As we enter the holiday season, I’ve been thinking a lot about the “Three Ps”: persistence, patience and purpose. Persistence is key in learning music, because as you learn, you’re mastering skills that become building blocks for other more advanced skills. That’s why it’s easy for an adult musician to understand and teach the value of persistence to a youngster. The same goes for patience. It’s counterproductive to race ahead before mastering the fundamentals. Effective musicmaking requires a commitment to the process over time; a student shouldn’t move ahead until they and their teacher agree they’re ready. But the most elusive component in becoming a true musician is purpose. Working with purpose increases learning depth and speed. When a child has that elusive breakthrough and decides she’s on a path, making a journey toward a series of goals, it makes daily practice seem less like work. It becomes an expression of purpose. We master ascending stairs in a similar way. A small child focuses on each step at first, but the more he does it, the more he frees himself from the fundamentals and directs his focus on reaching the top. Eventually a kid simply goes upstairs. No persistence or patience required. Our kids at the Joy of Music School can be found at all steps along this continuum, from persistence to patience to purpose. Beginners must get used to the odd arm position required to hold and play a violin and bow, or the unusually deep breathing that is required to play a wind instrument or to sing. Intermediates are pushing musical scales to new speeds, while advanced musicians are focusing on interpretation. They’re asking themselves, “What’s the purpose of this phrase? Why did the composer choose this harmonization, or melodic shape, and how can I make that shape sound?” This time of year, as we focus on our purpose in the world, kids are usually playing holiday-themed music after a semester of work. It offers us all an opportunity to think about those important Three Ps—and a fourth, their progress!

Francis Graffeo

Executive Director