Why Young Students Stop Practicing
I have discovered that many young students want to practice and they are eager to improve. However, they don’t always know what or how to practice. Eventually they lose interest because:
- They have practiced all the music they own, and become bored
- They do not see results from their practice sessions because they are unaware of the most effective methods of practicing.
I have found that the reasons mentioned above are two of the main reasons why young students stop practicing. They are not losing desire, they simply have not been trained how to practice. When they know how to practice they see results, which increases their motivation and success.
My Teaching Approach
The teaching approach that I use is simple. I teach the students how to practice, so when they sit down for a session they know exactly what to do. With the combination of diligent students, and the application of this teaching approach, our students have experienced great success.
Studio Success
The students in our studio not only learn how to play the saxophone, but they learn life skills. In addition they have done well in regards to earning awards:
- An average of 75% of the studio earns a “1” rating at district Solo & Ensemble.
- Between 50%-80% of the studio makes their district bands every year.
- Nearly every year, a student from our studio makes the state band.
- In 2015, three students from our studio successfully auditioned into their state band. There were only 12 saxophone chairs in the band.
- There have been thousands of dollars in college scholarships granted to our students seeking a music degree.
