While waiting for a student to show up for his lesson last night I got out one of my favourite Kalmen Opperman technic books to play through. I just love his Velocity studies for clarinet. Anyway, the student was listening outside and when he came in for his lesson he asked what I was playing. I showed him and told him that I just felt like practicing. He then asked me: "You don't always feel like playing?" This got me thinking about burn out.
Most of the time, you can't get me to stop playing an instrument. Nothing makes me happier than to have lots of time to myself in a practice room, playing a saxophone or clarinet or plunking away on a piano. But sometimes, I just don't want to. There are the occasional days (and, more rarely, weeks) when I'd rather not play or practice at all. Maybe I'd rather read a book or go outside for a walk in the woods or listen to the people talk on NPR. I don't think there is any reason for this beyond feeling burned out and un-inspired. I'm sure others feel this way from time to time.
Unless there is something coming up that I really should be practicing for, I've learned to just go with this burn out experience and not try to force it. The burn out doesn't happen too often, and, when it does, it's usually in the middle of summer. After a day or two of feeling like a "normal" person, I'll jump back in and practice altissimo notes and saxophone etudes, blissfully annoying everyone around me. : )
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