Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Marsalis on Practice

I would say that from the time I was age 6 to 12, I would go to these different teachers, and when I would come home I would tell my Daddy, "Well they didn't really teach me anything because they told me I have to practice to be good and I know I need to practice already so what do I need a teacher for?"    -Wynton Marsalis

This seemed like a great follow up to my last post on the importance of practice. These quotes and the video are from one of my favorite musicians, Wynton Marsalis. My Grandpa gave me a tape of Wynton's Carnaval album when I was 12 or 13. I was hooked. It still blows me away today. Then I discovered he was also a jazz musician. I couldn't understand how one guy could be so talented. Wynton's dedication to music education is also admirable. These quotes are coming from a guy who is one of the best in the world at what he does and is willing to teach others how to get there. Take a couple minutes to watch. 

"Three hours will allow you to cover all aspects of playing, but 45-60 minutes is enough for one sitting. The quality of the practice is more important than the length of time it takes." -Wynton Marsalis