What are your musical goals for 2018? #musiceducation #music

For me, I am going to strive to mix-up my practicing - keep it fresh: tongue what I used to slur, sit when I used to stand, improvise when I used to run scaler patterns, etc. Just as weight lifters keep their body guessing in the gym, I think you need to change up your routine to achieve the greatest gains in your practicing. If you do not, I think you can get in a "rut" and plateau in your improvement. Small (e.g., sitting and standing) and large changes (e.g., different warm-up routines or even skipping the warm-up some days) are needed to make significant gains. It is also important to take breaks when you practice. Use that time to do other important things, like compose, arrange, exercise, or do other work. Your embouchure and your mind needs a break. Here's hoping you make great strides this year. I too hope to move forward with my playing.