When starting to learn something new, especially when it’s violin or guitar, it can be hard to stay dedicated, to want to overcome the barrier that prevents most emerging musicians from keeping with guitar or violin and becoming good at that instrument. But think—it only takes about sixty hours of violin or guitar lessons before you become good enough to feel comfortable playing, knowing that if you keep up at this rate you’ll be able to play pretty much anything within a few more months of dedicated practice.
Guitar inspiration
It’s before this point of sixty hours that you have to find yourself inspired somehow, and that’s where listening to other music comes in. It can be hard to be inspired by violin music if you’re unfamiliar with classical in general, or to find pleasure in guitar if you don’t really like the blues. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn to like the kind of music you’re learning to play. The key to excelling at at the guitar is to think about how you’re spending your time, and to recognize that you’re learning, and that it takes time to get good, even if it is difficult. But once you get over that initial barrier, that first hurdle, you can play better and more widely. So if nothing else, just counting down your sixty hours of practice can be motivation enough when starting out. That’s roughly four months of practice at half an hour a day.
Music lessons as a noble practice
Above all, remember that the way you’re spending your time, learning guitar or violin, is a noble effort. When you have a great teacher from the Manhattan, someone who’s practiced for years and performed onstage, you can rest assured that what you’re doing will pay off; even if you aren’t a natural. Because experiencing difficulty in learning something new makes you a stronger, better person, especially if you stick with it and get to the point where you can play pretty much anything you want.
It all starts with the violin. If you live in NYC, you have access to one of the best Philharmonics in the world. The New York Philharmonic is the oldest in the U.S., founded in 1842, and today they have won twelve Grammys. If you’re growing up as a kid in NYC taking violin lessons, you have some really great examples to follow.
High-Intensity Practice
If you continue with your violin lessons for a few years, you’ll start to get good. If you combine that with a serious passion for the instrument, your chances of becoming a professional violinist increase dramatically. It all comes down to how hard you practice, not when you started. Even though the Suzuki method advocates that the younger kids start the better chances they have, those who begin playing violin after grade school can definitely still become pros. They may be intimidated by how younger kids show superb talent but a lot of the time, these prodigies are forced to practice between two and three hours a day for years in order to further their chances of playing professionally and wind up playing like machines, without the deep, resonant feeling originally intended for the music.
If you’ve started violin later, you can still play professionally, you just need to catch up by practicing more. It can be hard to practice more than four hours a day, but studies show that the more you practice the more you will be willing and want to play. Professional violinists practice sometimes more than eight hours a day. That’s what you have to look forward to if you’re really serious about making a career out of playing violin.
Violin Love Outweighs Tough Competition
Once you have those thousands of hours of practice under your belt, you still have to beat out the competition. Usually only three or four seats open up every year across the U.S., with hundreds of people trying out. One wrong note immediately disqualifies you, and that’s not all. You can play the violin perfectly, but if your playing lacks a certain emotion, a certain feeling for the piece, that will separate you from the best. It can be nerve-wracking playing this way, even before you’re playing on a stage, but it’s part of the game. If your playing can stand out during an audition, your chances of moving on to the next round will improve. And while competition can be stiff, sometimes playing to beat friends for a seat in an orchestra, if you love violin, if it’s part of your essence, then you have to keep playing.
If you’re trying to make it in the big city, Piano Lessons could be the difference between you booking a gig or going home empty-handed.
The city is full of incredibly talented people all vying for the same coveted jobs and positions, from acting, to finance positions, to political spots. You’ll never know who might be impressed by your ability to play a musical instrument.
And it certainly came in handy for these famous names. Not only does playing a musical instrument help keep your brain sharp, but demonstrating mastery of instrument shows dedication and commitment to something you voluntary chose to pursue. You do it because you love it, and others take note of that.
So, if you want a leg up on your peers and maybe even wow your boss’s boss at a work retreat, get inspired by these multi-talented celebrities, who are well-known for various reasons, but harbor a love for music as well.
1.) Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman can probably get a belly laugh out of you for his work in Tootsie and The Graduate, but he also knows his way around a piano pretty well. He’s said he wanted to be a jazz pianist , and occasionally has sat down to play on screen. Clearly, he’s someone who was always meant for the spotlight.
http://youtu.be/PJqur_LCTKs
2.) Meryl Streep
As if we needed more reasons to be in love with Meryl Streep, if you haven’t seen her 1999 film Music of the Heart, you probably didn’t know that’s she’s a very talented violin player. Basically, what we’re saying is if you violin lessons in NYC, you’ll be the next Meryl Streep (sort of…).
3.) Clint Eastwood
So if you really want to see an overachiever, look no further than Clint Eastwood. Successful actor, professional piano player…oh wait, don’t forget to add professional composer to that list.
Yup, Clint Eastwood has done the soundtracks for movies like Million Dollar Baby and Flags of our Fathers. The man has superpowers. Don’t worry though, we won’t hold it against you if you just choose to become a piano aficionado and maybe hold off on your career as a composer. We know that’s a bit much.
http://youtu.be/Kgtv15O6MO0
4.) Condolleeza Rice
Bet you didn’t expect a politician to sneak her way onto this list, did you? Well, Condy’s actually quite the piano player. She’s even played for the Queen of England.
http://youtu.be/Ow2xA-KLyUE
We’re not sure why anyway would choose a life of politics over music, but hey, it’s not our decision. Condolleeza even had the chance to accompany renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma for the 2002 National Medal of Arts Awards.
5.) Keanu Reeves
So if your child is absolutely hellbent on taking bass or guitar lessons in NYC, then let Keanu Reeves be the proof that hard work pays off and that knowing how to play an electric instrument is just as valuable as knowing an acoustic one.
Keanu Reeves was a member of the alternative rock group Dogstar from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. Apparently, he even plans to get back into the musical swing of things in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure 3.
6.) Ryan Gosling
Because the world wasn’t in love with him enough, Ryan Gosling formed a band called Dead Man’s Bones with his friend, Zach Shields. The band sings love songs about ghosts and monsters. So that’s pretty adorable.
But wait, there’s more. Gosling and Shields played every single instrument on their album, because Gosling plays piano, guitar, bass guitar, and cello.
Take a look at him here crooning and playing piano alongside a children’s choir. Amidst the witty banter he shares with the kids at the beginning, the smooth piano skills, and the deep, scratchy singing, I think it’s safe to say he’s cemented his place as the Male American Sweetheart for eternity.