Summertime Practice!

Ahh, sweet summertime. Lazy days of going to the pool, going fishing, going to baseball games. Cookouts and camping. Family vacations and summer camps.

Of course, summer 2020 is a little different than most. Kids have been out of the normal school routine since March, and some of the normal summer activities have been canceled or modified due to Covid-19.

For kids, this has all been pretty unsettling. They hear adults talking about the virus, they miss their friends, they miss getting ready for county fair or summer camps. On top of that, parents are stressed and weary of the grind when all the familiar rhythms have been disrupted. It adds up to a big disruption of routine, and that includes the routine of piano practice.

So what does that mean for my students at Meadowlark Music Academy? I hope it means that piano can be a kind of happy touchstone of routine in the day for our families. Here are some things to think about:

1) Summer is a great time for special projects, so the whole studio is going to be involved in a composition project this summer. This is taking two forms ... a composition relay and individual projects. My very beginning students will only have to do the relay, though they can also do an individual project if they want. For the relay, I have divided the studio into six teams of three students each. The first student, one of the beginners, will work on coming up with a short little melody. The next student will add to it (it could be more melody, a rhythmic variation, or harmony), and then the next will add more. When these are done, I will notate them and put them in a booklet for each student.

For individual projects, students are working on chord progressions and harmony, and building their own pieces with that as the foundation.

Special projects mean that if practice time is a little sporadic for a week or two, we still have plenty of things to work on during a lesson. We can work on those composition projects and learn music theory, ear training and improvisation skills along the way.

2) It is a great time to focus on specific skills because we aren't working on recital pieces right now! We can work on repertoire that kids have been interested in but that we haven't gotten to yet, or we can work on skills (note reading, rhythm, etc) that need some extra attention. For kids who are in band, or those who will be starting band this fall, we can work on things that will help them succeed there. One student has decided this will be the summer that her note reading is going to leap forward. Another is working on some things for upcoming auditions, and another is learning to play hymns with an eye toward playing for church sometime. Summer affords us a little extra time to get some of these things up and running according to individual interests.

3) There aren't as many activities competing for students' attention in summer of 2020, but it still can be hard to establish a routine. I suggest linking practice to some other activity in the day (for example, a student might do some morning chores and then practice right afterward, or another student might practice right after lunch). I've found in my own family that earlier in the day is better, but your family routine might be completely different. One of our friends when we lived in Lincoln always practiced before breakfast on school days. He was definitely a morning person! The key is just to link practice with some other thing that happens daily, so that it becomes a habit.

4) Please remember that 10 minutes every day for six days is way better than 60 minutes once a week. Short sessions are truly doable on most days, and if your student learns to focus really well for those sessions, they can accomplish a lot (and also will learn skills that will help with studying in school). For my beginning students, 10-15 minutes a day is almost always enough. For many of my second year or more students, more time is needed. If you have questions about general time guidelines, ask me in person or text me and we can discuss a good plan for your individual student.

5) Be available during practice time. This is most true for the younger students. They might need a little help finding their hand position, or remembering the difference between a skip and a step, or need you to find a reminder video for them in my Google Drive library ... a little help to keep them on the right track will help them get the most out of their practice time.

6) Use the notes I send home weekly! I almost always write down specific practice strategies and spots that need to be worked on in the assignment documents. If practice time is short, the notes often help them zero in on which areas need the most work. I really need parents to help with this. You have to either print the assignment off or let your student copy it into their notebook. Some of my older students are getting their assignments directly and most of them are doing great with this responsibility. For the littler ones, a piano parent's involvement will make all the difference.

I love summer! I'm not a fan of hot weather, but I love the feeling of freedom and fun associated with summertime (and also baseball). I hope that piano practice will be one more happy activity for my students during these days, and that they will be proud of their accomplishments during the summer of 2020!