I hear this question A LOT. As educators, we all want our students
to do their very best. Whether they are graphic artists, musicians,
fencers or soccer players. The art of doing something well is in
the doing. To master something, you must do it well repeatedly.
The repetition (in the correct way) is what makes the lesson
(whatever the lesson is) stick. Each of our educators has their own
point of view on the "Art of Practice" and we will share
them in this blog post.
I sometimes ask my students or their
parents if they only brush their teeth twice a year when they visit
the dentist. Of course this is met with laughter, eye rolls, "of
course not's". Yet sometimes, our students think that
just by attending a once a week lesson they will become a great
pianist, or violinist, or vocalist.
That's just not the case. Would you
want a mechanic who had never looked under a hood fixing your
automobile? Would you want the neurosurgeon who had only taken one
semester of courses operating on your spine? These ridiculous
questions are when I would want to hear a resounding OF COURSE NOT!
Think about when your child (or even YOU) started writing your letters. Remember that repetition? Tracing an upper case A 20 times? Or those workbooks your Mom used to buy you over the summer? Coloring within the lines (practice). Using scissors (practice).
Don't expect that you (or your child)
would be able to master the craft of their instrument by only
touching it at their lesson. We want them to succeed. We want them
to arrive and leave with a smile on their face from a strong sense of
accomplishment. This can only be done by honing their craft at
home. Please have them work at their music for at least 10 minutes a
day. If they say that they don't know what to work on EMAIL US and
we will advise you. Now, go make some music! Ms. Sandie
I
always tell my students that practicing a musical instrument is no
different than anything else they do in life; if they only do it once
a week or only every once in a while, there's little chance of them
getting better at it. I explain that the reason their teacher gives
them homework is so they can practice what was taught in class. If
they didn't do the homework, they wouldn't remember what the teacher
taught. If you only play soccer at the games and not in between, you
probably won't play as well. If something is important to you, you
need to take the time to work at it. Nothing happens by magic. Not
even magic; you have to practice that too. Good teachers want to see
their students succeed, not just in the final performance but every
time they do something. Good teachers want to see their students try
their best. Ms. Stacey
Music
lessons are only meant to give you the tools necessary to play music.
You need to take those tools home and use them to improve your music.
A major league baseball player did more then show up to his little
league game once a week when he was younger. A famous baseball player
like Alex Rodriguez was only able to hit 696 home runs because he
picked up his bat and practiced in between those little league games.
You're music teacher can only show you how to play your instrument.
YOU have to play what he or she showed you before your next lesson so
you can learn something new and better. You can take lessons with
great piano players like Alicia Keys or Billy Joel but unless you
open your book and play your piano for just a few minutes a day, you
will never play the piano. Even if you watch Tv, play video games,
and text your friends for 5 hrs. a day, practicing your lesson for
only 10 min. a day will add up to someone who can actually play
music. Mr. Dan
Why
practicing is so important is because when there is practice during
the week on a regular basis there is growth not only in your playing
but in your note reading..technique..and in your confidence as a
musician as well....poor practicing makes the lesson not only
miserable for the musician but for the teacher as well...all the hard
work the teacher spent teaching most likely goes down the tubes and
it is a lesson wasted and the students money
wasted...practice is VERY important to maintain a well balanced
lesson and to make the teacher know that they are teaching you the
best that they can....thank you for listening... Ms. Joanna
Practice
is so important as a musician. It helps us learn new concepts as well
as reinforce ones we learned previous. As a teacher I still practice
daily it helps me focus on the basics. The basics are your
building blocks, and teaching and practicing them keeps yours
polished. I tell all my students if you get frustrated walk away
do something else and then come back and try again. If it's still too
difficult don't stop practicing just circle the tough parts and go on
to practice something else. When you get to lessons we can go over
the trouble parts together. By not practicing at all it can turn out
to be really frustrating in the long run for the student, teacher and
parent when the student may not be progressing. Communication is key
and if all involved are on the same page it helps. We as teachers are
here to help, but we are not at home with you to remind you to
practice. Try a practice schedule if it seems hard to get
practice in. Having practice as part of a daily routine can help. In
my house it's after dinner before baths. Whenever you practice
has to work for you but not practicing leads to frustration for all.
Keep practicing and keep up the awesome work!! Ms
Gina
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