There are lots of ways to approach a new piece of music. Some are more effective than others, and some will never get you off the ground. Below is a practical approach for effectively learning the actual music without learning mistakes along with it.

The first two main parts can come in either order, depending on the piece (or your mood). During both parts, hold space for musicality and include it as soon as possible.

Mechanics: make efficient movements with good sound. For instrumentalists, it's choosing fingerings and getting the right notes in the right order. For singers, it's text and breath. Spend time on this step because a correctly constructed framework is critical.
Rhythm: snap into the grid. Check your counting and make sure it's both clean and correct. Again, that framework needs to be just right, so don't rush this step. You can even do it apart from the melody and fingerings.

And now comes the best part: the music-making. The first two parts are necessary but not at all sufficient for making music that soars. You’ve constructed a skeleton, but now it's time to put on the flesh and the feathers by building on the informed, creative choices about style and dynamics birthed during your work on rhythm and mechanics. Create moments. Your personal touch in this step is the magic that breathes the life into the thing and gets it off the ground.

The best-prepared music will take you — and your listeners — along for a glorious ride.

Bird Rider, by Yammo Zhang — *Bird Rider,* by Yammo Zhang