P is for Practice

I can remember hearing "Practice makes perfect" many times as a child but I never believed it then.

But I do now.

Just over a month ago I posted here about my discouragement in picking up the flute again. I'd learnt it briefly in High School (a loooooong time ago) and had it in my mind that it would be a breeze to learn again. As usual, I was wrong. I was almost ready to give up except that I'd paid good money to hire the instrument and I didn't want that money to go to waste.

And then I heard it.

A beautiful pure tone.

It was perfect (well I thought so anyway).

And I had produced it. Okay it was only one note out of a hundred or so but I had made that sound. With my own lips and rather imperfect breathing. Wow!

Now I can produce several beautiful notes in one practice. Never mind that the notes in the higher and lower registers still sound shrilly, I CAN PRODUCE MUSIC!

So now I'm scouring the "For Sale" ads for a second-hand flute. I'm amazed at the number of flutes around that supposedly have been sitting in the cupboard for the past five or so years: people claiming that they have no time to play them. No time to make music? No time to produce those beautiful pure tones every day?

But I understand. I really do. I can't believe now how close I came to giving up. And just think what I would have missed out on if I had!