at home practice

Hey teachers — I want to open up a conversation about something we’ve all been taught in our training, and something I’ve been saying to parents for years: “Have your child practice at the same time every day.” It’s clean, simple advice. And I understand…

• Last updated 2 months ago
• anchor, at home practice, best practices, how to practice, Laurie Richards, managing practice time, neurology, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice ideas, practice routine, practice time, same time every day, when to teach

Here is something that every one of my students have above their pianos. Obviously if your students are in the lower foundations, intervals, counting would not be needed but I find it a great tool to help remind them what boxes need to be ticked.…

• Last updated 3 years ago
• at home practice, audio recording, Audio recordings, audio SHMs, best practices, BH, both hands, deliberate practice, enhancing practice, external speaker, external speakers, hands together, how to practice, HT, managing practice, managing practice time, play along, playing along with audio, playing with audio tracks, practice, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice ideas, practice routine, practice time, separate hands, SH, slow practice, speaking instructions out loud, teaching how to practice, together right, trouble with hands together, using audio recordings, using audio tracks, voice, writing intervals

A LOT has been said about this topic both in the SM teacher body and the greater global teacher community. I’d be interested in a more pointed discussion about possible alternatives to how teachers current converse about practice expectations. While Simply Music has gone to…

• Last updated 5 years ago
• at home practice, confidence as a student, discipline, encouraging practice, expectation, expectations, improving retention, lack of practice, lesson requirements, Long Term Relationship, long term relationships, long-term, long-term relationship conversation, LTR, managing practice, managing practice time, motivating teens, motivation, Music and the Art of Long-term Relationships, music as a lifelong companion, not practicing, play vs practice, play vs work, playing, positive feedback, practice, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice routine, practice time, practice vs play, practicing, practicing guidelines, request vs requirement, requirement, requirement based studio, requirement versus request, requirement-based, requirements, requirements in lessons, retention, sticking with piano long term, student not practicing, student retention, student success, success, talking about expectations, unmotivated, unmotivated students, work vs play

Two questions: 1) How do practice requirements change through the foundation levels? Level one is 15-20 minutes, but as their repertoire grows, it would seem they need more time to keep everything alive and also with the addition of multiple streams and songs getting more complicated. 2)…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• at home practice, best practices, dropping songs off playlist, encouraging practice, enhancing practice, extra practice time, frequency of practice, how to practice, keeping playlist alive, keeping playlists, keeping the playlist alive, Laurie Richards, managing playlist, managing practice, managing practice time, managing the playlist, managing time, number of songs on playlist, Play it Forward, Playlist, playlist management, playlist size, practic, practice, practice frequency, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice ideas, practice time, practicing, practicing guidelines, repertoire, repertoire review, retiring pieces, retiring songs, size of playlist, time at piano, time management, time on the piano

I’m sensing my own impatience lately with some of my adult students! I also feel like I’ve been getting lots of “I’m nervous” and “it was perfect at home” from them. Maybe it’s just me… I’m not quite sure what’s going on. I’m just feeling…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• adult students, at home practice, enhancing practice, file folder analogy, frustrated, frustrated student, frustration, group lesson, group lessons, how to practice, impatience, Laurie Richards, Long Term Relationship, long term relationships, long-term relationship with teaching, LTR, managing practice, mistakes, nerves, nervous, nervousness, perfection, piano teacher effect, pract, practice, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice ideas, practice location, practicing, practicing guidelines, relationship, relationships, Robin Keehn, teacher effect

Sharing a requirement-based success story. I had a family recently whose two children never practiced consistently since they started. I told parents and children consistently the past week before spring break and week following that it wasn’t a problem, but that it wasn’t going to…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• alignment with coaches, angry parent, at home practice, busy coaches, claiming territory, coach, coach at lessons, coach not coaching, coach responsibility, coaches, coaching, coaching parents, commit, commitment, commitment to lessons, communicating with parents, communication, communication with parents, confidence as a coach, confidence as a teacher, dealing with parents, distracted coach, encouraging practice, frustrated parents, holding coaches accountable, importance of life coach, lack of practice, Laurie Richards, lesson requirements, life coach, life coach roles, life coaches, managing coaches, managing practice, managing practice time, monitor practice, not practicing, parent, parent concerns, parent involvement, parent role, parent struggles, parent support, parental expectations, parental involvement, parental participation, parental responsibility, parents, parents attending lessons, poor practice, practice, practice guidelines, practice habits, practice time, practicing, practicing guidelines, problem parent, relationship with coach, request vs requirement, requirement, requirement based studio, requirement versus request, requirement-based, requirements, requirements in lessons, role of parent, selective coaching, student not practicing, studio policies, teaching parents, unhappy parent, unsupportive parent, working with parents, working with parents on how to practice

I’ve made a big discovery! It all started when I realized my students must not be practicing very well at home – or they would be playing better. One lady even said she was practicing an hour a day sometimes, but it really wasn’t showing…

• Last updated 6 years ago
• adult students, at home practice, enhancing practice, how to practice, lack of practice, learning from SHMs, learning from video, learning without video, managing practice, monitor practice, music books, not using SHMs, not watching video, observatory learning, observe practice, poor practice, practice, practice habits, practicing, reference books, SHM, SHMs, SHMs in class, SHMs in lesson, students who use music book, teaching how to practice, use of videos, using music book, using music books, using SHMs, using the SHM videos, using the SHMs, using videos, video, videos, watching the videos, watching videos, working with parents on how to practice

The mother of a 6-yr-old that recently began lessons called me this evening and said that every day at home practice has been a struggle with her child throwing a tantrum or crying every time. When I asked her if it seems to hard for…

• Last updated 12 years ago
• at home practice, Dreams Come True, Laurie Richards, Night Storm, six year old