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Bell's Studio is a creative forum for music teachers and music students to connect.
We strive to give all students the opportunity to find the instruction they need and not from just anyone - but the best! This is a shout out to all aspiring musicians, AND to accomplished musicians who teach - or who would like to teach.
Bell's Studio is for you.
As we develop and grow, we ask for your patience while we try and find a teacher to meet your needs.
If you have any questions or concerns, fee free to e-mail me at bellsstudio@gmx.com!
Sincerely,
Jocelyn Beldman, BMT, MTA
Practicing
Saturday, January 14, 2017 by Jocelyn Beldman | Uncategorized
Everyone loves music, and it seems as though everyone wants to have the ability to play music. Anyone can play music but there is really only one thing that stands in the way.
Practice.
That dreaded activity that every student is guilty of not doing!
Why do we hate practicing so much? Why is it so difficult to incorporate practice into our daily routine? Is it because your music teacher is usually pretty nice about it, so its not a big deal if you don't? Is it because you're not being given a national assessment on how much you've practiced the last 3 months? Is it because you simply have other, more important, things to do? Is it because there's that one key on your keyboard/piano that doesn't work right - so pretty much you can't practice... ?
There really isn't an answer to your problem if you're having a hard time finding the time to practice, or encouraging your little one to practice. The bottom line is however - it MUST be done - or else you are wasting your valuable "music lesson" money.
Practice is as effective as regular lessons. They go hand-in-hand. The teacher can only teach so much - the student must develop the skill through persistent, consistent repetition. Trust your teacher - that's how he/she became your teacher!
Since I don't have an easy answer to your problem, I will try and provide some support.
Justin Coletti outlines 6 Science-Supported Steps to Great Musicianship. Read the article by clicking on the link if you have the time, or else continue reading and I will give you the 'Coles Notes' version.
1) Commit in writing.
- Write down your goals. These should be SMART. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely.) This means, if you want to learn to play "La donne e Mobil", write your goal like this:
Goal: Learn to play "La donna e Mobil" fluently with both hands by February 28, 2017. I will do this by practicing it 10 minutes a day, 5 days a week. (Resting on Sundays and Thursdays.) I will record my practice sessions in my notebook each day.
2) Start Small.
- Start by practicing 5 minutes a day. Once you have been able to do that successfully for a while, then bump up to 10 minutes.
3) Know Your Trigger.
- This means that you need to know when is the best time to schedule practice. Don't set yourself up for failure. Don't decide to wake up an extra 15 minutes earlier in the morning to practice -when in reality you know you'll be pressing the snooze button come that time. Set your practice time to fit in well with your daily routine.
4) Reward Yourself.
- If you met your practice goal for the week, give yourself a nice reward. You can use smaller rewards for smaller accomplishments and larger rewards for more work.
5) Commit Publicly.
- Let some of your family or friends in on your goals!
6) Track your success.
- If you have all the days outlined in a calendar, it is so satisfying to see all those crossed-out days of successful practice - you'll be less likely to miss a day when its right there screaming at you in plain ink! Here's a sample organizer to help you keep track!
I hope this helps. It is extremely difficult to "unlearn" habits or to incorporate new more positive ones. But in order to be a great musician, practice needs to take place. Find a way to make it work! Your music teacher has your back!
