Home Practice

You have made an investment in your child’s music education, and now it’s time to help your young musician create and maintain a regular practice schedule. The two key ingredients to successful practice are frequency and consistency. While finding a great time and place for practice are necessary, the most difficult aspect of regular practice is being disciplined enough to remain consistent. Everyone’s schedule is a bit different, and every family has to figure out how to best meet their child’s needs in terms of practice. Here are some helpful tips when thinking about supporting your investment in your child’s music education:

• Provide a quiet place for practice.

• Make sure your child has the necessary supplies to keep their instrument in working order.

• Buy your child a metronome and tuning app. I strongly recommend the "Tonal Energy" app. It has all of the tools necessary for home practice.

• Ask your child what their goal is before they practice; they MUST have a goal.

• Ask your child how they will warm-up before working on their goal.

• Encourage your child to practice the most difficult passages first.

• Encourage your child to perform several repetitions after they have figured out tough passages.

• Have your child play what they have practiced; let them show you what they can do.

• Reward your child for doing well–EVERY TIME. Your encouragement is the BIGGEST reinforcement for your child’s future success!