Sunday, January 24, 2021

Motivation

On January 4th, the University of Utah published the results of the Online Learning Survey conducted at the ends of each of the last two semesters. By administering this survey, University officials hoped to learn how well (or how poorly) we all adjusted to Zoom-based education. 

Based on the data, administrators identified the "Top three challenges encountered when taking online classes." Perhaps unsurprisingly, the number one challenge—experienced by more than half of survey respondents (57.65%)—was personal motivation. 

As we embark on another semester of online learning, this is something we have to address. We can't go on with business as usual when we have identified an issue that has led to struggles for more than half of the University community.

For this reason, I scoured my bookshelf, which contains more than 100 texts on voice, singing, and vocal pedagogy that I've been compiling since my first undergraduate vocal pedagogy class (in 1994!). I looked in the table of contents and index of every book to see if I could find anything on "motivation" or closely related terms. I was hoping to find information specific to motivation when it comes to musical and vocal practice that might be useful in springing us into action and out of the complacency that online learning can allow.  

Disappointingly, the majority of the books had no mention whatsoever of motivation, ambition, or even inspiration, unless it was in reference to breathing. It's a little surprising that all of these volumes devoted to pedagogy, which is defined as "the method and practice of teaching," would not have anything addressing how to motivate students to learn. What good is knowing how the singing voice functions if I can't inspire students to want to learn? 

Thankfully, I did eventually find a few books that discussed the topic, which I will explore over the next few blogs of the semester. 

The first mention I found was in Finding Your Voice: A Practical and Spiritual Approach to Singing and Living by Carolyn Sloan. She points out that when people fail, it's not always because of an absence of training or skill. Rather, it's often due to an absence of desire. She writes, "A lack of desire then becomes a lack of energy and a lack of energy causes our persistence to waver until it finally disappears altogether." (34)

If you are struggling with motivation, she suggests asking yourself this basic question: "Do I really want this?" As it relates to vocal work, I think the question may be, "Do I really want to become a more skilled and expressive singer?" If the answer is "yes," then the next question is, from a day-to-day or practice-by-practice basis, "Am I willing, TODAY, to do the work that will lead me to become a more skilled and expressive singer, even if I don't see those results immediately?" 

Sloan also believes desire is directly tied to imagination, stating, "Most activities in life require an overlapping of desire, imagination, skill, and training." (36) She suggests exercising and honing the imagination so we are better able to envision ourselves with the skill set we would like to possess. In other words, once you have decided if you really want to become a more skilled and expressive singer, you should use your imagination to identify what that may actually look and sound like. As Sloan says, "When you are sure of your intentions and the quality of your desire, the journey will be pleasant and the learning will be easier." (34)

Consider exploring these perspectives if you are feeling a lack of motivation or desire. Ask yourself if you really do want the skills you are tasked with building. Ask yourself if you are willing to work today, even in a small way or for a short amount of time, toward building those skills. Imagine what those skills would feel like and sound like in your body and your voice. 

And then go practice. 

21 comments:

  1. I totally understand and am one of those student who said that motivation was one of the hardest things to do when taking classes fully online. I think it is really easy to not do anything especially when sitting at home and in front of a computer screen all day, especially when those classes are better taught and are easy learned from in person.

    But I did love the second quote from that book that talks about being willing to work TODAY. I think thats a big one. But also makes me think, could be easy to fall under the trap of saying well I will do it tomorrow, day after say, when asking yourself that question. I think for me, personally that is the biggest thing. I will say that I will do it tomorrow and say that every day after, until days go by and I still have done what I have needed to.

    But with this new semester I have set goal and have actually been staying on top of them. I think it helps to be able to have last semester to reflect back on and realize the changes I need to make this year in order to be where I want to be in life and this program.

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  2. I feel lucky in that singing usually does not feel like chore, and is hardly comparable to the rest of my online classes (that I essentially drag myself to.) Singing feels like a relief. This being said, it is harder to practice the things I am not good at. After a long day of struggling to pay attention and to be a good student, the tendency is to resist doing more hard stuff during my fun singing time. What has helped me navigate these difficulties is being very particular about what I am singing and when- I have a designated messing around singing time, and a time dedicated to learning my materials. Doing hard things CAN be fun and I find joy in making breakthroughs- but allowing myself to singing something totally ridiculous just for the sake of singing is a nice reward. It keeps me motivated!

