The above quote comes from one of my piano professor's professors. Pianists can spend hours a day in practice rooms but much of the time they can find themselves noodling at their instrument or repeating things on autopilot. While there's no doubt muscle memory is an important thing in piano playing, we as pianists spend a lot of time overemphasizing mindless repetition because it feels good. It does not feel nearly as good to go super slow and deep in our practice nor to listen critically to ourselves even though these are the ways to actually get better.
The last few days I've been feeling that I have been a similar mode of neither playing nor practicing. I'm speaking about my AWS prep and my general study of DevOps/Cloud/Data Engineering study. Just writing it that way lays bare how inch-deep/mile wide my pursuits have been of late. Super casual!
I've found myself watching too many videos. The vids themselves are excellent but I'm not pausing or switching to implement what I'm learning. I've been making flashcards as I said that I would but that's only for drilling at the most superficial level. Like "muscle memory" in piano playing, it's necessary but it's not the way to really improve oneself. Time for deep concentration and implementation. I hope to have better news next time!

The above quote comes from one of my piano professor's professors. Pianists can spend hours a day in practice rooms but much of the time they can find themselves noodling at their instrument or repeating things on autopilot. While there's no doubt muscle memory is an important thing in piano playing, we as pianists spend a lot of time overemphasizing mindless repetition because it feels good. It does not feel nearly as good to go super slow and deep in our practice nor to listen critically to ourselves even though these are the ways to actually get better.

The last few days I've been feeling that I have been a similar mode of neither playing nor practicing. I'm speaking about my AWS prep and my general study of DevOps/Cloud/Data Engineering study. Just writing it that way lays bare how inch-deep/mile wide my pursuits have been of late. Super casual!

I've found myself watching too many videos. The vids themselves are excellent but I'm not pausing or switching to implement what I'm learning. I've been making flashcards as I said that I would but that's only for drilling at the most superficial level. Like "muscle memory" in piano playing, it's necessary but it's not the way to really improve oneself. Time for deep concentration and implementation. I hope to have better news next time!

It's not practicing. It's not playing. What is it?