LJS 120: How to Practice Towards Fail-Proof Musical Performances (Feat. Diego Maldonado)
Learn Jazz Standards Podcast - A podcast by Brent Vaartstra: Jazz Musician, Author, and Entrepreneur
Welcome to episode 120 of the LJS Podcast where today we have on special guest Diego Maldonado to talk about how to practice towards fail-proof musical performances. If you've ever practiced a piece of music only for it to go completely wrong during a performance (like all of us), this episode will help you avoid this from happening. Listen in!
Listen to episode 120
Tell me if you can relate to this: you spend all week working on some music for an upcoming gig, but when you finally get up on the bandstand to play, everything just tanks.
Look, we've all been there before. And that's why today's episode is really an episode all musicians should pay attention to.
I have on special guest, drummer, composer, and teacher, Diego Maldonado to talk to us about practicing towards fail-proof performances. How do we avoid crashing and burning? Diego is a hard-core practicer and he knows how to help.
He talks about a concept called "Head Room" which has a lot to do with over-preparing in order to ensure that distractions and outside elements don't cause you to fall off the cliff.
Here's some of what we talk about today:
1. Diego, and his journey in music.
2. The first step you need to take to set yourself up for musical success.
3. How to practice using the Head Room concept.
4. Ways you can apply Head Room to music you are practicing.
The options are limitless when it comes to practicing with Head Room, and you hear a good handful of options mentioned in this episode. If you start practicing with this concept, you will be surprised at how much flexibility you will have in your playing.
Important Links
Diego's Website
Schedule a lesson with Diego
Diego's Instagram