Great lessons today, guys, but your length and quality of practice could definitely be better!!  Note the new format for your homework notes below.

Mazin

The above said, you did some good work this past week on your older pieces.   Remember to ‘think ahead’ in the music, not just a few notes from where you’re currently playing, but a couple bars in order to prepare musically and rhythmically for what’s coming up!

You should be doing 45 minutes or more of practice per day.

Practice all of the pieces listed for this week in your notebook.

Practice your new pieces, or pieces you’re having difficulty with, IN SLOW MOTION, keeping your eyes on the page, keeping a steady tempo.

Parents/Grandma — please check in with Maz to see how he’s living up to the above mentioned notes.

Gerardo

Remember, being a musician recreating other people’s music means doing your best to get into the rhythmic feel and lyrical sentiment of the piece you’re playing, DESPITE how you personally might be feeling.

You should be doing 45 minutes or more of practice per day.

Practice all of the pieces listed for this week in your notebook, and if you feel you want to look at your newer pieces not listed for this week, feel free to practice them too!!

Practice your new pieces, or pieces you’re having difficulty with, IN SLOW MOTION, keeping your eyes on the page, keeping a steady tempo.

Parents — please check in with Gerardo to see how he’s living up to the above mentioned notes.

Olivia

Really, Olivia, you’re not doing yourself or anyone else justice if you continue with this ‘easy/whatever’ attitude.  You are betraying your natural gifts and talents if you do not honor them by doing the work, and giving effort they merit when practicing and performing.

You should be doing 30 minutes or more of practice per day.

Practice all of the pieces listed for this week in your notebook.

Practice all of your pieces IN SLOW MOTION, keeping your eyes on the page, keeping a STEADY TEMPO.  However, if the section you’re playing requires rubato, make sure you’re in control of the rhythm, NOT the rhythm in control of you. And, please, use GOOD PRACTICE METHODS (eg. no ‘starting and stopping’, fix the problem, then start the section again BEFORE the place where the problem occurred).

Parents, please check in on Olivia throughout the week to make sure she’s doing the above.