October’s Practice Challenge

At CYM, three months of the year are designated as 30 Day Practice Challenge months: October, February, and May. During these months, we challenge you to practice at home every day, and 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!

CYM’s challenges help you organize efforts towards consistent improvement and enjoy the camaraderie of music friends and family once the goal is met. Use the practice calendar to track days and allow your teacher to acknowledge progress each week. Gain recognition once you have finished: medals are presented at our recitals, held monthly.

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!

Your CYM mentors dynamically provide what is need 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 needed 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.

Talk to your teachers about advancing your technique through the upcoming practice challenge. We look forward to hearing the breakthroughs you create!