When I teach flute lessons, I ask my students, "how did that feel?" after they finish playing part of a warm up, etude, or solo, often when it didn't go according to plan. They figure the answer I'm looking for must be something external, so the first words out of their mouth are usually observations or judgments about what happened. But when I ask, "how did that feel?" I'm not asking about what could be judged externally, I'm asking about what you experienced internally.

In the spirit of reflection, here are some of my favorite practice prompts and contemplative questions from MPR over the years.

Being an artist or a musician is an expedition. There isn't a point somewhere in the middle when you get to claim the title.

A new piece of music you set out to learn is represented by a jar. The things you do to practice the piece are marbles.

When you’re trying to make progress in your music, start by moving from Step 1 to Step 2 instead of Step 9 to Step 10.

In music, body doubling can look like warming up with a friend, playing duets together, or going to the school practice rooms together.

What if, instead of working hard, we work fully?

I have been really interested in exploring the balance of intentionality in practicing.

How do you choose with wildly different offers in different locations?

I promise you that no one your age knows what they are doing, some of them are just better at hiding it.