We sometimes think that all the learning happens during those four or six years of college/grad school. The truth is, lots more learning happens afterwards, if we are open to it.
In other words: what used to be hard doesn’t stay hard.
I was reflecting on this today as I wrapped up recording on demo tracks for a new arrangement. It took my wife and myself less than an hour each to record the SATB tracks for the new arrangement. These were demo tracks, and we were able to pitch correct them slightly, which saved time, but there’s a lot more to it than that.
In college or grad school, it would have taken me hours of painstaking work to record myself singing one part – let alone both tenor and bass.
Consistent growth and deliberate practice have made it way easier. I think it’s a combination of
(a) Much better reading skills – I’m fluent in reading music in a way I wasn’t, even at the end of grad school.
(b) Much better assessment skills. My job, every rehearsal, is to assess and improve performance. That applies to assessing my own performances, and it means I’m able to work my way to a good performance way faster.
(c) Technical Fluency. I am fluent in the tools I use to record in a more significant way than I was in college.