A steady pace

For those of you who've been following this blog for the few weeks it's been around, you might be wondering why so much of it (if not all of it) is in the first person. So far, I've set out to create a framework for a how-to guide based on my own personal experience, and it's been important for me to show you the circumstances that initially led me to become a memorizing musician while also showing you some of my stumbles and, ultimately, the early stages that led me to the successful path I now walk. While I feel that my own experience has given me a unique perspective, it is my ultimate hope that this blog will serve to guide all musicians in the art of memorization, at whatever level.

At this point, I've concluded the personal narrative, and I'm about to embark upon the "this is what you should do" part of the blog. Chances are that you'll have some suggestions and personal anecdotes along the way, so please post your thoughts as they come. Suggestions and anecdotes are useful to me and other readers, so keep them coming!

Whether you are working on memorization daily, getting back to memorization, or starting for the first time, remember patience. Remember to know your limits and to build your practice time so that it's useful, relevant, and not so taxing that you have trouble resuming the next day. Plan your time well. And, above all, one piece is a good start. Slow and steady wins the race.