Was going to post all the reasons I liked American Idol....but it's been a rough week. Too many little disappointments which together make a huge weight.

Did practice this morning. The studies. Have decided to invest more in developing technical facility. That means playing fast and high passages for me. Gavinies is great for that. And having a tiny bit of fun analyzing the shifts. A bit like a theory or math problem.

I guess there always has to be a little optimism inside if you want to be a musician. (And maybe not a small bit of resilience.) You need to find something new to work on. To develop technique. To play new pieces. Even through the sometimes painful exterior of your life. It's good to retreat a little to focus on the inside parts of music making.

Short comment on American Idol:

I *do* admire the contestants of AI for getting up there week after week to learn and perform a new song. It's not easy to do a "quick study" and for millions of people. It's an act of courage to perform and show an unfinished product. I think sometimes we forget as classical musician performers that it not easy for most people to perform. And we forget that when we were students we all had our detractors as well as our supporters. And we all failed at one time or another.

Here's a blog of another classical musician who likes AI....I know we're in the minority.

Now I must go back to practicing......