UGH!  I hate it.

• Let's be honest here.  You don't enjoy it because it's a struggle.  The problem is that lack of playing becomes a vicious cycle: I don't play at home because it's hard to play music I don't know, but I don't know the music because I don't play it.  See the problem?  Here is what we do:

  1. NEVER call it practicing.  It is playing your instrument.  Every time you pick it up and make a noise, you are playing it.  Practicing stinks, but when you PLAY, you are having fun. ​

  2. Consider this:  you signed up to play an instrument, so now all you have to do is play it.  The more you play, the better you get.  Simple as that.

  3. Playing music is no different than playing a videogame or a sport.  You proceed toward a goal, you encounter an obstacle, you find a way through it, you succeed.  Done.  It is actually pretty fun when you approach it with the right mindset.

My kid won't practice and I hate the battle.  What can I do?

• You are absolutely not alone.  As a teacher I hear this one a lot.  Here are some thoughts:

  1. As soon as playing time becomes an obligation, the benefits are lost.  Approach it as what it is - an opportunity.  This is a really cool thing that will open up a world of opportunity and friendship.  Playing at home is non-negotiable if your student wants that.​

  2. Remember that this, like any activity, is something that you are invested in with your child.  You do not need to stand over a shoulder with a whip, but you do need to check in and see how things are going.  View this as an opportunity.  Give your child a small, attainable goal and a reasonable amount of time to do it and then come back for a performance.  Something like "Bonnie, I'm going to come back and hear you play these 4 measures for me in about 5 minutes.  I'm looking forward to it!"  Bonnie will be motivated and proud because you are taking an interest and she has a goal.

  3. Kids don't like to do things they aren't really good at.  The problem is that when you are learning something, you generally aren't really good at it.  Take the focus away from how well they play and put it on how much they improve and how hard they work.  They aren't trying to fix everything right now.  The key question is, "are you better at it now than when you started?"

  4. Music is about sharing.  Allow playing in a place around the house where you can hear them.  I cannot tell you how discouraging it is when kids are made to play in the garage or in the basement.  That takes what should be a proud, shared experience and makes it a punishment.  When you do that, you are essentially saying, "because you don't sound worth listening to, you are banished!"  No wonder they don't want to play at home.

  5. Don't bribe or beg.  This is something they wanted to do, and the prize is that they are learning to do it.  Bribery implies that this is negotiable and that they are doing you a favor.  They aren't.  You are doing them a favor by being awesome enough to support this.

What does a good routine look like?

• A good routine is exactly that: a routine.  It should happen at a relatively regular part of the day and have 4 parts:

  1. A slow, easy warm-up.  I like long-tones, scales, harmonics, arpeggios.  Nothing flashy, and nothing too fast.

  2. A run through of what you are playing today.  The purpose of this is to review what you did yesterday, and to set goals about what parts you need to work on the most.

  3. Go to the woodshed!  In music, the term woodshedding means that you take the music and chop it apart into its smallest splinters.  Work out the little parts and then build it back up and fit it in with the rest of the piece of music.

  4. Run through the section you worked on in it's entirety to make sure the work you did will stick.  A good rule of thumb is that you need to play it through at least 3 times without a mistake before you can call it done.

• How long should it take?

  • This totally depends on your goals, your experience, and the amount of time you have.  I'm not a fan of a set amount of time.  Just because you played for 20 minutes doesn't mean you accomplished your goal.  Instead, set a reasonable goal, and your time is done when you are satisfied.​

I'm not a musician.  What can I do to help my child?

• Provide opportunities to listen.  Play music on the computer or the radio.  Create a playlist on spotify.  Go to concerts.  One of the most important lessons all of my students know is that if you want good stuff to come out, you have to put good stuff in!​