10 Repetition Games for Young Musicians

The idea of not just practice but repetition is one of the hardest lessons to instill in a young student. A five year old student is not going to understand why he has to practice now so that he can play really well later.

Games remove the emotional aspect of tedious repetition. They become the neutral third party that "decided" how many times something must be done. This transforms a frustrating activity into something fun. A student that is having fun will be more open to corrections which makes the work they’re doing more productive.

I have put together a booklet to give a parent/teacher ideas for repetition games. All of the games are things that I have tried myself in the private lesson environment. I explain both how to play the game and what it is about the game that makes it interesting to children. An old game can often be made new and interesting my merely adding/changing one small element.

You can find this booklet on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and most major e-book stores.

Comments

Like Brushing Your Teeth

One of my teacher trainers told me that practicing should be like brushing your teeth. There is never a day when your tooth brushing is affected by other events in your day. The process is completely emotionally detached. I mulled over her words of wisdom for quite some time after she said them to me. What struck me the most was the suggestion of emotionally detaching myself. All my life I have been told that music is supposed to express emotion. So it was almost like it would be wrong to try and strip that away. For me, the teeth brushing example was a very interesting concept. I realized that the level of habitual repetition of that daily routine is rarely achieved in any other life areas. Dishes get put off, vacuuming, shopping for groceries.... but I always make the time to brush my teeth. Always making the time for practice? A lofty ideal indeed.

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