Put ‘Hunting-Lion’ Focus In Your Practice
We’ve all seen and been held, riveted, by footage of big cats on the hunt. The focus and concentration of those magnificent animals is truly awesome at such times.
Truth is, lions have such concentration because their very survival depends on it, plain and simple. Natural selection has done its work to perfection. Only those animals able to hold their hunger in check, who wait and watch for just the right moment to spring forward, will be graced with the ultimate reward, survival.
It is difficult to imagine human beings having that level of ferocious concentration. OK, maybe in life threatening situations, but violin practice sessions, no way.
Let me tell you something. There is a way.
The lion is motivated to that level of focus through physical imperative. Humans can achieve it through the exercise of will and imagination.
To bring ‘hunting-lion’ focus to your practice you must first create tremendous hunger for results. You must convince yourself that this hunger will not be satiated until the goal you have set is achieved.
Once you fully understand that failure is not an option, that success is the only outcome, you are ready to do some serious work.
Now, you gather facts into your mind like the hungry lion gathers scent on the wind. The goal is held firm in your mind’s eye the way the lion’s gaze is locked on his prey. Now…PLAY IT!
That’s the process. Not every individual hunt is successful for a given lion. The lion does not give up. He takes what he is capable of learning from the failure to the next attempt, again, and again until he brings down a meal.
You must do the same.
When you have done what your best guess tells you is sufficient slow preparation, you make a passionate, focused attempt to do a given passage, technique, or whatever, at tempo. If you fail in that attempt, you increase your concentration while playing slowly, at all times looking for the missing ingredient that will mean success at tempo.
Some of you would be amazed to know how much ground I have to cover to get successful results, at times. I have some physical challenges that some would deem insurmountable. But I am here to tell you that there has been, and always will be, a way through them.
That is the importance of playing the violin to me. I hope it is for you, too.
All the best,
Clayton Haslop
P.S. I used to think that Vince Lombardi was ‘unevolved’ for saying; ‘Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.’ Now I know better.
