Are you a student (or parent) that took the summer off from music lessons to travel, or do summer camps, or just to free up your schedule before the start of
the school year? Or perhaps you are taking summer lessons but you still want to make sure that you are ready for fall lessons.
You want to take advantage of having more time to prepare in these next few weeks so you can be ahead of the game when the school year begins. If you want to set yourself (or your child) up for success, this is the article for you.
Summer is definitely a wonderful time to relax, have fun, and do all of the things that you were too busy to do during the school year. It is also the PERFECT time to hone your music skills! Even if you haven’t practiced your instrument since your last spring lesson, there is still time to catch up before fall lessons begin.
Start TODAY and use this 6-point checklist for success:
1.) Practice the last assignment your teacher gave you in spring at LEAST 5 days per week starting TODAY. If you are taking summer lessons, do this
every week for every new assignment your teacher assigns. Focus on the specific goals they give you to work on each time you practice. By the time
of your first fall lesson, you will be able to wow your teacher (and yourself)
with your songs and progress.
2.) Play or sing (if you are a vocalist) some older songs from last spring session that you already know, so you can really focus on good technique. The song is
already learned so your mind is more freed up to focus on mastering technique.
3.) Get a new assignment notebook for the new school year. New year, new goals. Just for fun, personalize your notebook with stickers, artwork, etc.
4.) Organize your music. If you don’t already have one, get a nice binder for your sheet music. Make sure you have a bag that fits all of your method
books, your notebook, and your binder.
5.) Start making a list of possible recital songs. This may seem like something way too early to do, but the earlier you select your song, the more time you have to perfect it. Perhaps you want to challenge yourself to play something a little above your level at the next recital? Start early, and your teacher
can help create a plan to learn it successfully.
6.) Make a note in the calendar of your first fall lesson start date and time. This may seem obvious, but with all, you may have to go on this summer it can
be easy to forget when you start music lessons.
Check off these 6 items the rest of this summer, and you will be ready to kick off a successful semester in the fall!
Tiffany Sullivan
APA Music Director