In previous years, when I have taught my 3rd graders to play the recorder, or my privatemiddle school flute and clarinet students, or my 5th grade instrument class to play woodwinds, I have had to thoroughly explain the importance of practicing. As much as I try, I have had students who become discouraged because they cannot immediately play the instrument well when they can immediately go to chorus and sing or immediately memorize their lines and act on stage. Learning to master an instrument takes a great amount of time, skill, practice, and patience. This year, I have found two items that have been very successful in reaching the students about the importance of practice and helping them to feel success.
SmartMusic: SmartMusic is an interactive software program that accompanies students when they practice from their method books or their solos. It has an assessment tool to give immediate feedback when they perform one of their pieces. There are a variety of subscriptions from students subscribing at home for $30 to the teacher subscribing so that it is on his/her computer at school for $130. The students love the assessment portion and enjoy being able to practice with an accompaniment.
Michael Phelps: Yes, Michael Phelps. This year, when my 3rd graders were learning to play a piece that had two notes, B and A, they were getting frustrated when they could not master the song after two practice sessions. I then stated to them that Michael Phelps did not just jump into the water and win 8 gold medals, he had to practice and work hard to achieve that. Once I said that, I saw my students’ eyes light up, I heard them say “he’s awesome,” and then they all placed their recorders back in their mouths. They practiced a few more times and successfully played the song. This, in turn, earned them their next “recorder star” that they could place on their recorder strap. When they earned their star, many of them told me that it was the highlight of their week.
What do you do to encourage your students to practice or just to keep going and not give up on their instruments?
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