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  3. I really like the idea of envisioning what you could sound like if you put in the work. It kind of seems like a form of affirmations/manifestations to me where you know what the end goal you want is and if you just keep envisioning it eventually you'll at least go somewhere. I've found for me that logging practice (especially with specificity) is immensely helpful toward my motivation. I can physically see how much work I've put in and even If I'm not there yet I can't guilt myself with believing its all from laziness. It also helps my practice be more mindful, rather than just running though things I'm finally taking notes which help me stay on the path rather than forgetting everything I worked on and starting from scratch each time.
    - Brendan Lowry

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  4. Motivation was something that certainly required a lot of mental power, especially as we neared the end of the semester without really any breaks. One way that I found to maintain motivation was to remind myself why I am doing all of this work. Once I have given myself a bigger-picture mindset, I can once again break down the steps I need to do to achieve this goal. This gives me more motivation because I can put aside my temporary apathy for the joy that comes with accomplishing my goals. That being said, there were days where I simply had to survive the day of class. I gave myself the grace to occasionally have days like this to mentally recharge a bit, and then would chug along forward some more.
    This semester, I am trying to take a much more organized approach. I'm finding that if I am conscious of how many upcoming assignments I need to do, I can better assess how to use what motivation I have to finish what I need to do. It has also helped me to be less overwhelmed, and to use less energy on anxiously scrolling through the Canvas calendar multiple times a day.
    I love the quote "When you are sure of your intentions and the quality of your desire, the journey will be pleasant and the learning will be easier" because it highlights the need for intentions. It is certainly hard to get out of bed every day if it is only to wander aimlessly, so finding purpose is a great positive source of motivation for me.

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  5. Motivation comes and goes, some days it takes nothing in me at all to sing for practice or pleasure throughout the whole day. Then other days I will do anything against being productive. Trying to find my goals and working towards them is always something that pushes me toward greatness but finding these things come and go like the wind.

    I hope to have another good semester of practice, setting up my schedule and getting into the swing of things will ultimately be what sets me up for greatness. Here is to a term full of triumphs and early mornings.
    -Tate Foshay

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  6. I really appreciated this post! I definitely struggled with finding consistent motivation last semester with everything being online. Putting in the work sometimes felt pointless and it was hard to motivate myself. But in all honesty there is so no better time than now to work on my craft.

    The part about envisioning what you want and what that would like resonated with me. Because once you have a clear picture of what you want its way easier to go out and start working on getting there. I'm looking forward to getting back into a practice routine this semester and start working specifically on the things I want to get better at.

    - Jacob Sen

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  7. I really do struggle with motivating myself, not so much with singing but with schoolwork, chores, getting out of bed in the morning and other such tasks. However, I do struggle to keep myself motivated to doing specific exercises while I sing instead of just goofing off and singing a song that just sounds fun. I actually read something earlier this week about how everyone has a limited amount of willpower so if you focus to hard on one thing you're not going to be able to motivate yourself to do something else. I think the key lies in balancing how much energy you expend making yourself start that essay for example so that you are able to make yourself practice your sliding scales.
    -Myles Davis

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  8. This is something that I definitely struggle with. Even prior my decision to pursue the arts, I lacked motivation in school. My dad and I have talked about this being a problem, and he tells me the same thing: that I have to want it. But it’s easier said than done, that’s what I’ve learned. There have been times when I have been super motivated working but most of the time academically, I just try to get an essay or project or homework done and out of the way instead of actually enjoying the process.
    I love the arts. In my free time I do research on what I can add in my rep book, I research scores and the music theory behind it. My problem is that I have the passion but I’m impatient. I want a perfect product immediately and when I don’t get it, I get frustrated. I sometimes skip the warmup process of my practice sessions because I want to get to rep immediately. I know that I do want to work in this industry, it’s just the process to get there and my impatience that is the challenge.
    Over the break, I had a sudden burst of motivation to work. It happened at 2AM and I ranted on twitter about my desire to play the male lead even if I don’t look the part, but no matter what, I will try my best. Normally with these bursts of motivation, it goes away in the morning, but as I’m typing out this blog, I still have a fire to want to be better. I think what Sloan said is really helpful. Make small goals for yourself each day to get to the product you want. I’ll carry that with me, that even smallest goals build the stairs to the perfect product.

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  9. Internal motivation is something that I have issues with. This applies not only to singing but to other aspects of my life. Part of this has to do with the way my brain functions, and it will take more than just telling myself, "I will sing (or do this activity) today." I love singing and it is something that I have found I am good at. I also want to become a better singer. That still brings me back to the internal motivation problem that I face. I need to develop skills that will give me that little boost to push through and do the work without it feeling like a battle. This may be something to work on in my lessons in addition to technique. If I can find that little push, then singing and practicing will not feel as arduous and I believe I will be a better singer, performer, and student for finding that little bit of internal motivation.
    - Will

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  10. Looking back at last semester, there were definitely many moments where I did not feel motivated to practice or motivated to do the work I needed to do. But I like the questions being asked in this blog post. What do I want to get out of training that I am getting here? Where do I want to be because of this training? Those are the questions that I think help motivate me to continue practicing and working on my voice every day. The skills that I gain from working on my voice will help me later on in my career. Keeping a positive mindset with clear goals about what I want to do with my life help motivate my desire to work on my voice.

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  11. Motivation has been a big topic for alittle over a year now. I have always been a person who gets motivation when i am next to people who love and feel passionate about the same thing that i do. That is why this year has been very hard. I try my best to stay on the bright side but sometimes it isnt always that simple. Reading what you put on thier i do see that it is very important for us to continue to let ourselves know that, are we willing to keep putting in the work. for me that is without a quetion a yes. I love to sing and laugh and be around people and i know that day will come back. until then i get some good time to reflect and work on me.

