Mt. Tabor in Portland is, as its name implies, a hilly affair. It is full of trails for cars, bikes and pedestrians; all of which eventually lead to the top.
Some of the trails have a gradual slope and others get there in a practically straight up route. I’ve walked them all, the gradual and the straight up.
When I first tackled the steep route, I had to stop a few times and rest. Subsequent efforts produced less huffing and puffing and fewer pauses. Now I’m walking that route without stopping.
Did the hill change? ‘Cuz it sure feels like it has leveled off. Of course not! The hill hasn’t changed! It just feels that way. I’m the one who’s changed. I’ve gained endurance. My stronger thigh muscles have put a spring in my step; most noted when I bound up the stairs at home.
Yo, Adrienne!
Do you know that scene in Rocky where Sylvester Stallone’s character goes through his morning jogging routine? He cracks a couple of eggs into a glass and some juice and drinks it down. Then he goes for his 5-10 mile run, shadow boxing on the streets of South Philly. At his brother-in-law’s meat market, Rocky “tenderizes” a side of beef with his taped fists. Finally his workout ends with a run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The time-lapse scene shows the progress he makes over numerous days and how his strength increases. Early runs up those stairs are slow, but his persistence and practice pays off in the end when he races up those steps, jumping over some, and pumps his arms overhead in celebration. “Yo, Adrienne! I did it!”
Exercise, Schmexercise
What’s with all the exercise talk? Well, it’s an analogy for our music practice. The first time you play the G harmonic minor scale, for example, you might be huffing and puffing like I was on Mt. Tabor. But repeating the drill will have you racing up the steps of the museum like 32nd notes in no time!
Bill Conti’s Rocky music, Gonna Fly Now, is invigorating and exciting. It makes you wonder how The Italian Stallion could have done so well without his iPod! 
So why not have a theme song for your musical goals? An inspirational song that is totally linked to your musical exercise. Yeh! Choose a song that exhilarates you. When you listen to it, visualize yourself meeting and surpassing your musical goals. See yourself playing your instrument. Hear yourself successfully executing your goal passage. Then get to it and run up those steps!!
Where no one has gone before
My goal music is Star Trek The Next Generation theme song. When I hear it, I get all energized and am ready to explore strange new worlds! Which, when you think about it, learning a musical instrument can be like exploring a strange new world…
Got a theme song? An inspirational piece of music? Let’s hear about your endeavors and exercising.
If you liked this, you will also enjoy reading:
- Improvisation – It’s Not Just For Jazzers Anymore
- What Do You Do When…
- Embrace The Great Outdoors For Summer Practice
- Got Motivation?
Thanks for reading. The next edition of Musician’s Motivator will be out September 8, 2010.