Music students must have a to-do list when they leave their music lessons.  It’s impossible for students to remember everything they’re supposed to be playing, and having a written list is best for most musicians.

The practicing to-do list should have three main parts to be effective:

1.  What to practice:  This is the list itself, which can include sections of songs, exercises, scales, and whatever else needs to be done.  The more detailed this list, the better.

2.  Why to practice: The “why” component is a specific goal for each item on the to-do list.  Goals give students incentives to work on their music.  When a goal is reached, it feels like a victory for the student.  This sense of victory feels so good that students want to keep practicing to accomplish their next goal.

3.  How to practice:  The “how to” includes specific strategies for each practice item.  These strategies are the connection between the “what” and the “why” of the to-do list.  Basically, students need to be shown specifically how to tackle each item on their list so that they can accomplish their goals.

The Musician’s Practice Planner is designed with plenty of room for all three of these parts.  In each major category, the “what” and the “how” can be clearly written so the student knows exactly how to go about learning the material.  And, for each item on the practice list, there is space specifically set aside to list a goal.

When music students see how to practice and why to practice, they are much more likely to actually learn everything on their list.  Each student needs a personalized approach to balance the “what,” “how,” and “why” to motivate them week after week.

The Musician’s Practice Planner is essentially a tool that communicates motivation to students in between lessons.

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