Festina Lente: Balancing Practice and Speed.

Festina Lente is a Latin phrase that translates to "make haste slowly."

True speed comes from careful, deliberate practice.

When you habitually rush through your music practice, your ears become dulled, and your playing becomes sloppy. It's fine to test your progress with a quick, intense effort occasionally

. However, allowing speed to develop naturally through careful, consistent nurturing—much like meticulously building a finely crafted racing car—is far more effective.

Unfortunately, many people tend to practice too quickly, both in their own music and when listening to others. Our goal should be to become truly brilliant. This aspiration is powerful, and it can define the essence of our music.

Patience with practice is essential—like a stonecutter, we must learn to be patient and understand that some things, such as speed, must be relinquished temporarily—just as trust often develops gradually — so that they can arrive naturally and fully.