Great lessons today, practice during the week could have been (much) more!

Mazin

One practice session for the whole week?  Maz, I know you were busy, but you really couldn’t find at least 15 minutes every other day to keep up what you’ve learned?  Although, that said, you did immensely improve on your recital song despite practicing it only once in the week.  Sometimes the brain keeps figuring out stuff even when we do not do the actual practice, but don’t rely on this!  Your newer songs didn’t improve at all.

Minutes to practice:  45 minutes per day as your lesson is 45 minutes long!
What to practice:  All of your pieces listed in your notebook.  And, Maz, you forgot your jazz book at the school!  Please pick it up if you can.
How to practice it most effectively:  CALMLY analyze the section causing you problems, fix it, then START AGAIN AT AN EALIER POINT!
How parents or Grandma can support in practice:  Check to see if Maz is getting frustrated when practicing and repeating the same section rapidly over and over again to no avail — this ‘practice’ does more harm than good when learning a piece.

Gerardo

Remember, Gerardo, music making is NOT about how one personally feels at the moment they’re playing it, it’s ABOUT THE MUSIC.  We want to give OUR BEST rendition of what we imagine that music to be, regardless of how we’re feeling that day.  Doing so is actually kind of ‘freeing’, because we step outside of ourselves and become the character of the piece we’re playing.  Give it a try!!

Minutes to practice:  45 minutes per day.
What to practice:  ALL of the pieces listed in your notebook.
How to practice it most effectively:  Analyze the section you’re having trouble with, fix it, and then start from an earlier point.  Also, be ‘objective’ in your listening — ask yourself, “how did that really sound, what story did that phrase actually tell, etc.”
How parents can support practice:  Check in on Gerardo to see how he’s progressing with the above stated.  Kids tend to practice more and in better ways when their parents keep an interest in their musical development.

Dorothy

Great first lesson!!  Remember to buy TWO squeegee balls, one for each hand to squeeze at the same time (for best results).  This will strengthen your hands and fingers and help them work in new ways. When practicing, remember to keep your wrist high, elbows out and fingers CURVED even when coming off of keys, and then practice CONNECTING THE SOUND from note to note as you go key to key in any finger combination.  Practice as much as you can, the more you practice, the better you will get!  And, have patience, breathe, and DO NOT GIVE UP!!!  Your fingers will adapt in time, I promise you.

Kingsley

Keep your fingernails short at home and for the lessons, please!!  Then, keep your wrists high and fingers curved, playing on fingertips.  Your hands should be like CLAWS, each finger like a panther’s claw going out and back in when striking keys.

Minutes to practice:  30 minutes per day.
What to practice:  The pieces with today’s date (April 21) listed in his book.  But, if Kingsley wants to go further in the book, feel free to do so!
How to practice it most effectively:  Analyze the section you’re having trouble with, fix it, and then start from an earlier point.
How parents can support practice:  Please make sure Kingsley finds the time and gets into the habit of practicing 30 minutes per day, as practice time is when music progress mostly occurs, not in the lesson!

Olivia

KEEP YOUR WRISTS HIGH, and PUSH WRISTS FORWARD when articulating long-held notes (quarter-note length or longer)!!

Minutes to practice:  I know you complain of ‘not having any time’, but if you want to progress in a meaningful way, Olivia, at least 30 minutes per day.
What to practice:  Part of Your World, plus your other pieces!
How to practice it most effectively:  Analyze the section you’re having trouble with, fix it, and then start from an earlier point.
How parents can support practice:  Please make sure Olivia’s schedule permits time to practice, and then ask if she practiced in the right way!