7. Give Yourself a Break in the learning process, and particularly if you're preparing for something big. Yes, you need to learn your music inside & out so you can sing/play it by heart, but you also need to give your brain and emotions a break so you can enjoy what you're doing and make sure stress doesn't sidetrack you. Some suggestions I've heard from professionals of all levels over the years: Read a good book or watch a movie to be transported to someplace completely

6. Practice Makes Permanent means if you practice wrong notes, those notes will be harder to correct, and possibly become permanent. That's why Tip #5. Woodshedding is so important. TAKE YOUR TIME to learn things correctly the first time. In the long run, it will save you time and you'll feel a lot better about your performance.