Music Teacher's Helper Blog

Practicing an instrument is an act that combines both mental and physical energies. I know that is an obvious statement, but as music teachers, how many of our students use practice to “go through the motions” without engaging in what they are doing? Hopefully not many, of course, but I’m sure there are times when awareness is lacking. What can music teachers do to help students prepare for their practice time, and what can students to do ready their minds and bodies in preparation for the good work they are about to do? The answer – stretch.

Stretching brings your awareness to your body – to how you feel and move. It has the ability to focus the mind away from other distractions and to bring it into the moment. It also helps to limber up the body, to release tension that may inhibit free movement at the instrument, and to prevent strains and possible injuries related to practice. Taking three minutes at the start of each lesson to stretch with the student not only ensures that we as teachers are not building tension by teaching for long periods without moving, but also awakens the student’s mind to the task at hand. It also introduces the habit of stretching before playing at home.

Read more…

This is an article by guest author Amanda Tradwick

Often, the cost of a new instrument can be prohibitive for some parents
whose children want to start learning how to play an instrument.
However, there are many options for finding affordable instruments to make
it possible for any family budget to accommodate these musical aspirations.
As a music teacher, you can help parents understand these options. Here are
some ideas:

Rentals
Some music stores offer rental programs for their instruments, which
some parents might find more financially accessible. Rentals are also
a good option for parents who aren’t sure that their children are
serious about their musical studies. They can rent the instrument while their child
determines if it’s the right instrument to study. The student may lose
interest or could decide that another instrument is more appealing.
Parents should be sure to choose a reputable store and should limit
the overall length of time of the rental. Prolonged renting will make
the instrument cost more than purchasing it.

Used Instruments
Many quality used instruments are available through a number of Read more…

How many minutes do you ask your students to practice?  I’ve come to this question from many angles–as a teacher, colleague, parent, and as a student (long ago!).  It has led me over many years to create a few new aphorisms in my teaching.

1. The more you play, the better you get

That’s a saying I’ve developed for my students.  I have seen some very fine players with terrible-looking technique, or at least technique I wouldn’t recommend.  So how did they get to be so good?  Because they love it, and they play a lot.  They’ve figured out how to adapt to the way they play, and make it work for them.

The student who is so afraid of making mistakes or getting stuck with bad habits that they just don’t play very much is simply not going to get much better.  I think some teachers may need to rethink the fear of bad habits.  It’s our job to reshape and improve how students play.  If progress in one area creates a bad habit in another, we fix it!  If students enjoy themselves by playing a lot and becoming more conversant with their instrument, but make some mistakes or build a bad habit — we fix it!  That is our job.  I do not think it’s our job as teachers to make a student so afraid of screwing up that they can’t experiment, or look ahead in their book, or try something new and different — as long as they honor our requests to practice what we ask of them.

2. The more efficiently you play, the faster you get better

This is the carrot for getting a student to understand and follow instructions.  It’s true that the more you play, the better you get, but if you pay attention to the teacher’s expertise and do things right, do them more efficiently, you’re going to get better a lot faster.

3. It’s not the minutes that count, but the consistency

If a student finds a time in their daily schedule to practice — even if only a few minutes — Read more…