STEAM for Music Students

Think of the successful people who inspire you –actors, teachers, businessmen or perhaps, your favourite musicians, singers or artists. Read about their lives – their experiences, the journey they undertook to get to where they are. If we look into the lives of these successful people, chances are, we will find that they have taken some common steps or course of actions that led to their success.

We all have different definitions of success, but the path that leads us there is pretty much the same. The good news is that this path is within easy reach of everyone wanting to succeed.

STEAM – the path to success.

Yes, of course, we learnt it in science.  STEAM is invisible. STEAM is power, which is why, NeoClassic has decided to use this acronym to best describe the path which consists of a series of steps that lead to success.

STEAM is easy to remember.

S – Set your goals.

Before beginning your journey, determine your destination. Visualize your goals. Where do you want to be 3 months from now? What about 5 or 10 years from now? What would you like to be doing? What skills would you like to have acquired by then?

It is best to have both short-term and long-term goals.  Align your short-term goals with the long-term. Your short-term goals should eventually lead you to your long-term goal/s.

(Tip: You can use a journal or scrapbook and pin or write in your goals. Look at it everyday to help you keep your focus on your goals. Visualizing your goals daily is very effective.)

T – Take action using the 3Ps.

Once you have identified and listed your goals, list down the actions needed to achieve them. Then, most importantly take action.

Your action will most likely yield good results if you apply the 3Ps which are:

• Patience –understand and accept that developing practical skills takes time and regular commitment. Be patient.

• Perseverance –defined as the persistence in doing a course of action in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. Persevere.
  
  
• Practice (Performance) – Playing an instrument is a practical skill. Life itself requires practical skills. As the famous philosopher, Aristotle said “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” An oxymoron indeed, but true in every sense of the word. For, to develop practical skills, practice (performance) of the required skill is the only way to acquire that very skill.

Set a time frame for your action plan, then…

E – Evaluate.

In any endeavour, it always helps to have someone provide us with feedback so that we can improve. After having taken action for a specific period of time, it is then necessary to evaluate the efficacy of your actions. Evaluation (feedback) from trusted and knowledgeable people (such as your teacher, your family, or an expert in your field of study) and self-evaluation are both important for improvement.

A – Adjust.

Based on the evaluation results/feedback,  you can then make the necessary adjustments to your course of action. Adjust until you reach the most effective course of action that yields positive and progressive results.

M - Maintain.

When you find that you are making good progress and successfully reaching your short-term goals, maintain your course of actions. This will eventually lead you to achieve your long-term goals or your dreams.

Take these steps now and you’re on your way to success!

STEAM is originally devised by NeoClassic Music School as a guide for students’ learning and development.

At NeoClassic, we will lead you to success!

Written by: Sharon O. Jusay

(For Parents & Students)

When your piano, guitar, violin or singing teacher tells you to practice, what exactly does he/she mean?

Often, students think they have practised just because they’ve played or sung through their pieces once or twice at home. Many students also think that the length of time they go through their pieces (regardless of anything else) will make them progress. Sadly, these are all misconceptions about what PRACTICE really is.

To avoid these common practice mistakes, and therefore, make full &  efficient use of your practice time, NeoClassic Music School offers  the following useful PRACTICE GUIDELINES.

What better way is there to start your New Year’s music lessons  than to improve your practice habits? This means you could make remarkable progress in just a few months, or even weeks!

So, Enjoy and Happy Practising! :)

WHEN

Set aside a DAILY PRACTICE SCHEDULE. This must become part of your life’s DAILY ROUTINE.

Note: Establishing a routine is  very important even for small children who just started music lessons, so they will grow to expect practice everyday at the same time. The student must persevere to establish this most important aspect of learning to play an instrument if he/she is to make any significant progress at all.

WHERE

Practice area should be free from aural or visual distractions (radio, TV, people talking, distracting views outside the window, etc.)

HOW MUCH & WHAT

Practice should grow along with the child’s concentration span.

We strongly suggest that practice time be divided into smaller segments with rests or contrasting activities in between. Studies have shown that more skill is developed this way. Interestingly, It has been observed that during the intervening period, errors often disappear while correct responses are retained. In addition, the intervening time gives the child a chance to recover from physical or mental fatigue.

As the child gradually becomes more advanced, the practice period becomes longer, and his ability to concentrate is also naturally lengthened and developed.

When a long practice segment is inevitable, it is good for the student  to cover contrasting material in each session.

HOW

Always refer to your Music Assignment notebook for the homework that your teacher has given you. Specific instructions will be written there by your teacher during your lessons, so it is important that you bring the notebook to lessons at all times.

