the thing you do to make you good

-Stathia Orwig

So, you've got your child in music lessons and now, you've got to figure out practice. Why? Well, they can't learn to play an instrument only by attending lessons. Practice is a must. I know, it's hard to fit in. I get it. I struggle with my kids every day, every week, and they are older! So, here are some pointers on how to get in practice.

• make it part of the daily schedule. Do your kids come home and have a snack? Maybe once they have a snack, they can unwind by practicing before they dive into their homework. Or what about the mornng before school? Could he get up 15-20 minutes earlier to ft in practice? For some famiilies, this might work! Or, what about while mom/dad is getting dinner ready, he goes and does the practice? These are just ideas to connect practice. Once you decide what would work best, then stick to it and it will become part of the routine.

• practice right after your lesson while it's fresh on the mind. Teachers help with practice and new pieces in the lesson. If you go home and practice while it's still fresh, then in comes back easier even if it's just a few minutes!

• put the piano in a visible and inviting part of your home. We want to practice in a happy surrounding! And it definitely helps if it's in the part of the house where you will remember to play!

• just get to the instrument. Really, this is the hardest part! It's kind of like getting to the gym...once you get there, you are fine, You could even stay for a long time! 

Once practice becomes part of the schedule, then it just gets easier and even more fun! Of course, we as teachers are always rewarding our students for practice with music bucks, contests, music ball, and honor roll. But the real fun, honestly, comes when they are confident & learning more repertoire! For more fun practice pointers, check out an past blog from the Old Pro.

Happy practicing!! Let us know what works for you!