I took a hiatus from my recording project this spring - not because I was procrastinating or because I was overly busy, I took a hiatus because I spent my spring working on getting my career redefined. I participated in 3 job interviews at Juilliard. Two for the same position that became redefined later in the year after my initial application, and the other for a position that would have been a lateral move to another department that I ultimately didn't receive an offer for as I'm actually too overqualified for the position. It's been a rocky spring semester in Higher Ed, and it lead me to do some deep thinking about who I am, what's important to me and where I want to go.
That all being said, I'm working on establishing a regular practice routine. This week I'm committed to following through on some instrument maintenance issues, (replace my strings and get a rehair) and I'm starting slow with scale practice. I usually use the scale routine that I learned in undergrad, going through all 24 scales in either 3 - 4 octaves at 60 on the metronome. I then choose a key to work on that focuses on division of the beat, slurring from 4-24 notes per bow. This process usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes to get through and also includes working through the Flesch and Galamian arpeggios for the chosen key.
Anything I choose to play beyond this will be a bonus. Slow and steady always wins the race. And after a rocky spring, am choosing to do the things that align more closely with my values and intentions. This project is one of those things.