Do you still practice for four hours a day?
I sure try to. Earlier this year, between January and April, I was doing three to six hours a day, which is about as hard of practice as I ever do. When people say they practice nine hours a day, I think, “How is that even possible?” If I play six hours in a day … I know that somehow I have a solid 18 hours that I’m awake, maybe 16 if I slept enough, but I don’t know how six hours of practice somehow takes up the entire day. Maybe we underestimate how much time it takes to eat and shower. When people say, “I practiced twelve hours yesterday,” I think, “How?!” If I practice for six hours — and I mean really practicing, not noodling absentmindedly — I max out. I get to the point of diminishing returns and I have to leave the house. I need to do the kinds of things that make me a full and complete person.
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You are a true believer in earplugs for rehearsals, soundchecks, and gigs. When and why did you begin using them?
My ears are very sensitive. If a police car or fire engine goes by with the siren on, my fingers are in my ears. If I’m at a movie theater, I bring earplugs because it’s always too loud. So pretty much from the first time I ever sat down with a drummer, it was, “Whoa, I’ve got to figure out how to protect myself.” When I was playing in Zepparella and Sticks and Stones, a trio with an incredibly powerful drummer, I ditched my professional earplugs and went with the foam ones. I needed that uneven attenuation because the cymbals were so loud. I went to an audiologist a few years ago because, as much as I love my bands, nothing is worth my hearing. Fortunately, I had no hearing loss at all on any of the spectrum. I was kind of shocked about that, but it made me such a believer. Hearing loss can be very quick. It can happen in a moment and it doesn’t come back, so I’m militant about hearing protection.
Full interview http://www.guitargirlmag.com/interviews/gretchen-menn-talks-recording-composition-and-the-art-of-the-guitar-2015-08-10