Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve written a post to this website. I’m happy to report that I continue to get close to 2,000 visitors every month in spite of this. But, it’s time to explain why I’ve been so quiet (I have a really good reason!).
Some Background
I’ve been performing professionally on the trumpet for a little over 30 years. This means that for the past 40 years or so, I’ve practiced the trumpet. Nearly every day. For many, many hours. But in spite of (or perhaps because of) my vast experience with practicing, I’ve always believed I could do better… be more efficient, more thorough, more effective.
I’ve read countless articles, papers and books on the subject. I’ve taught hundreds of students over the years, seeing again and again how we all struggle with similar challenges. I’ve studied with many of the world’s finest trumpeters. In short, I’ve studied practicing very deeply.
One thing you’ll see again and again if you read about practicing: Most people recommend you keep a practice journal. What most people don’t talk about, is HOW to keep a practice journal. I’ve tried journalling off and on for years, but paper journals seemed cumbersome. Yes, it’s helpful to write things down, as that process definitely focuses and refines your thinking, but what if you’re working on something specific and want to track your progress, or quickly refer back to the notes from the last few times you practiced that passage? With a traditional journal, you end up flipping all over the place trying to find the two or three sentences you want to see.
About two years ago I started experimenting with different ways of solving that problem. Eventually, I settled on a system where I used a collection of folders and documents in Google Docs. By the Fall of 2013, my system was working quite well for me, though I still knew it could be better.
Toward the end of 2013 I decided the way to take my journalling system to the next level was to develop a computer program to automate it. I began work in January of 2014, and the project has been my main professional focus ever since.
It turns out there are a lot of things to learn and do if you want to produce a high quality web application, especially if all of your professional training is as a trumpeter! I have learned an enormous amount over the past year about programming and about the interwebs. It’s been a fascinating and exciting journey for me, and it’s nowhere close to being finished.
That being said, I’m very happy to announce to the world that my Structured Practice Method is now available to the public.
I’ve actually been using it in my own practice since May of 2014, and all of my students at Wayne State University and Saginaw Valley State University have been using it since the Fall Semester 2014. It has been incredibly helpful. I have definitely noticed that I am a more effective practicer than I was previously, and the difference in my students has been even more significant.
As of today, I’m opening up the “Public Beta Testing” phase of the application’s development. I’m accepting a limited number of new subscribers in order to really run the system through its paces. I think most of the kinks have been worked out by my students, but in computer programming, I’ve learned that there’s always another bug in there somewhere!
I also hope to get valuable feedback from musicians who are not my students. The dynamic of the student/teacher relationship can make it difficult to offer honest criticism and suggestions, especially when at the end of the semester I’ll be giving out grades.
If you’re a musician who practices, please stop by Dr. Flegg’s SPM and sign up for a free beta tester account! I promise you you’ll be glad you did!
PS: I have big plans for the future of this application. While it currently allows teachers to monitor their students’ practicing from within the app, I’m already working on adding some great additional features to help teachers guide their students in their practicing. Stay tuned to the Structured Practice Method website and this blog for more announcements!
PSS: I also would like to give credit where credit is due. My step-daughter, Katherine Perkins, has been incredibly helpful in developing the public face of the SPM. Among other things, she designed our logos and has been a great help and encouragement in my work. And, she uses the app herself to track her workouts! Perhaps more about that at a later date.
Finally, I’d like to publicly thank my wife, Betsy, for putting up with me over the past year. I’ve put a LOT of time in on the computer when I could have been taking the trash out, or doing laundry, or… Thanks, Honey, you’re the best!
-Mark Flegg
