May Practice Challenge
It’s so beautiful outside! How are you going to keep progressing as even nicer weather arrives? CYM’s practice challenges help you organize efforts towards consistent improvement and enjoy the camaraderie of music friends once your goal is met. Talk to your teachers about advancing technique through the upcoming practice challenge and don’t miss a beat – even while the sun shines! Use a calendar to track days, ask your teacher to acknowledge each week’s efforts, and gain recognition by receiving a medal once you have finished. You will feel great all month long building momentum and work habits that withstand seasonal changes. You might even take your instrument under a tree for the practice session, if it is small enough and you have permission.
Your CYM mentors dynamically provide what is needed to make practice time hold your focus. They show you how to break down tricky technical transitions into bite sized, repeatable “pre-view bits”. They model how to sustain the physical strength and flexibility required to play long phrases within complicated pieces. They lift you up after a difficult day at school, lightly nudging you back onto your steady musical track.
Three months of the year are designated for CYM Practice Challenges: October, February, and May. During these months, we challenge you to practice at home every day, and also match work session durations with the length of your individual lesson. Why would you want to do this? To make playing your instrument easier and much more fun!
Take it further and deepen good habits with the CYM 200 Day Practice Challenge. You can start any time, and even count the days of a month-long challenge as part of your goal of two hundred. Again, show the chart to your teacher each week to secure a signature or verbal acknowledgement of progress. Once the 200 consecutive days have been completed, you will be recognized and awarded a trophy at the next concert.
The 200 Day Practice Challenge is difficult to complete. Students who make it through to the 200th day not only learn the value of successfully meeting a long-term goal, but also earn a sense of calm that frees them from distraction as players. That can be you!
