"OK, it's time to stop practicing, it's been 3 hours- you have other things to do today!" I can't tell you how many times I heard this sentence from my mother as a young, budding pianist. My mother also likes to say that I could sing before I could talk(which isn't possible), but I do have very vivid memories of singing to my imaginary audience in my crib.  It's safe to say that music always has been and always will be the driving force in my life. Music has made my laugh when I want to cry(thank you Victor Borge),  helped me learn how to dance because I already knew what a" time signature" was, and has ultimately become not just my career, but my passion.

 Not everyone has the problem of practicing "too much", but I think that environment and encouragement played a huge role in developing my passion for practicing.  My mother always had classical music playing in the house, Beethoven, Bach, Grieg, Mozart, Debussy, to name a few.  She made sure that I had uninterrupted blocks of time to practice and was always encouraging me to play for friends and family. We have such busy schedules these days and most of us are not getting that quiet, creative time that my mother so carefully guarded for me.  As an adult with a full-time job, I have to treasure that time even more because the hours are so few and far between. So how does one come to that place where desire overwhelms discipline and creates passion?