As a struggling perfectionist in an imperfect world, I try to remember that life is a process, not perfect.

Let’s face it—life is messy. After a difficult marriage and a need to renew and simplify my life, I decided to do the same in my teaching. With that in mind, I narrowed down the problems we face at the harp into three main areas: music, mechanics, and the mind. The order can vary depending on the harpist’s level or the specific piece being played. Of course, success in music is not that simple as mastering these three domains. There are factors like luck, timing, and connections that are out of our control. But by focusing on what we can control in these three areas, we can greatly simplify our harp lives.

Music

How well do you know the music? Can you play the correct notes, rhythms, and pedals? Achieving this accuracy requires a significant amount of mental energy, which is why a slow tempo is everything. Slowing down allows you to carefully reinforce correct muscle memory and stay calm for a relaxed tone. Plus, playing slowly allows your mind to fully concentrate and stay in the moment, which is hard—especially with today’s constant technology distractions. My teacher, Alice Chalifoux, would tell me in our lessons that her teacher, Carlos Salzedo, would encourage his students to start learning a new piece at quarter note equals 40. This way students could comfortably work on everything in the music at the same time. Most students, including myself, enjoy the “thrill” of practicing pieces quickly, and ignore the mistakes along the way. I try to remember the tortoise and the hare fable. Who wins the race? The hare who is speedy and hastily making mistakes on its way to the finish line or the tortoise who is slow and steady, carefully making it across? The tortoise, of course! Slow and steady wins the race, plus you have more fun at the performance because you’ve prepared correctly. Once we master the basics, we can start adding emotion, attention to phrasing, dynamics, and other nuances. Are you singing through your fingers, whether with joy or sorrow? Or are you simply playing the notes without building a personal connection with the music? 

Mechanics

The mechanics of playing the harp is your technique—training your body, hands, and fingers to work efficiently. How much time do you spend on your technique? Do you stretch before practicing and have a warmup that you play to reinforce various technique patterns? How many hours have you spent strengthening your technique? Are you closing your fingers? Do your knuckles collapse on the strings? Regardless of the school of playing you come from, technique matters. There is no magic pill to bypass the hard work of honing your mechanics. You must invest time, effort, and understanding to improve your technique. Self-awareness and patience are keys in the long path toward mastering mechanics. Think of your technique as the engine of a car. If it doesn’t function well, you’ll struggle on the highway. 

I tell my students, your body is the instrument and the harp is just the vehicle, so discipline your body and treat it with care. Professional athletes spend countless hours tediously fine tuning their free throws or golf swings, and musicians have to have the same mindset. Mastering an instrument typically takes around 10,000 hours of practice—a rule of thumb popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers. To put this number into perspective, if you practice two hours every day, six days a week it would take more than 17 years to reach 10,000 hours. But if you practice four hours every day, six days a week it would take only  about  eight and a half years. Realistic expectations are important with today’s mindset of wanting everything so quickly. 

Mind

Mastering your mind is the third M. This is a hard one, and often addressed last by musicians. Taking control of fear, letting go of the drama, and calming your mind while you practice ultimately helps you perform more successfully. It doesn’t happen overnight—mastering the mind game takes time, just like mastering the music and mechanics. You have to practice being calm, accept your anxiety, and allow yourself to succeed. Sometimes this is difficult for students who are afraid deep down of the responsibility of success—simply recognizing this can make a difference. 

The mind is a significant topic, and each student and individual has their own unique path. In my case, it involved reading tons of self-help books, seeking therapy for my anxiety, and delving deep into self-awareness. At that point, I began to identify moments of sudden panic during performances and redirect my thoughts to be calm and focused. Reminding myself why I love music helps me have patience with myself during those challenging pieces. Enjoy the moment and analyze what is breaking down and how to address it. Be honest with yourself so the issues are more clear. Learn how to hold it together even when you feel like you’re falling apart. We have all been there. Internal dialogue can play an important role with this by being supportive, kind, and patient. Allowing your mind to be quiet and without judgment, shame, or ridicule is a useful tool in stressful times. 

As a struggling perfectionist in an imperfect world, I try to remember that life is a process, not perfect. It helps me to be patient with myself and my students during difficult times while maintaining high standards. 

When you are assessing your performance or practice, ask yourself which M needs attention—music, mechanics, or mind. Maybe it’s a little bit of everything. Happy practicing and enjoy the journey. It’s worth the work! •