When is the last time you took a break from your instrument? Like, a proper break? Do you think you might need a break?

I didn’t think I did, until I had to get my wisdom teeth out, and I HAD to take a break… then I realised just how much I needed that break.

When we think about musical practice, the emphasis is often on the continuous grind, the relentless push towards perfection. Yet, sometimes the most significant strides in our musical journey can come from an unexpected source—a break.

So let’s dive into 3 critical things to remember when taking a musical break.

Multitasking? Listen to the podcast episode all about this!

1: Remember to be patient with yourself: we all need breaks

The time it took me to properly recover was actually longer than I thought. There were times were I really needed to focus on being patient with myself. For me, my whole mouth had to heal, and so it was a while before I could play a reed again. Patience was the key.

And let me let you in on a little secret….even without the reason of surgery, I needed that break.

The thing is, I had gotten into a practice rut. I was focusing more and more on my technique, really trying to get things cleaner in general, and I felt so stuck in it because I wasn’t seeing myself improve. I was also trying to get articulation faster, and there was some improvement, but not as much as I wanted to see and that was really frustrating– all in all, I found myself often frustrated.

Because of the surgery, I had to step away and take a break from practicing, but even without the reason of the surgery, it was so beneficial to do that anyway because when I got back, it felt like a fresh start. While I was resting, it felt like all that practice that I did before the surgery was still percolating in my brain. The break also gave me time to cool down so I could be less frustrated and more patient. It’s okay to be where you are right now. 

So if you are stuck in a rut, it might be a good idea to take a break. Every situation is different, but it’s a good thing to consider. But remember, through the whole thing, to be patient with yourself.

2: Remember to celebrate where you are now

During the break, I had a lot of time to think — specifically about where I was with the oboe, and it became abundantly clear to me how important reflection is.

Let’s celebrate how far you have come!

Think about where you were last year, think about the doubts you had when you started your instrument… and think of how you have worked through problems and found solutions. Look how far you’ve come.

Reflecting is a big part of celebrating how far you’ve come. And guess what? It is still the beginning of the year, my friend, and I’ve got a reflection guide for you!

This guide will show you how you can reflect on this past year to see how far you’ve made it, and it guides to create upcoming goals for yourself this year.

So make sure to check out this guide — it is just for you.

3: We are more than our instruments

Let me say that again, WE ARE MORE THAN OUR INSTRUMENTS. And it’s true.

It is so easy to put our value onto how well we play our instrument… I know, I struggle with it to. But if taking a break taught me one thing, it taught me this: I am human first, and a musician second.

During the break, I did work — on the podcast and the blog, but I also did some hobbies that I enjoy. I knitted a sweater (I love to knit), and it made me happy. I also practiced my language learning (I know, but I love grammar…). I learned some new Japanese and French grammar structures, as well as connected with some German friends to practice speaking. All in all, I learned that I am more than playing the oboe. And that is beautiful.

So that is it for this blog post, if you are planning on taking a break, I’m excited for you, and I hope that you come back to your instrument feeling refreshed and excited.

All my best,

Eleanor