REGULARITY - EMG Reed

If public business was conducted as some people conduct their private business, I wonder what would become of the country? Suppose, for instance, the Post Office only collected letters when it felt so disposed? Suppose, when the officials wanted a holiday, they arranged to make only the afternoon collections and deliveries, or to make all the collections in the afternoon and none in the morning? Things would soon get in a muddle, wouldn’t they?

Yet many of us expect to accomplish our daily work on the haphazard plan. Take a study like music, for example. One day, perhaps, we decide that we’re tired of scales, and will only do pieces for a day or two. The next day we spend the whole time over arpeggios, and the third day we read through new music for the whole of the practice hour.

But, if charged with unthorough work, we should probably say (with a sense of virtuous indignation): “Why, I did my whole practice time every day this week!”

As well might the postman, tired of collecting all his letters daily, decide to take only those bearing London addresses, and, when charged with the offence, protest: “But I did my round every day!”

Be sensible about practising, and don’t expect miracles to happen when you neglect to apply to music the common sense which you exert in other departments of life. It would, indeed, be a miracle, if you made progress under those conditions! He!he!he! :-D