As summer approaches, I know my stable teaching schedule during the school year will turn topsy-turvy in a month. With vacations, football practices, and summer musicals, students are busier than ever. This summer I am trying a few new ideas to make summer lessons productive for students and worth a place in their crazy schedules.
- Group studio class: To accommodate all of the missed lessons due to vacations, I plan on incorporating a bi-monthly studio class for students who missed a lesson. During the studio class, students will perform selected pieces for their peers. Students will make constructive criticism of performers in order to make their peers more at ease with performing in public.
- All State preparation course: Most of my students are high schoolers, and many plan on auditioning for All State Chorus. Here in Florida, the audition is a rigorous process, ranging from a musical terms test, sight reading exams, and excerpt preparation. During lessons we will go over terms, have a sight-reading session, and work on excerpts in the audition.
- Offer volunteer hours: For the final summer recital in August, my studio performs for a retirement community. Many high schoolers need hours of community service for scholarship applications or other requirements, so I offer the students 5 hours of volunteer hours if they participate in the recital. This includes their lessons up the performance, private practice, rehearsal with the pianist, 1 1/2 hour long recital, and a short reception greeting the elderly in the community.
- Prepare for fall contests: A lot of my more advanced students plan on auditioning for music programs in the fall or other competitions. Summer is a great time to fully prepare 3-4 pieces needed for these contests, and the studio classes and recital also gives great opportunities for public performance.
by Amy Gould — Mon May 5, 2008 @ 4:57 pm