Most of us have heard the saying, “Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” It’s a great reminder, that the learning process is not perfect and that is not only okay but totally normal. It’s a process! And as long as we are trying, we can improve.
The other day I had a student come in for her lessons a little frustrated because the piece that she was learning did not sound at all like it did when I had played it. Something was clearly wrong but she could not figure out what to do. She said to me, “I even wrote in all the notes to make sure I was doing it correctly.” It didn’t take me long to see that she had written the treble notes for the bass clef. As she was playing her bass…. I mean treble notes in the bass clef alone, they actually didn’t sound bad. I let her know what she did and we laughed together.
I then told her, you know… that mistake actually didn’t sound bad when you played those notes by themselves. I think you can actually take them and create a composition! After all, many of the greatest inventions out there were made because of a mistake.
Did you know post it notes, chocolate chip cookies, popsicles, ice cream cones, the microwave oven, x-ray machines, plastic, play-doh, Velcro, aspirin…. and much, much more all came from a mistake? Mistakes CAN be a GOOD thing!
We both agreed that mistakes aren’t necessarily a bad thing. They create light bulb moments, learning experiences and sometimes, they can even create a cool sounding piece!
Have you ever made a mistake where something really good came from it? Share in the comments, I would love to hear about it!
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“Mistakes are a sign you are trying”. (I have this beautifully written out in a bright red frame in my studio…so important!!)
… then as I continued to read there you already had it. Super.
Love that you have that quote framed!! Such a great reminder!