Piano Practice: Is It Work?
Deep down, nobody really likes being told what to do.
The reality of everyday life, however, is mostly about being told what to do. Family responsibilities, work duties, and even leisure activities like sports and yes, piano practice—these are circumstances and situations where we must put our first choice on hold so that the job gets done.
The musician’s life is no different. Take a score of music, for example. Composers take the time to write every note of music on the page, along with directions on how to play these notes, so that the musician playing the music can recreate the composer’s sound to the letter. A music score is nothing more than a recipe for music—a sheet of directions for the musician to follow! On top of that, a conductor’s job is, quite literally, telling musicians what to do.
Playing music, of course, comes after learning how to play music, which often involves a teacher guiding a student by (you guessed it) telling the student what to do. Piano practice, for example, involves following instructions.
In the world of work, the “sense of ownership” is a concept used to find a happy middle ground between having a job to do and doing that job well and with satisfaction. This article explores that concept and applies it to the art of learning music, advocating for happier and healthier student habits and suggesting ways of doing so. Piano practice should be work that you undertake happily.
What Is the “Sense of Ownership”?
“Sense of ownership” is a concept used in the context of work that aims to improve employee experiences on the job. To define what a sense of ownership is, let’s describe it negatively by showing how employees feel without having a sense of ownership:
Disconnected. Without a sense of ownership, employees often do not see the full process of their efforts. Seeing the cause-and-effect relationship of their work is difficult or impossible. As a result, taking pride in the end product or accomplishment is distanced for the employee who can only see part of the whole process.
Unmotivated. Employees who feel no ownership in their work often have the attitude of “Why should I care?” And who can blame them? If the job is “just a job,” then doing the bare minimum seems like enough. No sense of ownership results in low effort and minimum performance.
Resentful. Work without a sense of ownership is work without pride, and work without pride can seem repetitive, meaningless, and frustrating. Employees can develop resentment towards the work itself as well as superiors who are seen as giving orders without enough reason to do so. The “larger picture” of why the work exists becomes more and more difficult to see.
Unappreciated. Without ownership, credit isn’t given where it’s due. Workers’ efforts, even if they’re above and beyond the minimum, get lost in the process toward the final product and achievement. Recognition of that effort, therefore, often doesn’t come at all.
Cultivating a “Sense of Ownership”
Clearly, employees with these feelings and attitudes are inefficient, suffer from poor work culture, and endure an overall bad experience on the job.
The “sense of ownership” model, on the other hand, seeks a compromise between the employer and the employee wherein the employee is encouraged to take control of working conditions and outcomes while fulfilling employer obligations. Although the employee does not actually own the product or service provided, the employee does own the experience of this process.
Here is a model of how the “sense of ownership” corrects the dissatisfactions we’ve just listed:
Integration. Employees are given opportunity to see the whole process of the work, as well as collaborate with fellow employees working in different departments. Opportunities for collaboration create community and a positive sense of accountability and responsibility.
Innovation. Employees are encouraged to work beyond the bare minimum and are acknowledged and rewarded for that innovation. Participation in all processes of the work experience is encouraged. Innovation leads to better end products as well as better conditions and experiences for the workers.
Involvement. Pride in one’s work is developed across all levels of the company. Excellence in personal work is seen as excellence in the greater whole of the workspace. Superiors are open and receptive to employee opinions and feedback.
Recognition. Credit is given where it’s due. Positive acknowledge of excellent work creates an environment that encourages more excellent work. Employees strive for positive recognition and are motivated to produce excellent results.
Applying the “Sense of Ownership” to Piano Practice
This far, we’ve talked about how a “sense of ownership” (and the lack of it) can affect employees in the workplace. Music students aren’t employees, of course, but these points can connect students to music in a similarly beneficial manner. Let’s take piano practice as a specific example.
A student of music usually has at least two relationships, the first being to the music itself, the second being to the teacher.
Break it down & Build it up. Learning music involves so many skills and abilities that it’s easy to become overwhelmed. The practice of “breaking it down” is often helpful to gain progressively higher senses of achievement. For example, when learning a difficult song, you might focus on understanding the rhythm first, or gaining a solid understanding of the key signature or scales used. (This approach is called “scaffolding,” and your teacher will help you with this.) Breaking down a difficult song into pieces and mastering it piece by piece gives many moments of accomplishment throughout the process and helps piano practice more manageable.
Master musicians take months or even years to master a performance. For a sense of ownership and accomplishment, they break it down and build it up, exactly like this, to give them the motivation they need to keep going. Don’t forget to build the whole from the smaller pieces you’ve mastered!
Make it yours by giving it soul. Many people can play Beethoven’s famous “Für Elise” on the piano. How many, though, can give it enough feeling to make it worth listening to? Without any emotion, performing, playing, and practicing music can feel like assembly-line labour. Make it yours by improvising, making it interesting, and giving it feeling. This is actually the reason why many people decide to practice piano: they love to listen to music, but to get deeper into it—to own it—they want to create those sounds from scratch and understand the music from the inside.
This is also why classical music is interesting: different performers give different variations and different feelings to well-known pieces. They make it their own. If you make the music yours by making it interesting for you to play, it’ll be interesting for others to hear.
Take pride in your music. Don’t underestimate your achievements—especially if they’re small. A piece of sheet music is lifeless until you play it: music is always a collaboration, and you should value yourself as an important part of that collaboration. Music is also a social artform. Learning and playing with other musicians (your teacher counts) is not only enjoyable but it also levels up your skills and gives you an opportunity for the recognition you deserve. At MiFa, we pride ourselves in creating an open and accepting environment for learning music. Teacher feedback is a crucial opportunity for you to take ownership of the music and make it yours. Piano practice makes for better musicians but it’s an accomplishment in itself.
Collobarate in a community. A big part of “owning” your musicianship is sharing your musicianship. Even if it’s just for a family member, don’t be scared of showing other people what you can do. If you don’t feel ready for a small performance yet, take a video recording of yourself. (You don’t have to share it.) MiFa organizes large and small recitals that give students a chance to collaborate with each other and share their hard work. Posts on social media, too, are ways for students to take ownership of the music. These concerts are rewarding goals that help students reach new levels of learning and engagement. They are chances for you to show the results of all your piano practice.
The Bottom Line
Although piano practice requires work, it shouldn’t feel like work. Music students aren’t employees of a company, after all. Keeping motivated is what the “sense of ownership” is all about. We learn best when we’re focused, engaged, and wanting to learn.
To own the experience of learning, especially when it comes to piano practice, is the best kind of self-employment.
Also see:
- Inspiring Music Practice Tips
- Develop Awesome Music Practice Habits: 6 Points for Parents of Young Learners
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