, and whatever way you’re reacting is completely valid. Stay safe, and happy practicing!

Remember to watch my Youtube video for more tips!