029 - The Cost of Perfection (A Teaching Story)

Field Notes on Music Teaching & Learning · Apr 14, 2021 · 10m

Music and perfectionism often go hand-in-hand, don't they?In music school, we're trained to pursue excellence, to strive to be the best. We're taught to set high standards for ourselves, to work hard, and live up to the high standards our teachers have for us.The thing is, there are two sides to perfectionism.The value of perfectionism is that it's a commitment to achieving at a high level. But the cost of perfection is a crippling fear of failure, an unwillingness to try new things, negative self-talk, and an unrelenting pursuit of something that may not always be attainable. In fact, it…