Just Keep Swimming!

It’s January—the point of the year where the excitement of a shiny new instrument and first sounds have become a distant memory.  The magic has worn off, and what’s left is real work—the monotonous, repetitious tasks of learning more notes, rhythms, terms.

Many young band students in the winter months hit a motivational wall, where the lack of instant gratification stalls their progress and in some cases, their interest.  What do we do?  To paraphrase the FINDING NEMO character Dory:  just keep practicing!

Parents should take the lead and encourage their children to keep the system running, even if it has to be altered slightly to continue progress.  Here are a few ways:

TEN IS BETTER THAN ZERO.  Twenty minutes a day, four days a week…that’s a pretty standard routine for a child to learn an instrument. But in the hard times, do what it takes to keep momentum. Even if it’s only ten minutes a day, encourage kids to keep their routine.  Set a timer for ten minutes and, no matter if they are struggling or thriving, stop them after ten minutes. You’ll get a funny reaction if they are really playing well, but stop them anyway. It’ll make them come back another day.

SKIP A DAY—BUT NOT TWO.  Allow your child to miss a day but only if they practice then following day. One day off usually will not deteriorate learning and in a lot of cases, the short time away from the instrument might help the brain and muscles might create more clarity. But taking two days (or more) off in a row can quickly undo things. Don’t create a streak!

SMALL WINS.  Positive reinforcement goes a long way.  “I heard you play Hot Cross Buns!”  “Those high notes sound great!” Or, even better…”I know you weren’t up for playing today, so thank you for keeping up with your practicing. That’s going to pay off later on.”

We know that when want to keep our cars warm, we keep the engine running.  If we want our car to start, we have to drive it often. Let’s keep the music going—just keep practicing!