Because I am an oboist and the oboe teacher at Lawrence Conservatory of Music, the approach to practice outlined below is oriented specifically to the particular requirements of undergraduate oboe students. There are two fundamental principles upon which my philosophy of practice is based. The first of these is that all effective practice must be highly disciplined. Disciplined practice is both regular practice and organized practice.
Effective practice is both more and less than just daily practice.
As performers, our greatest enemies are anxiety, frustration, and tension, and single-minded obsessiveness is more likely to produce these than to alleviate them. Striking the right balance is part of what it means to be a well-disciplined musician. In my view, the continued discipline that is necessary for effective practice is the principal reason why students who have been successful in music performance are quite often able to achieve success in other fields as well. The second fundamental principal of my philosophy is that our highly disciplined practice must always be focused on the right kind of goals. These are necessarily among our most significant career goals.