what’s so difficult about change is uncertainty, not knowing where you’re going, delving into the realm of the unfamiliar. you are forced to step out of your comfort zone, test waters, take risks, make mistakes, fall, muster up enough courage to stand up again and again. that’s why routine is so enticing even though we all say we detest it. that’s why most people fear sightreading. you can’t spend time/effort practising, it’s walking into unfamiliarity and not being sure whether you’re hitting the right stuff, stopping and restarting over and over again, a test to see how well you deal with unpredictability, twists and turns, a test to see how well you perservere and continue until you reach the end of the dreaded piece.
having said that, i never disliked the sightreading component. i thought it was fun because it was something you could never ever practise for, technically. in fact, i looked forward to it because i could play something other than the other 3-4 set pieces that were drilled into my brain (or rather, fingers) for months. to play something new is a delight, it’s refreshing. mistakes are inevitable, but you learn to correct and continue with the set pace. the more you sightread, the better you become at it. the more you stick to the same old pieces you know, you’ll never learn to handle variety and change because you can’t stand to make mistakes. when you reach the end of every piece, there is a sense of satisfaction, not pride, satisfaction. because you know you made mistakes, moved on, made less mistakes, moved on, and despite all, you reached the end.
that’s how life is, isn’t it?
