See why mental preparation is just as important as physical practice, and how training won’t get you all the way without focus and determination.
Check out what are the discoveries that I made about the way I approach practice versus the way I assume my students will approach practice.
Have a closer look at Avi Cytrynowski’s insights about performing, and the truth about what she is preaching and what she is practising .
For parents who say they “just want their child to have fun”… 4-5 practices per week means students can actually have fun with piano.
Well, the results of the practice survey are in, and they are very interesting! There were just five questions in the survey (each phrased slightly differently, depending on the answer to question 1): 1. Are you a student/teacher/parent? 2. Did you practice much over the holidays? 3. Were you rusty at the beginning of term? […]
If your child loves to practice, and never has to be reminded, ordered or bribed to do it, then that is wonderful. However, you are in the VAST MINORITY. Most children will baulk at practice, and below are the top 10 reasons why. 1. No routine If a child senses that practising is optional, most […]
In Part 1 of How Much Practice is Enough? I attempted to calculate, in real numerical terms, the amount of practice required to get through a certain AMEB exam. In this follow up article, I will explore some of the other issues surrounding exam preparation. Preventing boredom Boredom would have to be the no.1 reason for […]
As with anything in life, excuses are sometimes genuine and sometimes a force of habit. For example, I have a friend who is alwayslate, and there is always a good excuse for why. When she tells me her excuse it tends to waft over me like a familiar yet slightly irritating smell. In contrast, I […]
Children get so much out of learning a musical instrument, both academically and socially. Having piano lessons is a joy. However, the practice that needs to take place between lessons can often be a stumbling block on the road to success. The following ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ of practice are mainly to do with piano practice, […]
With a COVID-19 edit to this post, here are five helpful strategies to get students out of a rut, work through that trough, and get back to a peak of enthusiasm!