15 Tips to Help Navigate the Summer Practice Doldrums

-Tamara Schill

So, it’s summer and the kids are swimming, eating, doing camps, going to Grandma's house, eating, playing a few video games, musing about life, eating, and just plain lazing around. Hey, it’s summer! Maybe some of you are also traveling and getting in some good vacation time together. 

Whatever is happening with your family this summer, here are a few things you can do to help your kids not lose their music momentum during this time.

1. Listening. Have them listen to recordings of their music and of other great music. Involve them in picking out pieces or composers to listen to. (A future blog post will include some of my top listening and video suggestions.) Active listening. When traveling, bring a photocopy of a few of their pieces and have them listen to recordings while following along with their music. Even just passive listening soaks in and as a bonus, it helps regulate nervous systems.
2. Make practicing a part of their regular routine. Help them to think of practicing like brushing their teeth. Make it a part of the daily routine. A normal expectation. Just like you might check to see if they brushed their teeth or put away their toys, check if they have remembered to practice. This does not mean “nag” them. It may take time to build this as a regular part of their routine, but as it becomes more and more a part of their regular habits, it will become less of a “chore” and more just a part of who they are.
3. Incentivize. Occasionally put out an incentive- especially if they have been in a rut.  Maybe a trip to the ice cream shop for consistent practice every day for a week. Or plan to purchase a special item they have been wanting as an encouragement for mastering a particularly hard piece they have been working on. 
4. Driving games. When driving, put on the classical music station and discuss the pieces you hear. Who do you think the composer might be? Does this piece have a fast tempo or a slower tempo? What is the mood of this piece? Do you like it? Why or why not? You can gamify this by seeing who gets the composer right.
5. Rewards. Build in a reward system for mastering (or making good progress in) certain skills. An example of this would be playing legato in one hand while staccato in the other hand. Ask your teacher for examples of some skills that your student can work on at their level. Your teacher knows your student and can provide pieces or excerpts for them to work on. 
6. Ensembles, Duets and Trios:  If you or another family member plays an instrument. Find some basic duets to play with your student. Trios and quartets can be great fun. Even the littlest family members can get involved using egg shakers, maracas or bells. Just make it fun. I have great memories of laughing together with family members and friends when we would play duets together. Making music together is a terrific family activity.
7. Bundling. One of my families has bundled several expectations together and has found it to work. An example of this is that each child reads 30 minutes, practices 20 minutes, makes their beds and does math enrichment activities every day. They have a check-off list and once all the siblings have finished, the kids can play a game together that they love to play. 
8. Annotating. Photocopy a piece of their music and have them highlight and color certain aspects of their piece. For example, they could highlight all the eighth notes in green or circle all the dynamic markings in purple. If possible, depending on their age and skill level, let them take the lead on this. 
9. Attend a live concert where you live. In the DFW area: Basically Beethoven Festival… Chamber Music Festival. Find out what colleges are having programs. Sometimes they will post recitals their students are having. This is a great thing to do during the year as well. Go see a local college’s wind symphony or choir concert. Support chamber music. Go to see a professional orchestra. 
10. When traveling, check out the local music scene. Often there are summer music or art festivals around the world. These are great ways to expose your kids to music and art. Try some different genres. Maybe go to a jazz concert or a blues concert. Go to an opera or musical (always check it out first. 😊  Musicals can be great as well as long as you make sure the staging etc. is age appropriate. (Trust me on this one. There are a great variety of artistic decisions that go into these productions and sometimes a production that you would assume is “PG” --isn’t.)
11. Participate in a MSS Flex Experience. There are so many great options to choose from. Our teachers have such a wide variety of skills and interests that they are excited to share with your students. This also gives them the opportunity to meet and interact with other music students.
12. Keep your student(s) taking regular lessons in the summer. I can hardly emphasize this enough. Lessons help keep them moving forward and give them accountability. Their teacher will make sure the practicing they are doing is correct and that they are on the best track. Also, in the summer, teachers often emphasize different aspects of their musical training such as theory or rhythm that enrich and enhance their overall music education experience. Lastly, it is a great time to prepare for festivals and the music theory exam. 
13. Teach. Have them teach a piece to you (or another family member/friend such as an aunt.) They can also just teach you some of the basics. Kids often get excited to teach their parents. 
14. Find online theory/rhythm/music history content. There are some excellent sites where your student can join (for free) and move forward with their theory skills including exercises and quizzes. Alternatively, there are some fun basic rhythm practice videos on YouTube with multiple levels. (You can do this with them and see if you can clap the rhythm too.) 
15. Compose. Let them just play around on the piano creating music. Encourage them to compose something to go with a story they have just read or with a picture they have seen. ​

Of course this is not an exhaustive list and these things can be incorporated throughout the year as well. I would venture to say that you are already doing many of these things in your daily life. Giving them the gift of music is something that will benefit them their entire lives. By providing them with lessons and music experiences you are giving them a strong foundation. Great job!​