Goals for this year.

I think my biggest goal for this year (and in general) is to improve how I practice. It's not that I don't practice, it's more that I give up quickly when faced with difficulty. I have this tendency to play the parts I know over and over again and avoid those I'm not as familiar with because I hate the feeling of what I view as failing. When I reach a part that is particularly challenging, I either work through it once and then go back to the parts I know and love, or I make a meek attempt and then put my clarinet down and stalk away in frustration.

My clarinet teacher always tells me to be frustrated, and especially to keep being frustrated once I reach a point where I am. If I push myself through that frustration, 10 times out of 10, I'll be a better musician and I'll definitely be able to play whatever part was tricky for me. I just have to work through the frustration and stop telling myself that I'm not good at clarinet just because I can't play a certain passage. Instead, I should view it as an opportunity to improve and learn more about my instrument and the music I'm playing.

(P.S. The smiley faces on the side are creepy and/or distracting.)