Navigating your child’s band/orchestra experience as a parent can be challenging – as a parent of two music students, I can personally attest to this! Many of us may have memories of our own band experiences, and some – like myself – are musicians/teachers who have very specific thoughts on how music students should work. The following are some thoughts on what you should expect from your student’s practice sessions from my experience as an educator and a parent.
How often should my student practice? The answer to this question varies depending on the age and level of the student. I tell my younger students that they should practice a minimum of four days a week, but no more than six. I think that it’s important to take at least one day off, regardless of the level of the student. The face muscles that we are using are very small, and we can’t beat them up every single day – they need to rest.
How long should my student practice? Again, this answer will vary from student to student, but with my younger students, I suggest that each practice session should be about 30 minutes. If we go with our four-session minimum, that’s at least two hours each week. Two hours might seem like a lot – especially to a fourth or fifth grader – but spread out over seven days, that isn’t much time at all. When it comes to time, as a teacher, I am less concerned with how long the student practices and more concerned about what they accomplish. I have seen some parents who will set a timer. The student has to “practice” for 30 minutes, until the timer goes off. When forced to practice like this, many students don’t accomplish much.
What does my student need to practice? They will need a quiet space that is free of distractions, the music they are working on, their instrument, a pencil, and a metronome. The metronome is important – this helps us to makes sure that what we are working on is being done correctly. I tell my students that if they aren’t using a metronome, they aren’t really practicing. They need the pencil to keep track of their metronome markings.
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What should my student be doing during their practice? You may have guessed, but this – again – depends on the student, their level, and what they are working on – especially if they have a private teacher. I like to break my practice sessions into three categories: Buzzing, Scales, and Music (lesson/Band assignments). I suggest that if a student is using a 30-minute session, they can break it up like this:
5-10 minutes of buzzing – this can be basic shapes or buzzing tunes.
5-10 minutes of scales – students should pick a different scale each day to work on. A band or private teacher can give suggestions on what scales, or scale exercises to work on.
10-20 minutes – this portion of the practice time is spent working on band or lesson assignments. Pick one or two small sections to focus on and work on them until they are better!
The student should set GOALS before they start practicing. What do they want to accomplish? I want to learn my D Major scale. I want to work on rehearsal 1 in this band piece, and this exercise from my lesson. The more specific the goals, the better your practice will be. I want to get rehearsal 1 from quarter-note equals 60 to quarter-note equals 80.
They should also have fun! Not every practice session has to be work. Sometimes they can just play for fun – this is supposed to be fun!
The last thing I will leave you with is this: these are just suggestions not rules. Sometimes your student won’t practice where you can see it. That’s ok. Sometimes your student won’t practice more than once or twice a week. That’s ok. Forcing them to practice won’t make things better. In fact, it might make them resent music. Allow it to be fun, let them work at their own pace. I didn’t practice much when I was in middle school, but when I decided that I wanted to get better, I practiced, and my playing got better!
Good luck and enjoy the ride!
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