Live a Colorful Life: June 2025

Friday, June 27, 2025

Micro Improvements

These are the first four blocks of Moda Blockheads 6, a block-of-the-week program I decided to do again this year. I did it a couple of years ago and was really happy with the quilt. This year I decided to delve into my stash of batiks, and I'm really enjoying playing with them against the background of this beautiful Ruby Star black fabric with gold accents.

But what I really wanted to write about this week isn't specifically related to quilting, although I think there are applications that can be made to quilting, and maybe to life in general.

Three and a half months ago I began taking flute lessons. I have played piano since I was in grade school. Although she was only briefly my teacher, my mother taught piano for 50 years and really wanted me to focus on that. I'm glad I learned to play, and for a short time I even considered majoring in music in college. But all along the way, I really wanted to learn a different instrument. Finally, finally, I decided it was time. A good friend had a daughter who was not using her flute and generously loaned it to me. I found a teacher, and he encouraged me to take the next step. So, for the month of July, I will start weekly two-hour rehearsal sessions working on scales, rhythm, breathing, etc., with the goal of playing with a band geared toward new musicians. To say I'm nervous is an understatement.

In addition to my weekly in-person lessons, I have found YouTube to have a wealth of quality flute instruction, so I'm supplementing with a lot of videos, and I'm not someone who really enjoys watching videos but they have proved to be very helpful.

One of the videos I watched yesterday was titled "3 Reasons Why Adults Improve So Slowly on the Flute." It was so interesting, and I have to agree with much of what she says. Reason 1 was "you might have been told you just need to practice more." That has not really happened to me yet as I'm practicing an average of an hour a day, broken up into segments. But Reason 2 was "you are hyper aware of everything you can't yet do on the flute." I think this applies to more than just learning a new instrument, don't you? Every day I seem to chide myself because my tone is bad, I can't hit the high notes, my fingers are slow. And then I need to remember: it's been less than four months! Why is it we always tend to focus on those things that we can't do or do incorrectly, rather than those things we can do. I've learned to get some fairly decent notes out of the flute; when I first started, I couldn't get any notes out of it.

Reason 3: "You underestimate the power of making specific tiny adjustments to your playing." Again, tiny adjustments can change so much. She calls it the "momentum of micro improvements."

Last week, my Apple watch "noise" function, which measures the decibel level around you, went off at least twice while I was practicing scales, telling me that I was in the dangerous zone. Granted, those high notes were screechy! And my watch wanted to make sure I knew that. Haha.

This week it hasn't gone off even once. Micro improvements.

I need to focus on that improvement rather than all the things I still need to work on. With a change in mindset, I am more confident they will come with time.

It's the same with sewing, cooking, gardening--really anything you are trying that is new to you. Everyone was a beginner at some point.

So I'm working at changing my mindset.

Including this:

My grandkids encourage me that it's not too late to be on this journey. And Mark has never complained even once during all the practice sessions. It's exciting to be expanding my horizons and learning something new.