We need rooms to make noise in.

For some of my students, the only room they have to be loud in is mine. Why? Well, their walls are thin. Their neighbor works from home. The baby is finally asleep. The singer loves show tunes and the partner can’t stand them. 

We don’t want to bother anybody. 
We don’t want to embarrass ourselves. 
We are tender, human souls. 
We need our privacy. 

Yes! 

And we need at least one room to make noise in. If this can be in your own home, Glory, Halleluja! If it can’t be, how about a friend’s house? On a hike? At the beach? In your car? This is important: whatever it takes, find a room you can be loud in and fifteen minutes to spend there as often as you can. 

Please don’t expect the first sounds out of your mouth to be your best – experience shows they probably won’t be. Keep making them, though. Keep humming, keep whooping. Keep making free and easy sounds until you can’t help but sing a song. Sing whatever comes to mind. If you don’t remember the words, make up new ones. “La La La” is A-OK. 

Warming up is easier when we know we’re not bothering anybody. Give yourself some privacy, and marvel at what happens next.

On a side note: the best assignment I ever got from a piano teacher was to make a binder of all the songs I could play. “You mean the pieces I’m working on right now?” “No,” she said, “All the pieces you can play that you also really like. Start your practice time with that binder and play until you’re ready to work on something hard, but PLAY first.” I made the binder. I learned that warming up could feel good.

How do you help your practice (any practice, not just music) feel good? How much privacy do you need?