Generally, you will find the following aspects to practice at home:

1.       Number of repetitions you need to do per session

2.       Bar numbers that require correction, repetition, etc.

3.       Directions for technique – You may also request the assistance of your teacher to record a short video demonstrating the technique required so you can remember it at home.

4.       Directions for musical playing – Your teacher may require you to listen  to various recordings of the same piece/s you’re playing to arrive at a sound musical interpretation that is uniquely yours.

In addition, the following tips should make practicing more fun, highly motivating and rewarding.

1.       Every practice session/segment must have a specific, reasonably challenging,  and attainable goal.

It Is the teacher’s responsibility to set goals for lessons, and it is the parents & student’s responsibility to set goals for practice.

2.       Remember the phrase, “One thing at a time.”

Playing an instrument requires a complex skill which needs to develop over time. We break down this complex skill requirements into smaller steps for the student to accomplish step by step. So, remember, the fastest way to acquire good skills is to take one step at a time.

3.       Positive Reinforcement through praise and positive experiences.

 Every step/task successfully achieved, no matter how small, deserves recognition and praise. Make practicing a pleasurable and happy experience.

4.       End the practice session on a positive and happy note.

Frustrations and unpleasant experiences can sometimes occur during practice sessions, but always look at the over-all picture and look for positive experiences and achievements, no matter how small. End with a positive thought and/or end with pieces that the child has already mastered.

5.       Maintain enthusiasm for each step that your child takes in the learning process.

Repetition is such an important aspect  in developing skills, and parents must not show boredom no matter how many times the child repeats his assignments.

6.       Make repetition & practicing  fun through games.

Creative games can be devised to make repetition fun. And most children enjoy repetition itself especially if it has been specifically stated in their notebooks by their teachers and assigned in a challenging way.

7.       Communicate.

Communicate with your teacher/ your child’s teacher to make sure you know exactly what needs to be practiced, how it should be practiced and the expectations for the next lesson.

Reference:

1. Starr, William & Constance. To Learn With Love. Miami, FL: Summy-Birchard, Inc., 1983.

- by Sharon O. Jusay

“The mother of one of my students came one day to inquire about her son. This student had good musical sense, practised very well and was a superior child.

“Sensei (Professor), will my boy amount to something?” the mother asked me, just like that.

I answered laughingly, “No. He will not become ‘something’.”

It seems to be the tendency in modern times for parents to entertain thoughts of this kind. It is undisguisedly cold and a calculating educational attitude. When I hear things like this, I want to reply in a joking way. But the mother was alarmed and surprised by my answer.

So I continued, “He will become a noble person through his violin playing. Isn’t that good enough? You should stop wanting your child to become a professional, a good money earner. This thought is concealed in your question and is offensive. A person with a fine and pure heart will find happiness. The only concern for parents should be to bring up their children as noble human beings. That is sufficient. If this is not their greatest hope, in the end the child may take a road contrary to their expectations. Your son plays the violin very well. We must try to make him spledid in mind and heart also.” - Dr. Shinichi Suzuki

The Foundation Level, is the most important stage (as with any other course) of music lessons on any instrument, whether it’s the piano, violin, guitar, drums, voice, etc. This is the stage where habits, technical skills, musical knowledge are developed and established that will be used later on at the Advanced Level. Because this is the most important stage of music lessons, it is only right for parents to know what their child should be learning and what to expect from the lessons so they can help their child succeed.

Sadly, what happens oftentimes is that lesson after lesson, the student and the teacher sit through the piece with the only goal of playing it to completion. Sometimes, students quit before that even happens. The truth is, there are other music skills that must be developed - many other things that should go on in an instrumental music lesson. Whether your child aims to be a professional musician or not, it is only fair that he/she gets the most excellent training.

Good musicians are expected to possess excellent musical skills in the following areas which are named individually, but which are all actually intertwined. It is better to think of them as the strands of a thick rope. The stronger these strands, the stronger the rope.

Musical Skills Your Child Must Develop To Be A Complete Musician

1. Aural - involves skills in listening to musical aspects such as rhythm, melody, etc.

2. Technique - involves the physical skills of actually manipulating the instrument to produce a musical sound.

3. Interpretation & Style - involves the ability to play various styles of music (it could be Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Contemporary, Jazzy, etc.)

4. Theoretical Knowledge - an understanding of notation, pitch durations and all musical elements

5. Sight-reading - the ability to play any music at first sight

6. Memory Work - the ability to play music from memory

7. Performance - the ability to play music for an audience

From the very first music lesson, work should be started in these areas even for just a few minutes. Basic exercises to enhance listening, reading, (each one of the above) can be done at 5 minutes or less in every lesson, building up gradually to more advanced exercises. Good teachers will incorporate these in every lesson.

Given the many musical aspects to develop (as listed above), you might now be asking yourself:

Can i really help my child at home? If so, how?

