Greetings from this place:
Amazing! Right?
It’s called Puycelsi.
It’s in southern France.
Not far from Toulouse.
And it’s where I met the pianist.
More on her in a sec. First, what am I doing here?
Besides eating fatty duck and practicing my French, my dad and I are making a two-part trip. The second part is to find the town where the Viguerie brothers lived before they moved to America. (More about that next week.) The second part is to attend the birthday party of one of my dad’s friends.
And that’s where I met the pianist. Here’s the story.
All weekend there cool activities planned for the group: hiking in the largest woods in France to look at Roman ruins, taking a tour of the town with a local whose family has lived there for generations, buying food in a local market then eating it at a nearby farmhouse…
But the main event was dinner on Friday. And for this the birthday boy rented out the entire restaurant, made two long tables for everyone, and put those little name cards on them so you had to spend a few minutes finding out where you were supposed to sit.
The pianist was seated next to me. And when I found out what she does, I wanted to know more; specifically, how did she get to be successful? And the first question, (always a good question to ask successful people) What is your daily routine?
Here’s what she told me:
Every day she sits down at the piano for a few hours. But it’s not a few hours in a row. Instead, she practices for a few minutes, gets up and takes a break, comes back and practices some more, etc.
Next, she doesn’t sit down and think, What do I feel like playing today? Rather, she’s strategic about her practice; she has it all planned out. She practices pieces of music designed to help her improve areas that need improving.
And finally, the third element: every day.
When I heard this, I told her, That’s exactly what I tell my students!
Short… strategic… daily…
Music is a skill. And so is English. And to master any skill you must practice.
Practice like a pianist… That has a nice sound to it.
Study English… learn English… improve your English… eh, I’m already feeling bored.
But practice like a pianist… Maybe that will be the name of my next course…
.
.
.
The next morning after breakfast I went out into the courtyard of the inn where we’re staying and sat down with a book and some coffee.
No one else was there.
I admired the old stones everywhere. And the green ivy crawling up the walls. And the wild flowers that were growing from between the cracks in the bricks. Soon a cat walked up, jumped on my lap and fell asleep.
Then I heard the music.
The pianist had found the inn’s piano and had started her daily practice.
C’etait si jolie.