Practice Expectation

All music students are expected to practice on a daily basis to prepare for the next rehearsal or lesson. Practice is not always fun, but it is essential for the development of musical skills. Parents are encouraged to help their children find time to practice 5-6 days a week.

One long practice a week is not nearly as effective as several shorter practices spread throughout the week. The band room will almost always be open after school so that students who play large instruments can practice and for individualized help from the director.

I recommend practicing to meet performance goals rather than setting a time on it. Students should practice within the following categories:
1. New music.
2. Developing music (music that is being prepared for performance).
3. Technique (scales, arpeggios, tone…).
4. Performance music (music that is ready but needs to be maintained).
5. Music study (listening, composing, creating).

All young musicians will at some point complain about practicing, so it is important to emphasize that most students don’t quit music because they have to practice; they quit because they don’t practice enough. 

Tips for Practice

  1. Create a consistent practice time; like afterschool, but before playing video games, watching TV, or phone time.
  2. Set a small goal to accomplish
  3. Practice with a metronome (most of the time…I mean MOST OF THE TIME)
  4. Really…practice with a metronome, if the pro’s do, then you should too. 
  5. Use a good music stand
  6. Record yourself
  7. Always work on tone
  8. Slow and meticulous practice is AWESOME, fast and sloppy practice is a waste of time!
  9. Listen to recordings of the pro’s and imitate 
  10. Look up the music’s terms
  11. Get private lessons

Private Lessons

As one might expect, private instruction will give students a huge advantage as they learn their instrument. individual attention is enormously beneficial to a musician’s development. The discipline and success resulting from successful lessons will likely increase musical enjoyment within the participating student. The Band Director will be more than happy to assist in the selection of a private teacher. 

Tools to Help

Korg TM70 Tuner and Metronome
A tuner and a metronome are essential tools that can help you play more in tune and more in time. All great musicians use these tools during the majority of their practice time. Especially when learning new music and skills. My recommendation is to have a standalone device such as the Korg tuner linked above. However, you can get great tuners and metronomes on most smart devices. 

My recommended apps Apple and Android are 
ProMetronome  (best metronome app)
Tonal Energy  (both tuner and metronome-my most used app in class and at home).