Laura Lopez

It’s a situation every parent knows too well: The dreaded daily battle to get a student to sit down, and PRACTICE a musical instrument. Parents want to see their students succeed and their money on lessons be well spent, while students can think of a million other things they would rather do. I can still remember the days when my mother would sternly set the timer for 30 minutes, and I would play through my songs, just watching the seconds count down, waiting for the time to finally be done.

What if I told you there is another way? What if I told you there are many different ways? Conventionally, it is the parent who has to tell the student to practice, and then the student sits down and the battle over how much time needs to be spent practicing begins. It is important to remember, however, that each student is different, and thus requires varying levels of involvement from both the teacher and parent when it comes to practicing. Practicing is so personal! While one student might need a detailed practice calendar and a gentle reminder each day from a parent, another might not respond as well to such a hands-on approach. Below I have outlined 5 different ideas with varying levels of parent involvement to help make practicing student-centered, thus allowing students to initiate practicing.