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	Practice Links www.metronomeonline.com texas school music project practice tips for band instruments a guide to great home music practice Trying vs. Training  What if a group of scientists rang your doorbell and told you that with new, recently discovered genetic information, they had come to the conclusion that you had the greatest musical potential of everyone they tested in America - that you would be the greatest musician of our time? That would be breathtaking. Then, the next day, the President called and asked you to lead a new, multi-billion dollar national music school set to open in ten years with a concert where you were the featured soloist. You accept.........now what? The pressure is on. You would begin a rigorous training program that included all sorts of musical study and performance techniques. You would not watch TV for 91/2 years, try to cram at the  last moment and then try real hard to give the greatest concert of the century! We can apply this situation to our more normal, everyday musical lives. Every time you have a performance test or a concert - have you trained, or are you simply trying?  As a director, I have seen many students give their best effort on a performance test and meet with little success because they were trying, but did not train by practice intelligently on a regular basis. Trying is what you do at the moment. Training is a way of life. So, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again? How about training to be your best every day, and your efforts will payoff! I have seen it many times and I guarantee it! How to practice intelligently and effectively  Practice is taking something you can't do and turning it into something you can do, and there is a difference between practicing and practicing intelligently.  Blowing some air and making some tones is not intelligent practice.  Playing a song you can already play fifty times is not practice.  Practicing during the commercials is not intelligent or effective practice.  It is extremely important that students and parents understand how to practice intelligently and effectively.  Here are some guidelines: 1) Practice what we teach in class.             If we play one note in class, practice one note at home.             If we play a song you can't play yet - practice that song! 2) Practice the way we play in class.             Sit correctly, put your music on a stand, take the time to put your instrument             together properly, use a metronome, and most of all, try to sound like you             sound in class when the director tells you "that's it!" Tone is the most important             aspect of your playing! 3) Spend time on everything we teach.             Start with a warm-up like we do for your instrument, then practice some             fundamentals (scales, long tones, dynamics, articulations etc.) and then             go to your music. 4) Practice consistently for a reasonable amount of time.             Five or ten minutes twice a week doesn't cut it. The training will payoff and you will love how well you play! Trust us! This kind of practice is how you will accomplish goals like making region band and being successful at Solo and Ensemble contest. How to make the Region Band If you want to be good enough to make the Region Band, you must form good practice habits now!  Making Region Band won't happen by practicing only on the etudes for a few weeks. You have to consistently practice every aspect of your playing and become a complete musician to have a good enough audition to make it into the top 15% of all the players in the Region.  Correctly practice improving your tone quality and control, your scales, your dynamics, your articulations, your fingerings, and most of all, practice playing the way the directors teach you!  Becoming a top player takes time, effort and intelligence, and all of our band students at Watkins have the tools they need to be good enough to make it to the top of the section! Keep working, training and setting your goals high! Make sure to practice the entire piece.  Sometimes start at the end and work backwards one measure at a time.   On the fast piece, practice each day by starting very slow with the metronome and work your way up 5 or 10 marks each time until you have reached your fastest tempo. Remember the following things about the audition process: 1)   There will be a few at the top, a few at the bottom and a huge chunk in        the middle.              The only way to make sure you make it is to make sure you are in the few            at the top. 2)   There is no reason you should loose any points on scales.             Your score on your music will most likely be higher if your scale scores are high. 3)   The chromatic scale is worth a lot of points - make it great! 4)   Learn your music so well that you have it memorized.            You can use your music at the contest, but if you can play it by memory.            You get your best performance when you don't concentrate on what to play,             but how to play it. How to succeed at a Solo As our students learn at contest every year, all judges have different standards, different things they listen for, and different styles of judging. The only way to make sure you are successful is to have all of your bases covered when it comes to preparation. Some judges listen mostly for sound and tone quality, some listen more for notes and rhythms.  To some, they can tell if you are generally prepared and will give you a high rating even if you have some mistakes, while some only judge that particular performance, no matter how it goes. So to be absolutely sure that you will be successful, you have to be over-prepared. You have make sure that whatever the judge listens for, you are doing it correctly. Your performance must have perfect notes, rhythms, tone and style. Music is subjective, and judges only have opinions, but they also decide the rating. Remember the following things about preparing for Solo and Ensemble Contest. 1)   Choose a solo that is challenging musically, not necessarily challenging        technically.            Don't try to pick the most technical solo, choose one that pushes you with            playing musically, with dynamics, tempo changes, varying styles etc. 2)   Make sure you learn the rhythms correctly.  Count them out and get them right!            When you begin to practice with the accompanist, you must have the right            rhythms with a steady pulse or the accompanist will have trouble staying with you. 3)   Learn your music so well that you have it memorized.            You can use your music at the contest, but if you can play it by memory.            You get your best performance when you don't concentrate on what to play,            but how to play it.
	watkins middle school band * cy-fair isd * 4800 cairnvillage * houston, tx 77084 * 281.463.5857 * (c) 2006