Where Should Practicing Be in Your Priorities?

I remember being in high school, when we were the oldest we’d ever been and the busiest we’d ever been, and feeling “swamped” when we had more than one test in one week! I remember fellow students complaining that every teacher thought their class the most important, since they all assigned such loads of homework.

I have thought about this a lot in the past years, as I have become a (private) teacher and assign my students homework… I mean practicing… each week. I haven’t heard the complaining (if any) that happens at home when it is time to practice, but I have heard many excuses over the years as to why the student didn’t practice last week:

- my brother had a birthday party

- my friends came over to play

- I had to study for my Spanish test

And it all comes down to priorities. Perhaps the high school kids that complained about homework and tests weren’t prioritizing their school work and grades, and wanted things to be just a bit easier. And perhaps the students that make excuses week after week haven’t put practicing in the top of their priorities.

I’m not saying that every student needs to put their music studies as their #1 priority, but if you are:

♫ paying money for private lessons;

♫ taking time to get to and from lessons;

♫ wanting to learn how to play that instrument;

then perhaps practicing, or “going home and playing your instrument,” should be in your top 2-4 priorities.

I know it can be difficult to make practicing part of a routine. I have been teaching my 9-year-old daughter and some months, our practice calendar is very bare. (She puts a sticker on each day that she practices.) We especially did not practice much the month or two after our move. So I followed one of my own tips from my post, “5 Ways to get Practicing into your Routine,” put a reminder alarm on my phone, and now we are doing much better!

So as a teacher, I am not thinking that “my class is the most important” when I ask my students to practice and make it a priority; I am simply trying to help them succeed at the task of learning to play their instrument. I know that frequent, regular practice will be the shortest path to success for them. Making practice a priority takes planning and perseverance, but it is worth it when your child confidently plays their pieces and is excited to learn.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

Stephen R. Covey, American author and businessman, and author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay