Please See the attached PDFs for copies of the Practice Log, Practice Strategies, and more.

Band – Practice FAQs

How much should students practice per week?

• One hour a week is a good starting point.

How often should a student practice?

• As many times as possible. 3 times a week for 20 minutes or 4 for 20 are good starting points, but even 5 minutes in between other homework (if the student is focused and makes something better) is good.

 What should student practice?

• There will always be songs assigned in class, but practice goes beyond that. They should practice reading notes and rhythms, breathing or stick techniques, long tones, and other fundamentals. They can also practice songs from other books or make up their own songs.

 What if they can’t bring their instrument home/can’t practice at home?

• Hopefully students can bring students home at least on the weekends. If the volume of an instrument is an issue, I suggest designating times to practice that will cause minimal disruption to other family activities. Students can also practice without making noise – by saying notes and rhythms, doing breathing exercises, and practicing fingerings – though playing the instrument is vital.

 How do students use the Practice Log?

• Fill in student’s name at the top, and the dates above the days listed
• Students fill in the minutes they practice, broken down into what they practice
• Class Songs 1,2,3 are for songs we play in class (they may be any number in the book)
• My Song(s) is for student to pick their own song to practice. This can be a song from the band book or another book that the student likes, or a sing from further ahead in the book.
• Students are NOT expected to practice every day. The Log is designed so student and I can see what they practiced and when, so they can make better decisions about when and what to practice.
• There are 2 weeks on each side of the log. Parents should sign the Log every 2 weeks, once one side is finished.
• I will review the log regularly and make suggestions to the student based on the log. For students at Weinberg and Hartford, the log will be a small part of the grade starting 2^nd For students at Liberty and Knox, who do not receive grades because band is outside of instructional hours, I will still review the log and contact parents if the student is not meeting expectations.