Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect

My first post, baby!

Oh yeah.

Anyway, I figured before posting about craft, I should pen an entry about why craft matters.

As I mentioned in the “About” section, I received my secondary education in schools for the arts.

“Practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.”

My former band director said this. Years later, I fully digested and utilized the meaning of his words. I’m grateful my mother enrolled me in band, at schools dedicated to the arts. I was surrounded by passionate teachers, who took their jobs seriously (seriously, some days they didn’t leave school until 6 p.m.). Band at Overton High wasn’t a hobby; it was a lifestyle.

I recall the day our band director kicked most of the clarinet players out the practice room (myself included) and told us don’t come back until we could play the piece properly. I recall sweating bullets, hoping our band director didn’t randomly call on me to play a section of music in front of 100+ band members (he did). I recall wanting to practice, because I was inspired to match our directors’ (very high) standards.

Though I never continued with music education after seven years of band, the lessons I learned from band carried into my writing lifestyle.

As a writer, I read not only for pleasure but also to study the whats and hows of why some books work and why others don’t. I study every element of storytelling and writing and how they intertwine to create true masterpieces. I apply what I learn to better my craft, step by step. I learned how to do this, thanks to band.

Thank you, former band directors. I won’t let you down.