A note on commitment

What do we ask of students at rehearsals and at home?

At rehearsals:

Students are responsible for setting up and packing away music stands, and our percussionists need to allow for a little more time to set up and pack away their instruments.

Other than that, we ask that everyone comes prepared with their music and their instrument (!) and, if at all possible, a wide smile and open ears! If you forget your instrument, students should come along anyway so they don’t miss out on stuff!

At home:

It sounds like a truism, but it’s worth saying that the more you play, the more you’ll enjoy playing! It is also true that for most students, it’s phenomenally difficult to establish a practice routine! I wouldn’t be surprised if this difficulty is the most common reason why students stop playing.

So please, even if a student hasn’t practiced all week, encourage them to attend rehearsals - we all know how they feel!

But how do we get them to practice??

Encouragement, joy, and curiosity from parents and carers are key. One thing is certain, a feeling of duty and guilt will never work!

Great! But how?

The most important thing is for parents and carers to get involved! Learn with your child! Take the time to be curious! Ask them to explain the ins and outs of the instrument! Let them be the expert!

Another little trick is to ask your child to at least open their instrument case every day to let the instrument breathe! This trick overcomes the hardest bit about starting a practice session: unpacking the instrument! Once the instrument is in front of them, it’s so much easier to pick it up and give it a whirl!