Set aside time to practice this summer!
by Alyssa Cowell, Catoctin School of Music
Summer is a great time to make strides in your musical studies – give yourself a chance to grow as a musician by scheduling practice time along with all those other fun summer break activities! Here are some tips for making the most of your summer free time.
Make Music the first activity of the morning
Music practice is a great way to get the day started. Try designating some early-in-the-day time for practice before other activities get underway. Start with 10-15 minutes to see how rewarding it can be to give yourself a creative burst in the AM.
Look for music on your vacation
So many families travel to experience the culture in faraway places – don’t miss out on new music styles! Make a point to listen to the music in a new-to-you location, see if you can find any new instruments, and seek out live music performances in the native language of your destination. Exploring local music culture is a great way to conncect with a new place.
Start a big music project
Ask your teacher for a challenging piece during the summer is a great way build some musical skills during the summer months. Less competition from school music means more time to focus on technique and musicality. Maybe theory or sight reading can be the focus of a summer project to gear up for fall auditions once school starts up again!
Play some seasonal music
We often think of December for seasonal music, but there is plenty of seasonal summer music – think patriotic! Memorial Day and Independence Day are great opportunities to work on music from the American Song Book.
Look for performance opportunities
Summer is a great time to perform music in low-stress environments – grab your instrument and head to a local farmer’s market or park. Get together with friends and prepare some pieces to share at the neighborhood barbeque or block party. Plan a jam session to make sure you don’t lose touch with friends over the break and explore some new music styles!
Just because the school year has ended, musical development doesn’t have to! Incorporating music into your summer leisure time is a great way to keep up your musical skills and have fun working out the creative side of your brain. Keep an ear out for those opportunities to experience, share, and enjoy music over the summer months!
