Brett Eldredge, like countless people all over the world, is currently confined to his home in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19. With such a change in the usual routine, it is sometimes hard to stay productive and motivated while stuck at home. Eldredge seems to be managing well, however, and he shared some tips with Sounds Like Nashville.
“We’re all in a weird time where it’s hard to stay focused, but I found that if I get accomplished at least one thing a day, and I can go to bed and be like, ‘I did that,’ then it helps me a lot,” he shared in a recent press interview. “I’ve been writing on my mirror little things to work on. I ordered these markers that I can write on the mirror — like an accountability thing, like, ‘Can you play this song on guitar yet?’ And then I’ll look in the mirror and I’ll see myself and I’ll see that, and that reminds me to work on some things as well as just go watch movies and listen to books. I’ve taken up trying to run and just be outside in nature if I can; get some fresh air at times too.”
One thing Eldredge is doing to stay productive is learning how to play the piano, and he does so without putting too much unnecessary pressure on himself, which he believes is another important part of staying motivated during quarantine.
“I found if I give myself, and this is the same for my own life when we’re not in a quarantine, living in the normal times or whatever that is, not trying to put too much pressure on myself,” he says. “Like, okay, if I didn’t practice for two hours on the piano today, and I watched and played games or whatever the whole time, I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself to try to shame myself or whatever.”
Eldredge also expanded a bit on his new hobby of learning piano. As many of the new songs he released from upcoming album, Sunday Drive, are piano-driven, Eldredge says he’d love to be good enough to play his own songs on the piano in concert.
“Of course, we find bad habits in a time like this where you find yourself watching binge stuff, but I’ve also created a habit where, before bed every night, I play a part of a song that I really need to work on, and I’ll play it from beginning to that part, and then usually it’ll get a little bit better each day and I chip away at it,” Eldredge says. “I’m by no means going to be a Billy Joel or Mozart after this, but I may be able to at least play a song or two and have a little ‘nother piece of something I can maybe do in shows eventually or just as writing or whatever it is.”
