FAQ | recommended resources | piano: bare essentials | Effective Practice & Motivation
Below are some of the many different aspects involved in learning
how to practice effectively.
Environment | Goals | Musical
Form | Rhythm | Fingering |
Pedal | Posture
& Tension | Method | Motivation | Memory
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a
new dream.”
C.S. Lewis, (1898–1963), British author
"We don't beat the reaper by living longer; we beat the reaper
by living well and living fully."
Randy Pausch (1960-2008) American Educator - Author and Subject
of "Last Lecture"
“Humor is man’s greatest blessing.”
Mark Twain, (1835–1910), American humorist, satirist,
lecturer and writer
“All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind
have been convinced that the fate of empires
depends on the education of youth.”
Aristotle, (384 BC–322 BC), Greek philosopher
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in
creative expression and knowledge.”
Albert Einstein, (1879–1955), theoretical physicist
“It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
Babe Ruth, (1895–1948), American Major League baseball
player
"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather
that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it
should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor,
every atom of me in magnificent glow, than
a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is
to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days
in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time."
Jack London, (1876–1916), American author
"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die,
the world cries and you rejoice."
Cherokee Expression
“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”
Lao Tzu
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty
of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt, (1884–1962), First Lady of the
United States from 1933 to 1945, author, speaker
“It is the Artist’s lofty mission to shed light
into the very depths of the human heart.”
Robert Schumann, (1810–1856), German composer, writer,
and music critic
“We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected
by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic
fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.”
Herman Melville, (1819–1891), American author
“Music washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday
life.”
Berthold Auerbach (1812–1882), German-Jewish poet
and author
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember;
involve me and I'll understand.”
Chinese Proverb
Earth, Teach Me
Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its
life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with
rain.
An Ute Prayer
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,
and endeavors to live the life which he has
imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
Henry David Thoreau, (1817–1862), American author
and philosopher
"The person who works and is never bored is never
old. Work and interest in worthwhile things are the
best remedy for age."
Pablo Casals, (1876-1973), Spanish Catalan Composer, Cellist
and Conductor
“Men succeed when they realize that their failures are
the preparation for their victories.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803 –1882), American essayist,
philosopher, poet
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything
new.”
Albert Einstein, (1879–1955), theoretical physicist
“Success is not to be measured by the position someone
has reached in life, but the obstacles he has overcome while trying
to succeed.”
Booker T. Washington, (1856–1915), American educator, author
and leader of the African-American community
“When one door closes another door opens; we so often look
so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not
see the ones which open for us.”
Helen Keller, (1880–1968), American author, activist
and lecturer
"Treat the earth well.
It was not given to you by your parents,
it was loaned to you by your children.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,
we borrow it from our Children."
Ancient Indian Proverb
“No great man ever complains of want of opportunity.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803 –1882), American essayist,
philosopher, poet
“Never stand begging for what you have the power to earn.”
Miguel de Cervantes, (1547–1616), Spanish novelist,
poet, and playwright
O, with what freshness,
what solemnity and beauty,
is each new day born;
as if to say to insensate man,
'Behold!
thou hast one more chance!
Strive for immortal glory!'
Harriett Beecher Stowe, (1811– 1896), American author
and abolitionist
"Just do it."
Nike, Inc
., (founded, 1962, officially became Nike, Inc.
in 1978
“Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how
close they were to success when they gave up.”
Thomas Edison, (1847–1931), American inventor and businessman
There isn't a person anywhere that isn't capable of doing more
than he thinks he can.”
Henry Ford, (1863–1947), American founder of the Ford
Motor Company
“The individual activity of one man with backbone will do
more than a thousand men with a mere wishbone.”
William Boetcker, (1873 – 1962) American religious leader
and influential public speaker
“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not
that the nature of the thing itself is changed,
but that our power to do is increased.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803 –1882), American essayist,
philosopher, poet
“The best thing about the future is that it only comes
one day at a time.”
Abraham Lincoln, (1809–April 1865), sixteenth
President of the United States
“Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are
right.”
Henry Ford, (1863–1947), American founder of the Ford
Motor Company
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking
makes it so.”
William Shakespeare, (1564– 1616), English poet and playwright
“None of us will ever accomplish anything excellent or
commanding except when he listens to this
whisper which is heard by him alone.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803 –1882), American essayist,
philosopher, poet
No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or
sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the
human spirit.”
Helen Keller, (1880–1968), American author, activist and
lecturer
“To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a
heaven.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803 –1882), American essayist,
philosopher, poet
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have
not; but remember that what you now have was once among the
things only hoped for.”
Epicurus, (341 BCE– 270 BCE), ancient Greek philosopher
“Clear your mind of can't.”
Samuel Johnson, (1709-1784), English author
“We judge of man's wisdom by his hope.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803 –1882), American essayist,
philosopher, poet
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage
to pursue them.”
Walt Disney, (1901–1966), multiple Academy Award-winning
American film producer, director, animator
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing
can be done without hope and confidence.”
Helen Keller, (1880–1968), American author, activist
and lecturer
"Be not disturbed at being misunderstood; be disturbed
rather at not being understanding."
Chinese Proverb
“In the long run, men hit only what they aim at.
Therefore, they had better aim at something high.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, (1803 –1882), American essayist,
philosopher, poet
“Most of the important things in the world have been
accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed
to be no hope at all.”
Dale Carnegie, (1888–1955), American writer and lecturer
“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”
Martin Luther, (1483–1546), German monk, theologian,
Father of Protestantism
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that
the tide will turn.”
Harriett Beecher Stowe, (1811– 1896), American author
and abolitionist
"Days are scrolls: write on them only what you want
remembered."
Bchya Ibn Pakuda, 11th Century Jewish Philosopher and Rabbi
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
Albert Einstein, (1879–1955), theoretical physicist
"Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding
of one principle. Some things are within your control, and some
things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental
role and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't
control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become
possible." Epictetus (c. 55-135 A.D.) Greek-born Roman
Slave and Stoic Philosopher
"Let everyone sweep in front of his own door and the
whole world will be clean."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) German Writer, Poet and
Dramatist
"Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary
to a worthwhile achievement."
Henry Ford (1863-1947) American Industrialist and Founder
of Ford Motor Company
"Just as iron rusts from disuse, even so does inaction
spoil the intellect."
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) Italian Renaissance Painter and
Sculptor
"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's
coming attractions."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) German-born American Physicist
"One of the functions of intelligence is to take account
of the dangers that come from trusting solely to the intelligence."
Lewis Mumford (1895-1990) American Historian and Philosopher
"Humankind has not woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together.
All things connect."
Chief Seattle, (c. 1786–1866), leader of the Suquamish
and Duwamish Native American tribes
"Humility is an experience of the commonality of all human
beings. It leads to a balanced outlook on human nature that takes
into account all the strengths and failings each of us is subject
to. To be truly humble requires taking an honest look at ourselves,
and coming to clearly know our abilities and weaknesses. When
our personal evaluation is honest, we can respect who we are,
and this deep acceptance of our nature leads to a wider understanding
and greater respect for others. We are motivated to help others
with their problems and to support them in cultivating their capabilities.
We see that we all share similar goals of happiness and fulfillment;
we are all subject to similar problems and difficulties."
Tarthang Tulku, (born 1934), Tibetan teacher (lama), lives
in America, works to preserve Tibetan art & culture
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a
new dream.”
C.S. Lewis, (1898–1963), British author
"Long-range goals keep you from being frustrated by short-term
failures."
James Cash (J.C.) Penney (1875-1971) American Businessman
