Something is Better than Nothing

Something is better than nothing.

This has been my mantra for quite a few years.

I am not sure that I made it up so I will not take that credit, but I have made it my own.

Most often I use it when I do a little bit of exercise - even if it is just parking further from the store so I have to walk more than parking in the nearest spot.

I use it as a reminder to myself when I opt for a healthier food than the processed/sweet/bad-for-me food.

And no, I do not count these examples in my mantra toward food:

"I'm drinking unsweet tea (or diet soda) so I can eat all I want" 

or

"If I eat it in the dark (or when no one else sees me) it doesn't have calories"

Those are not beneficial "somethings."

~*~*~

Something is better than nothing.

This also applies to the musician and practicing.

Continuing one's personal musicianship is vital to the inherent musical pleasure to be found as a musician.

Sometimes though, life gets in the way and time gets away from us and practicing is the last thing to be thought of.

However, if you remember my mantra (I will gladly share it with you!) then anything, yes, I mean anything you do will count as practicing.

It brings you back gently into the habit of practice.

It causes you to realize that you can find/make time to practice.

It just might, as I found, cause you to practice more.

For example, a couple of weeks ago I found a recorder lying about the house and ended up putting it next to my chair where I sit most often.  Over time, during a break in my studies or (usually) during a commercial, I picked up the recorder and played it a little bit. 

Those short times of "something" was better than nothing.

Then last night, I picked up the recorder and found myself playing through a collection of Medieval and Renaissance dances: caroles, farandoles, branles, pavanes. 

I was enthralled.  

And I was practicing!!!

~*~*~

So, maybe you too can find some use of my mantra:

Something is better than nothing.

Go ahead. 

Get your instrument out, do a few warm ups, do SOMETHING!

Let the act of music making draw you back into practicing.