Patrick,
It's a little hard for me to appreciate advice like this: I am quite musical and have a separate existence as an a capella ballad singer. I have played Celtic harp and fiddle. I also write songs occasionally.

Unfortunately, before I broke my hand I had begun a long overdue project of recording some of my own songs and other items in my repertoire. I can't sing a capella all of the time (no breaks for the voice). I have neither unlimited time (none of us do) nor a wealth of instruments at my disposal: I have a guitar and a voice to work with at the moment. I do work on harmony singing, diction, ornamentation. I listen to music. I sing with others a couple of times a month.

Far from "screwing up" my hand, guitar practice improves its range of motion S L O W L Y. I do play and I am going to continue to play.

I was looking for helpful practices and inspiration. And I had the thought that other people might like to discuss the rigors, challenges and rewards of regular practice. I've picked up one good idea from M. Ted, which was to start practice sessions by picking out simple melodies.

Best,

Sharyn