Practice Guidelines
As in any skill acquisition, learning to play the piano requires practice if any progress is to be made. After all, to enjoy making music, one needs to master the skill which is accomplished only through practice.
The practice location and time should ideally be quiet, free from distractions.
PreK-12th Grade Students
"Just Right" Assignment. Because I want my students to feel engaged, not overwhelmed or bored during their practice, I strive to assign weekly pieces and tasks that the students and parents would feel "just right" for them. This is accomplished through my over 23 years of teaching experience, my PhD and other experiences in psychology, and clear communications with the students and parents about the goals we want the students to achieve in their music education.
Parental Involvement. Parents who have no piano knowledge with children under Age 7 are required to attend lessons AND learn along with their children in order to help them practice correctly and effectively at home. Parents of older children are still welcome and encouraged to attend lessons, but not required. Any support you give to your children to help their home practice can only increase their rate of progress.
Time Commitment. I don't ask beginners to practice an X number of minutes a day. Their assignment consists of concrete tasks to do with specific directions. That being said, beginners' assignment usually takes about 20 minutes a day to complete. Elementary-level takes about 25-30 minutes. Intermediate-level takes about 30-45 minutes. Late intermediate level and beyond take about 45-60 minutes or more. Highly motivated students at each skill group can certainly practice longer than the guidelines!
It is highly recommended that the first day of practice be on the lesson day or the day after the lesson day. This way, students can still retain enough information in their short-term memory to accurately execute what they learned during their lessons, so that muscle movements and musical concepts can be more effectively transferred into long term memory.
Rewards. Students with weekly lessons will receive a star in their weekly practice chart and a small treat when they complete everything on their assignment sheet and practice 5 separate days a week. (Of course I won't ask a student to stop if he/she wants to practice more than 5 days a week!)
Every student will receive some form of award at the annual award ceremony following the recital. Awards can be trophies, medals, ribbons or certificates. The more frequently the students complete their weekly practice, the higher the award they will receive. These awards are NOT based on how well students do in comparison to others. Everyone can earn a trophy if weekly assignment is completed for 30 weeks in a year.
Students who receive official trophies, certificates, or other forms of awards from participating in student achievement testing of Michigan Music Teachers Association, The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program, or Schoolcraft College competitions will also be honored at the award ceremony.
College and Other Adult Students
If you belong to this group who seek further enrichment or growth opportunities in piano, I applaud you for your willingness to make music in your life! It's never too late to learn something that you set your heart and mind to. You will get to set your own practice goals with my recommendations depending on your skill level, time availability, and whether your lessons are weekly, bi-weekly, or on an occasional basis. I will show you how to practice during lessons, and encourage you to start practicing within 24 hours of your lesson. This way, you are less likely to lose much of the valuable information that you retain in your short-term memory from the lesson, and are more likely to solidify what you learn during each lesson and transfer your learning into long-term memory.
The practice location and time should ideally be quiet, free from distractions.
PreK-12th Grade Students
"Just Right" Assignment. Because I want my students to feel engaged, not overwhelmed or bored during their practice, I strive to assign weekly pieces and tasks that the students and parents would feel "just right" for them. This is accomplished through my over 23 years of teaching experience, my PhD and other experiences in psychology, and clear communications with the students and parents about the goals we want the students to achieve in their music education.
Parental Involvement. Parents who have no piano knowledge with children under Age 7 are required to attend lessons AND learn along with their children in order to help them practice correctly and effectively at home. Parents of older children are still welcome and encouraged to attend lessons, but not required. Any support you give to your children to help their home practice can only increase their rate of progress.
Time Commitment. I don't ask beginners to practice an X number of minutes a day. Their assignment consists of concrete tasks to do with specific directions. That being said, beginners' assignment usually takes about 20 minutes a day to complete. Elementary-level takes about 25-30 minutes. Intermediate-level takes about 30-45 minutes. Late intermediate level and beyond take about 45-60 minutes or more. Highly motivated students at each skill group can certainly practice longer than the guidelines!
It is highly recommended that the first day of practice be on the lesson day or the day after the lesson day. This way, students can still retain enough information in their short-term memory to accurately execute what they learned during their lessons, so that muscle movements and musical concepts can be more effectively transferred into long term memory.
Rewards. Students with weekly lessons will receive a star in their weekly practice chart and a small treat when they complete everything on their assignment sheet and practice 5 separate days a week. (Of course I won't ask a student to stop if he/she wants to practice more than 5 days a week!)
Every student will receive some form of award at the annual award ceremony following the recital. Awards can be trophies, medals, ribbons or certificates. The more frequently the students complete their weekly practice, the higher the award they will receive. These awards are NOT based on how well students do in comparison to others. Everyone can earn a trophy if weekly assignment is completed for 30 weeks in a year.
Students who receive official trophies, certificates, or other forms of awards from participating in student achievement testing of Michigan Music Teachers Association, The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program, or Schoolcraft College competitions will also be honored at the award ceremony.
College and Other Adult Students
If you belong to this group who seek further enrichment or growth opportunities in piano, I applaud you for your willingness to make music in your life! It's never too late to learn something that you set your heart and mind to. You will get to set your own practice goals with my recommendations depending on your skill level, time availability, and whether your lessons are weekly, bi-weekly, or on an occasional basis. I will show you how to practice during lessons, and encourage you to start practicing within 24 hours of your lesson. This way, you are less likely to lose much of the valuable information that you retain in your short-term memory from the lesson, and are more likely to solidify what you learn during each lesson and transfer your learning into long-term memory.
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