The answer is, YES! You can help your child at home even if you are not a musician.

Before I proceed with the HOW, there are a few basic things that parents must always keep in mind to avoid/lessen/eliminate frustrations:

1. Children learn at different paces. Do not compare your child with another child. Do not talk negatively about your child.

2. Children do not always demonstrate what they already know. It is best to keep doing the activities/ assignments without the expectation that your child will always readily demonstrate what they know to you or to the teacher at all times. Just keep going/ doing the assignments.

3. Children learn through different means - visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc. If a particular activity is not working to get the concept understood, try different ways of presenting it.

4. Good nutrition plays an important part in children’s ability to learn. Numerous studies have been conducted in this area.

5. Children learn best with established routines. Make it a habit of playing or doing the musical activities/assignments daily.

The HOW:

Why am I so confident that you can help your child at home even if you’re not a musician?

It is because the things required of you at the Foundation Level are very basic. You do not have to be a musician to do the following.

1. Set the Environment.

- Get a portable CD player (good quality speakers) and provide a musical background for your child. It can be played softly while your child is playing with his toys, etc. At least 1-2 hours daily of quality music played in the background will help develop your child’s ear for music.

- Provide your child with a good quality instrument to start with.

A lot of parents make the mistake of thinking they will buy a good instrument once they see an interest in their child. But having a bad instrument to start with is the very demotivating  for a child beginning lessons. He/she will not be able to replicate the good sounds heard during lessons with the teacher, or the sounds heard on the quality CD player.

- Do not watch TV (if it’s in the same rooom as the piano), talk loudly, or create distractions while your child is practising on his/her instrument. I had a student whose parents liked to watch TV in the same room while she practised! Needless to say, the student was demotivated by this and wanted to quit.

-Bring your child to concerts, recitals, musicals, plays, theatre, art exhibitions to expose them to the arts.

2. Provide Encouragement

- While setting the environment is one form of encouragement, it is also best to offer words of encouragement, especially when your child is working on a difficult part of a piece. Give praise when due, especially after overcoming difficulties.

- Sit with your child when they practise at home.

- Always read through their assignments. Know what is expected of them to practice for the week.

3. Sit in the Lessons But Do Not Interfere

- If parents want their child to make fast and good progress, it is important for them (or at least, one of them) to always sit in the lessons and take note of what their  child needs to do at home - such as the teacher’s intstructions on technique, practising, etc. This is strongly encouraged at the Foundation Level. Only referring to the teacher’s written assignments in the child’s notebook is not enough as playing a musical instrument or singing is a physical thing. Sometimes, words cannot exactly describe what needs to be done.

- While parents are encouraged to sit in the lessons, it is best however not to interfere with the lesson. Sometimes parents cannot help but interfere when their child is trying out a particular technique and cannot get it - some want to do it for the child, some even answer the teacher’s questions for the child,etc. Parents are encouraged to observe and take down notes, but not to interfere. Any matter of concern may be discussed privately with the teacher after the lesson or at another appropriate time agreed by both the teacher and the parent/s. 

4. Send Your Child For Lessons Regularly (Weekly)

- Enrolling your child for music lessons means making a commitment to attend regularly (typically once-a-week, though some do come for twice-a-week lessons or more). Basically, do your best to not miss the regularity of weekly lessons.

- Playing a musical instrument is a skill that needs daily physical practice. Lessons are normally conducted only one day a week. The rest of the week is meant to be  spent on practising new concepts learnt through physical practice.  If your child misses that one lesson for the week, he/she is actually missing 7 days of mastering new concept/s.

5. Make Your Child a Part of a Peer Group With the Same Interests

- Learning a musical instrument on an individual basis is sometimes a lonely task. Research shows evidence that children are in one way or another, more motivated to practise and learn when part of a group.

- If the teacher provides group lessons, make sure your child attends that one too. If not, why not make a suggestion or initiate group practice sessions with other parents?

6. Acquire Good Quality Recordings (especially the Pieces That Your Child is Learning)

- No matter how simple-sounding it is to you (Mary Had A Little Lamb, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, etc), it is important that your child gets the opportunity to hear/listen to a good quality of sound on the same instrument that he/she is learning. If a recording of the piece is unavailable, purchase a good quality recorder and request for the teacher to play it for you while you record it.

7. Maintain Good & Open Communication Lines with Your Child’s Teacher

- Always communicate - ask if anything is not clear, state your expectations and whether these are relevant/appropriate at your child’s current level, discuss your aims/ goals, etc. with your child’s teacher.

by Sharon Jusay

Questions, comments and suggestions for topics are welcome. Please drop a line or two. :)

(Source: how parents can help their children succeed in music)