What is Solo Contest?

Solo Contest is an opportunity for your child to study, practice and perform a piece of music on their own. They play their music before a judge (music educator) who gives them a score based on musical criteria such as rhythm, pitch, dynamics, etc.

Do I have to play before a bunch of people?

Students do no play before a large audience. Most students invite their parents and family to listen to them perform their solo. If they are nervous, they may request to play the solo alone.

Is this a competitive event?

Students do not compete against one another. Students are competing against themselves to achieve their personal best. Every student receives an award for participating in the Solo Contest.

Is my beginning band student ready for solo contest?

Yes! All beginning band students receive a solo that we practice and learn together in class. Preparing for solo contest motivates students to practice and helps them become better musicians.

What are some other reasons for my child to participate in Solo Contest?

There are many musical benefits to participating in Solo Contest. There are also many benefits that support your child’s growth and development as a person. Solo Contest helps to instill in your child the value of hard work and a sense of pride. It also builds self-discipline, self-confidence and self-respect in your child’s life. This is a common goal for teachers and parents alike.

Education – Students who participate in solo contest have a greater understanding of their music and appreciation for their instrument.

Motivation – Students who participate in solo contest practice well and receive an award for their hard work.

Dedication – Students who participate in solo contest are more likely to enjoy playing their instrument and continue playing in band.

Students will look back on this event feeling a sense of achievement and knowing that they accomplished something significant.

Below are 7 practice strategies to help them as they are preparing their solo.

1. Slow motion: Practice small sections of difficult passages slowly until everything is correct.

2. Break it Down: Make a challenging part simple by playing only the rhythm on one note. Practice the fingers separately and then apply to the rhythm.

3. Focused repetition: Choose a reasonable number of repetitions (3 – 5 times is recommended) for a short passage. Some students might like to use charts or some other type of counting gimmicks (M&Ms) to keep track. Suggest that they start over again when they make a mistake.

4. Variation: Find ways to change a passage being practiced just for fun by changing the notes or fingerings. Then go back to the original version.

5. Singing: If you can sing it, you can play it. It is important for the listening portion of the brain to have a tonal image of the sound. (Starting a good listening library should be every musician’s goal.)

6. Mental rehearsal: Visualizing how to practice a section of a piece of music is important. The brain must be engaged on the physical aspect of the performing with respect to breathing, fingerings and posture.

7. Record and assess: For some students, it’s difficult to remember errors that occurred during a practice session. Recording a performance, lesson, or practice session is not only fun, listening to the result can be an eye-opener. It encourages students to self assess and critique privately.

You may email your music teacher for more ideas on effective practice techniques.

In a band, everyone is a team. The team needs all of it’s players or everyone loses. You can imagine what it’s like to loose your quarterback on the football team. What would happen if some of your fellow musicians don’t show up?

Every position on a team is important.

After rehearsing the music for the last two months in preparation to play for your parents, friends and relatives, it would be disheartening to not sound your best. It’s not only important to the musicians but the audience as well. So decide that you want to be a “team player” and make the team a “winner” on concert night.

Think of your child’s practice in the same way. They have many responsibilities taking time in their lives, and they also are kids, who should have down time and FUN! So, how to make practice happen each week? SCHEDULE IT! Plan practice time with your child. It will help them to know when they should expect to practice each week and reduce stress at trying to squeeze practice in at the last minute.

Scheduling practice sessions into your child’s schedule with them has many benefits. It will help them to share responsibility in planning practice time. It can allow time for you to sit down and enjoy hearing them practice (even beginners LOVE an audience.) You can be an active participant in their learning! It also allows you a chance to reward them for accomplishing their practice goals, and every parent and teacher knows the power of positive reinforcement.

You are one of the keys to your child’s success! Help them find the time to practice. Remember, your band teachers are here to help you if you need some other practice ideas. Keep watching for our monthly “Practice Tips” on the Band for Today website.

Best Wishes!

2. There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things). This kind of intelligence, by which one can visualize various elements that should go together, is critical to the sort of thinking necessary for everything from solving advanced mathematics problems to being able to pack a book-bag with everything that will be needed for the day.

3. Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, rejecting outdated rules and assumptions. Questions about the arts do not have only one right answer.

4. Recent studies show that students who study the arts are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT. They also achieve higher grades in high school.

5. A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures. This development of compassion and empathy, as opposed to development of greed and a “me first” attitude, provides a bridge across cultural chasms that leads to respect of other races at an early age.

6. Students of music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work. These standards, when applied to a student’s own work, demand a new level of excellence and require students to stretch their inner resources.

7. In music, a mistake is a mistake; the instrument is in tune or not, the notes are well played or not, the entrance is made or not. It is only by much hard work that a successful performance is possible. Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the concrete rewards of hard work.

8. Music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline. In order for an orchestra to sound good, all players must work together harmoniously towards a single goal, the performance, and must commit to learning music, attending rehearsals, and practicing.

9. Music provides children with a means of self-expression. Now that there is relative security in the basics of existence, the challenge is to make life meaningful and to reach for a higher stage of development. Everyone needs to be in touch at some time in his life with his core, with what he is and what he feels. Self-esteem is a by-product of this self-expression.

10. Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace. It focuses on “doing,” as opposed to observing, and teaches students how to perform, literally, anywhere in the world. Employers are looking for multi-dimensional workers with the sort of flexible and supple intellects that music education helps to create as described above. In the music classroom, students can also learn to better communicate and cooperate with one another.

11. Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks. A little anxiety is a good thing, and something that will occur often in life. Dealing with it early and often makes it less of a problem later. Risk-taking is essential if a child is to fully develop his or her potential.

12. An arts education exposes children to the incomparable.

Carolyn Phillips is the author of the Twelve Benefits of Music Education. She is the Former Executive Director of the Norwalk Youth Symphony, CT.

Article originally posted on: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/12benefits.html

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In discussing life benefits of music study, the authors report, “The most heavily reported life preparation skill was self-discipline, with respondents acknowledging that the hard work and dedication that are integral to participation in school music groups teach the valuable lesson that if ‘you stick with something and practice,’ the rewards will be bountiful. Other students conceded that the concentration required for learning music and the process of memorizing music pieces had honed those skills in other areas of their schoolwork.

“Music was frequently described as a force for building one’s character, and many students expressed their belief that music was capable of directing them in shaping their broader sense of self, who they were becoming, and how they might succeed in the world. The respondents highlighted confidence, responsibility, compassion, pride, patience, and respect as aspects of their character they feel they owe, at least in part, to music.”

Attribution

Patricial Shehan Campbell, Claire Connell, and Amy Beegle (2007), “Adolescents’ Expressed Meanings of Music in and out of School,” Journal of Research in Music Education, 55(3), p. 229.

1. Seek instruction
2. Make a schedule
3. Set and track your goals
4. Concentrate while practicing
5. Relax and practice slowly
6. Practice what you can’t play
7. Always play with maximum expression
8. Don’t be too hard on yourself
9. Don’t be a showoff
10. Think for yourself
11. Be optimistic
12. Look for connections between music and other things

The excitement of a new adventure is enough to provide an ample supply of positive motivation for the first several weeks of the instrumental music experience. Once the initial enthusiasm wears off, it is important to immediately develop wholesome practice habits which will guarantee a successful and personally gratifying process for your child. Your support and guidance will be the key factors in establishing the practice schedule insuring the attainment of musical goals.

For our first year elementary players, we like to see three days per week of home music practice – even if just a few minutes. The first year is “exploratory” and our goal is to instill a love for music. We encourage students to play at home for their parents. Practice is encouraged but not heavily stressed.

The most effective home rehearsal program for the second year elementary players is based on a fifteen minute session four to five times per week dedicated to quality practice. It is suggested that you and your young musician mutually agree on a practice time, and a special area of your home designated for their area of musical study. A final one or two minute recital is always effective in building performance responsibilities.

Every instrumentalist enjoys the opportunity to display their talents. You might even ask for a paragraph of what new progress was made during the practice. A special calendar can also serve as a reminder as well as a reward poster for the commitment needed to accomplish the assigned material. Remember, positive reinforcement is the most effective communication you can share in this important quest.

As students mature, it is vital to develop a discipline which makes home music practice a natural part of the day. Although many new concepts are taught during instrumental music rehearsals, the limited time does not afford the personal attention which is vital in developing the technical facility required for the upcoming years of musical exploration. The cooperative efforts of the instrumental music director, the student musicians and the willing parent/s constitute the proven recipe for success.

• Let your kids explore music. The first year a child plays an instrument is an exploratory year. The goal of the music educator is not to quickly turn a child into a virtuoso, but to help instill a love of music.
• Try group lessons. We find that most kids do better in group lessons because they like the social interaction.
• Show up for lessons. Parents should try to attend a child’s first few music lessons. Knowing what’s going on in the class will allow you to better help your young music student at home.
• Help kids learn the basics. Learning the fundamentals is very important. Violin students, for example, will need to learn to hold the bow correctly and develop proper posture.
• Stay connected. One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to stay in touch with your child’s instructor. You may find that email is the easiest way to do this.
• Keep the instrument handy. Children can get really attached to their instrument. It’s important for parents to leave the instrument out, rather than storing it away, so that the child can always have access to it.
• Don’t make practice a chore. In the first year of study, don’t force practice. Instead offer encouragement and show that you’re interested in how your son or daughter is doing. When you’re folding laundry or doing paperwork, for example, have your child perform a mini concert of songs he or she is learning.

Don’t expect flawless play from your young musician. The clearest indication that child is successful in music education is that he or she will show love and enthusiasm for the music.

Instrumental music means more to your child than just playing an instrument. It offers an opportunity to experience a whole new level of communication. This artistic language will be with them for a lifetime. These formative years of music education can open up a world of aesthetic possibilities which will bring new meaning to the growth and development of your child. Let us join hands in establishing a solid foundation of growth by creating a disciplined practice schedule at the onset of their instrumental music career.

Click Here for a QuickTime Video by Larry Newman on Home Music Practice