It is a long, slow process

I am doing this challenge of hiking up Mt. Roberts for 30 days, and today I was comparing hiking with music, with my hiking buddy on the shoulder of Mt. Roberts. You make progress, but it is incremental.

Today we shaved one minute off our time up the mountain to the tram, from 61 minutes to 60 minutes. It's just like practicing a piece. You play through it the first time and it is so bumpy. You come back the next day and a few of the rough spots work, and a few of the other rough spots are just a little easier. You keep coming back and little tiny bits at a time, it gets better. You get better. That's it, by working at it just enough, you get better. That "just enough" is key, 'cause you can only do one little bit in a day to get better. There's just plain nothing you can do to make the leaps, it takes diligence. But it also takes enjoying the mountain so you keep wanting to come back. It takes loving the music so you want to come back.

I had a lesson tonight and I was actually physically tired from hiking and all the ancillary walking I had done today, but it was a good lesson. I am so grateful to Jack for squeezing in the summer time for the lesson. It keeps me on track.

Jack gave me some solo pieces to work on. I am stoked.