    Alex Fish

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  12. Motivation has definitely been a very weird thing for me to conceptualize. Motivation kind of comes and goes for me. It can either be by day, or by week or anything it just kind of changes. Some ways I have been able to combat this constant switching are writing down my schedule, staying busy, and constantly reminding myself of what I want and where I want to be in years to come. Goal setting is another way I have found to keep myself motivated. I set daily goals, monthly, and long term goals that I remind myself several times throughout the day. Doing this has helped me stay on track with my studies and balancing each aspect of my life. I think motivation has always been hard for me because it is nearly impossible to see instant change, this has made it hard to notice when I reach those goals. However, setting goals and working for them does pay off. I just don't always see them achieved in the moment only later on down the road.
    -Caden Tudor

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  13. As someone who probably every single week talks about my lack of motivation, it was good to know I am not alone in this struggle. Even though my passion for theatre has somewhat fluctuate during the course of this crisis, I have come to the conclusion that I do want these skills, and that performing these skills and seeing the progress i've made does give me a genuine serotonin boost. Getting on medication this week for mental health things and hopefully soon I'll have adapted to a new normal and motivation won't be the biggest hurdle of my senior year!

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  14. Thank you so much for this post! I was 100% one of the people who said that motivation was really difficult for me. That was one of the things I directly expressed in my end of semester meeting with Dave and Denny. Somethings that I have been doing this semester is I have bought an actual calendar that I have been writing the due dates an what I need to do on it and my practice times. Something that is really useful at the moment is that none of my suitemates have moved back in and I'm not sure when they will move back in so I no longer have to go to the PHC to practice every time I want to practice. This semester I am really trying to embrace the online classes instead of just wishing they were in person.

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    1. This is Keenan Leuthauser, I'm not sure what it says unknown.

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  15. I really like this post. I like the implication that even just asking the right questions can help you be more motivated. I intend to use these methods this semester when I'm feeling down. Like Abby said, once I'm singing it hardly ever feels like a chore, so I need to envision how happy I'll be once I'm singing.

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    1. I think breaking down that imagined skill into smaller (TODAY) chunks will be helpful.

      NOW GO PRACTICE (just trying to emulate Brian) :)

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  16. I won't lie, lack of motivation has been the downfall of me for most of my life. It's not that I lack interest in what I do, but rather the will to motivate myself to pursue what I love. I wish the answer for me would be as cut and dry as "get up and do it", but more often that not that doesn't seem to be the case, so recently I've been trying to find ways to get myself to do the work needed for my pursuits. Some things I've been throwing around include positive reinforcement and rewarding myself for the work I do, and also cutting out distractions that inhibit my growth as an artist which mainly include bad eating habits and negative people.

    I really enjoyed the quote Sloan gives regarding if this is something I really want, and if I am willing to put in work TODAY. I'll admit, some days, I don't want to put in that kind of work. Maybe it's because I'm overwhelmed or something came up. Either way, I need to accept that it's just fine to not want to improve yourself every single day. I tend to get stuck in my mind if I don't actively work towards improving myself and eventually I spiral into an unmotivated rut. I really appreciate the wording of the quote and I think it'll be something I keep in mind, that it's okay to not want to work on my voice for a day.

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  17. This blog post synthesized and validated several overlapping struggles and ideals in regards to motivation. The dialogue failure and what it "is" reframed a thought pattern I have long had about it. Replacing disappointment, lack, and fear with imagination is a thrilling concept. It opens a world of endless possibilities when referring to practice, execution, and product. I also feel it reinforces desire because that means no two practice sessions can ,or will ever, be the same. This certainly has helped to inspire a boost in motivation, and provides new food to chew on. Thanks King Brian!

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  18. I find it interesting that even with something I know in my mind body and soul to be my purpose, that I continue to have motivation struggles for the hard work. I do believe the pandemic and lack of human interaction has diminished the love of the art form for me as of recent. That being said, with this semester looking up for vaccinations and possible freedom by summer, I don't anticipate my dismay will last for long.

    Josh W

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  19. Thank you for this! I absolutely agree. Having motivation has been something I’ve struggled with a lot recently so it’s been tough starting college with that right off the bat. I love these quotes because they put it in a way that’s simple and doable. Taking it day by day can help take a lot of the weight off. It can be overwhelming thinking about all the things we have to do so thinking about getting through each day makes it so much easier.

    Thankfully for me, singing doesn’t feel like a burden or a chore. I do it all the time just for fun and to get my mind off other things. I like that the quotes mention reminding yourself of what you really want and if getting better is really a priority. For me it truly is so that has been one of the things helping me get through all the difficult times. While it’s still hard, finding motivation has slowly been getting easier and easier for me. This was especially motivating for starting this new semester. I will keep all this in mind moving forward!

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