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Goals Recap for February

Here is my goals recap for February. I didn't really start February with discernible goals, so I'll just list the accomplishments.

  1. I have learned "Misty." It's still a little shaky in places and I don't think I'll get to the soloing element of the challenge, but I will have it solid and ready to perform/video for the PWJ Facebook group by the end of this weekend.

  2. I can play through the nocturne. Now it is time to memorize anything I haven't memorized, and really work on getting the difficult sections feeling smooth and natural.

  3. I can play through Maple Leaf Rag. As with the nocturne, it's now just a matter of memorizing anything that isn't memorized (i.e., the transistion sections and the D section), getting things up to speed, and working in any stylistic touches I want to include.

  4. I've gotten pretty good at major sevenths, both playing them and understanding them. I enjoy doing the exercises, and they will now be part of my standard warmup.

  5. The 2-5-1 progressions with color tones have come along as well. I'll keep doing those regularly, but I'm also ready to branch out into using them in lead sheets. This is a major thing I want to talk about with Quentin at the jazz lesson tomorrow night.

  6. According to my PWJ practice log, I have practiced 34 hours and 14 minutes in the past month. I still have two more days, so that will be 36 or so hours by the time February comes to an end. I've been practicing every morning before work, anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on when I can get started. In the evenings, I'll usually practice another 30 minutes to an hour if there's time. All in all, I averaged a little over an hour a day of practice in February.

I'll be posting my March goals soon. Life outside of piano feels like a train wreck, but in the world of piano? Things are humming. I'm excited about developing my March goals and beginning work toward them this weekend.

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