1)
Tell us about a time this
past semester that you failed
I
have always enjoyed playing musical instruments ever since I was a little
kid. Just the concept of figuring out
how to play music really intrigued me. I
took piano lessons for about sever years which I enjoyed. I also played the saxophone in both middle
and high school. I enjoyed playing the
piano and saxophone piano and just messing around trying to learn popular
songs. I still to this day try and play
some piano whenever I get the chance.
One day in the beginning of this semester I saw one of my friends
playing the ukulele. I have no prior experience
playing guitar or ukulele, but it sounded very cool and I wanted to learn to at
least try and play. My friend said he
would try and teach me to play “Hallelujah” and I was interested. While trying to learn to play the ukulele I
just could not grasp the concept on how to place my fingers on the strings to
make the right sound. I had gotten really
frustrated and almost wanted to give up.
I tried different positions and ways to get my fingers to lay on the
strings properly, but nothing seemed to work.
I tried to practice for about 20-30 minutes each day. I did this for about a month and eventually
saw some improvements. I now can play a
little bit but still need to practice be just as good as my friend.
2)
Tell us what you learned
from it.
From
this I learned that practice is key. The
more I practiced the better I got at playing the ukulele. This concept can work for almost anything you
do. To perfect something dedication and
practice are key. Also, I learned that
some instruments aren’t made for me. I
enjoyed trying to learn how to play but at times I would just get too frustrated. I still try and play every now and then, but I
decided it would take me too long if I tried to perfect playing the ukulele. Maybe in the future I will try again.
3) Reflect, in general, on what you think about failure.
Failure
is never enjoyable. When I was unable to
put my fingers on the strings and play I got very frustrated. I am certain people who fail at things also
deal with this frustration. In times of
failure and adversity it is important to try and overcome this. I do my best to overcome it without getting
too discouraged. I learned in this class
that failure is ok and that it is important to learn from these failures. One can get discouraged and want to give up
when faced with failure but the most successful people are able to overcome it.
Hey Max,
ReplyDeleteI found your post very interesting. I think that it is awesome that you are able to play so many instruments. I actually used to play the saxophone back in middle school as well. I think that failure is not as negative as most people convey it to be. I actually think that a little bit of failure is a good thing because it lets us learn
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI liked how the failure you chose to write about was how difficult it was to learn to play a musical instrument. When I was younger I tried learning how to play the guitar but it was hurting my fingers so much that I quit. I like that you kept practicing and have been getting better. Sometimes I wish I would have kept going cause then I would be able to play the guitar now. I like your perspective on failure and how you have a positive view on it.
Whatsup Max,
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your frustrations of trying to learn the ukulele since I taught myself how to play the guitar. The hardest part was learning how hard to press down on the strings, learning where to position your hand, and learning how to the pluck the strings. Don't give up it sounds like you are really musically gifted and should keep trying since it is a very fulfilling instrument to play.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI think it's really cool that you're able to play a wide variety of instruments. I could never really get the hang of playing instruments. It's great that you understood that practice is essential when faced with failure. I agree that it is easy to get frustrated with failure but it is always essential to keep a positive mindset!