30 Day Practice Challenge

Congratulations to everyone who has lasted through the first week of our challenge!  We are really impressed with the number of students who are recording their practice on our online log or in their notebooks .  I hope you are all starting to see the benefits of daily practice!  

Remember every bit of practice is positive, even if it sometimes feels like you're taking a step backwards or have hit a plateau.  Sometimes it takes a while to see how much you are progressing.  Have a chat to your teacher if you're worried about how you're going, or need some more tips on how to structure your practice sessions.  

Try to include a warmup that is appropriate to your level  (eg. long notes, harmonics, undertones, octaves, Moyse Sonority exercise, detache or vibrato exercises.)  Then some technical work (scales, arpeggios, finger drills, studies or exercises), pieces (small sections and repetitive practice is the most effective way to increase your security).  Make sure you use your metronome and tuner every practice session!  Also, have a go at sightreading something new each day. 

If you're working on a particular aspect of playing (like posture, hand position, tonguing action or tone) and need a reminder, try setting a recurring timer on your phone to go off every 5 minutes and spend a minute focusing on that aspect every time the timer goes off.  This is a great way of drawing your attention back to the issue regularly throughout your practice session, whilst allowing you to work on other things in between these focused bursts. 

Please let us know if you have any questions or are finding it tough to stay motivated.  We are all here cheering you on! 



PS Here's a clip of one of my favourite flute players to inspire you! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULVTufHxv5o