Andy Bliss is a brilliant musician who knows how to use his tech tools to work through an idea. I loved this recent blog post of his. It is all about structuring practice methodically. Be sure to click the link and read the entire post. (He turned out a really neat MindNode mindmap in the process of thinking this idea through.)
Practicing Mindmap — Andy Bliss
Practicing is very much an iceberg-meme situation; much of the work is underwater and in preparation phases — before we are ever in the room with the instrument.
Fall always represents a return to this methodology for me. My primary goal with my first year university students is to establish practice habits - a healthy balance, great strategies, and supportive, compounding methods for growth.