Continuous Improvement

    "Kaizen" is a compound of two Japanese words that together translate as "good change" or "improvement." However, Kaizen has come to mean "continuous improvement" through its association with concentrated methodology and principles.

"The word refers to any improvement, one-time or continuous, large or small. However, given the common practice in Japan of labeling industrial or business improvement techniques with the word kaizen, particularly the practices spearheaded by Toyota, the word kaizen in English typically is applied to measures for implementing continuous improvement." (Wikipedia)

    One of the key elements is the concept of daily practice and here's where it coincides with music and it's also where the "zen" comes in. For me, zen is about the ability to have a calm focus as one completes a task. In the past I had a tendency to rush my work, not being attentive to process but the end goal, and then not always achieving a good outcome. Once I understood that "slow and steady wins the race", I started having more success. It's a craftsman's approach; every step is done with care to insure the desired result.

    When I started taking piano lessons I was required by my parents and teachers to practice every day for 30 minutes. It was torture at first, but after a while as I improved, I started enjoying  the learning process. When I switched to guitar it was the same; at first I spent hours in my room practicing, mostly learning songs off records, but when I started playing in bands I stopped practicing in favor of rehearsing. As a result I only became moderately proficient, which was fine for playing in bars, and never quite mastered the instrument. Songwriting and recording demos don't necessarily demand a virtuoso ability either so I was content for the most part to plod along with occasional flashes of brilliance.

    That changed when I returned to performing. When I began I had to learn a bunch of songs pretty quickly which meant I returned to practicing every day. It was one thing to learn enough songs to do a gig, but another to actually do them perfectly. Every song had some challenging passage with intricacy that was beyond my ability and I found that I had to spend time every day to work on specific parts. 

    It's taken some time, but recently I realized that this has paid off. I've gotten a handle on the passages that eluded me and that's rewarding and confidence building. I've also discovered that I can learn new things faster which is a benefit I didn't anticipate. Even though I knew about "Kaizen" and had found it useful for business, it really applies to everything you wish to master.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA

Singer/Songwriter Rick Millward lived and worked on the West Coast until moving to Nashville in 2000. He was part of the Music City songwriter community, collaborating with other artists and producing projects in his boutique studio, including two EMMY nominated soundtracks. Now in Southern Oregon, Rick has discovered a vibrant local music scene centered around the many tasting rooms. 

His records: "Limited Edition", "Home for Good", and “Loveland” are available on Spotify and other streaming platforms. His new recordings, "Astronomy", will be released later this year.

LOVELAND ON SPOTIFY