As described in my last post, my November lesson was a bit tough. However, I did show some improvement. While playing “Like a River Glorious”, I played a wrong note in the pedal line. I immediately corrected and Michael noticed. This was a big deal. In the past, when playing a wrong note (especially at a lesson), I would freeze, or stop playing, or continue playing with each subsequent note being wrong. Organists will make mistakes. It is likely no one will remember a wrong note (unless it is the first or the last!). This mistake and the correction the followed was a sign of progress!
We all make mistakes. How we handle them can often be more important than the actual mistake. When I play a wrong note [make a mistake] the best option is to quickly correct it and move on. Dwelling on it (freezing until corrected), stopping (giving up completely), and continuing but not fixing it (one mistake leads to another) emphasize the mistake instead of the solution.
What are the best ways you have find to handle mistakes?
Heidi Bender writes about her experiences of learning to play the organ. She started on the adventure in 2009.
She also writes on her website Tons of Thanks, which helps people write thank-you notes. Heidi is also a cat lady who writes at The Joy of Cats.
Absolutely handle it right away. Make amends if need be or corrections and move on.
Well, Heidi, you are maturing nicely.
I know a few people you could give a nice pep talk to. Life lessons are hard sometimes but can be a real learning experience. Keep up the good work.
Mom