What would a week of practice do for you? I mean if you stuck to your plan and played music everyday.

Well, you would be on your way to a good routine and you’d most likely have a new piece of music under your belt. If you’re expecting anything more I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.

Music, like most fine motor skills, requires about 10,000 hours of dedicated practice in order for you to become proficient at whatever skill you are trying to master. The Beatles played for hundreds of hours at German night clubs before creating a chart topping song.

What makes it tough is many musicians like to tell people they only practice a short amount of time. However, when we probe deeper we find that the expert has practiced far more hours than they have led us to believe.

So, have you put in your 10,000 hours?

Have you ever had writer’s block? Been a rut for a while?

Creativity and innovation is formed through connections. The more connection you have and the more connections you can create in you mind the more chance you have a of creating truly innovative ideas. In the arts this is important.

One of the best ways to shake this annoying side effect of creativity is to look at things from outside of your art. So, if you are a musician try visual arts or cooking. Maybe you can try a sport of two if you are a desk jockey.

So, get out there and start making connections.

Based on this video I think we should start teaching dogs to sing.

Enjoy the week!

Happy Halloween from CJSmusic.

Only a lucky few get to this level. Many others are spectacular in their own rights.

What I think makes the difference between a rock star and the next level down is the amount of sweat that goes into their work. I’m not just talking about efficient practicing techniques. I’m talking about putting yourself in situations where you might just fail. I’m also talking about getting yourself in front of the people that matter most – your fans.

True rock stars never forget who is footing the bill. Entertain them, wow them, leave ‘em wanting more. That’s where the value comes in. Your fans will repay you in spreading your music.