Today Opie was kind of goofing around during practice. One of the things she likes to do is to play her music with as ugly a tone as she can produce – and it can get pretty ugly. Many spots off key, notes die off like they have been stabbed, just generally ugly.
So I made a deal with her. She played each of her pieces twice: once as ugly as she could, once with as nice a tone as she can.
She thinks: I’m getting away with something.
I think: at least she’s practicing, learning her music rhythm, learning how to use the oboe to make different sounds, learning the notes of her pieces, working at making sounds when the reed isn’t entirely cooperating.
It’s an ugly win – win!