New Year, new goals!

[James]

It's refreshing to have a new year and be full of optimism and enthusiasm!

If you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve you'll normally achieve and by when you'll normally achieve 15% more than that*.

So what's your goals (drumming related or otherwise for the year?

Mine is to find a local dance class and play there once a week, and to find a good teacher here in Berlin.

I also vaguely want to put more time in practicing on my own, but it's hard to be a lot more specific for now...

93% of statistics are made up on the spot

[Trog]

It has been just over a year since I found my joy of hearing and trying to learn the djembe. This year I am hoping that my hands will be able to carry there own beats better and gain speed as well as timing. I have also built a couple of drums and find that satisfying and would love to learn how to carve some. I am really glad I found this site as it is a valuable source.

[bops]

My new years resolutions include:

-posting on djembefola.com more often
-using the word "poppycock" in my posts
-limit myself to eating only human-sized portions of food
-practice jembe at least 8 hrs. per day
-no more cake and ice cream (will eat cookies and ice cream instead)
-invent a new word, that catches on this time

93% of statistics are made up on the spot ;)

POPPYCOCK! roughly 87% of stats are made up. As proof I cite my own post.

[michi]

-using the word "poppycock" in my posts

Well, you can now take that one off your list

-practice jembe at least 8 hrs. per day

Is that all? That's not much of a resolution, is it?

-limit myself to eating only human-sized portions of food
-no more cake and ice cream (will eat cookies and ice cream instead)

I found that substituting hot chocolate for soft drinks works really well!

-posting on djembefola.com more often

Yep, good point!

-invent a new word, that catches on this time

You'll be a postafoladjemboholic in no time at all!

Michi.

[bkidd]

Bops wrote:
-practice jembe at least 8 hrs. per day

I applaud your ambition. At that pace, you'll be an expert in about 3 years! How's it working?

I recently finished a book that discussed what common practices separate experts from the rest of us. The basic idea is called "deliberate practice", which boils down to three things:
1. focusing on technique
2. staying goal oriented
3. getting constant and immediate feedback.

My resolution is to engage in deliberate practice on djembe and dununs. I've gone back to the basics with my sound and am planning on three broad goals:
>10,000 slaps and >10,000 tones (a month) with both hands
improving my speed and stamina for accompaniments (i.e. play dance class in a relaxed manner)
practicing the 12 solo techniques for TTM teacher certification (be able to play them well enough to pass the test regardless of whether i take the exam)

I'd like to look back on Jan 1, 2013 and say, yep I've accomplished all three of these.

Cheers,
-Brian

[James]

I'd like to look back on Jan 1, 2013 and say, yep I've accomplished all three of these.

Well, we'll have to come back here and poke you next year to find out!