PRACTICING

Improvement is directly proportional to the amount of daily practice in the home. It is expected that students enrolled in half hour lessons will practice for a minimum of 30 minutes a day.  Students enrolled in forty-five minute lessons should be spending an hour a day with their instrument, practicing their solo repertoire. Students should view practicing as giving themselves a lesson at home.  Parents, I cannot stress enough the importance of your role in helping your child have a successful musical experience. With younger students, practicing needs to be monitored. Practice with your child.  Come to their lessons and take notes. Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.  In the case of older students, you do not need to sit beside your child as he or she practices. But some monitoring is useful. Sit in the same room while they practice. Listen from the kitchen.  Review their notebook and know what you should be listening for.  Know what they are supposed to be practicing and how they should be practicing it.  Most students cannot be left to themselves to practice regularly and correctly. Listen for counting, repetition, beautiful tone, and dynamics.   IT SHOULD GENERALLY BE SLOW…

Very little, if any, progress will be made if students do not practice daily.  Practicing should be looked at as a repeat of your weekly lesson at home.  Assignments written down mirror what happens at lessons and should be repeated as accurately as possible. Please attend your child’s lessons and be involved in his or her musical experience.