Ideas for Creating or Improving Your Family’s Suzuki Practice Routine…

It’s finally beginning to feel like Spring here in Utah, and it’s making me long for fresh starts in so many ways. I’ve been going through kid clothes and throwing out everything too small and too worn. I’ve been going through the cupboards and putting items in places that make more sense. I’ve started pulling up weeds.

It was only natural to do the same with my family’s practice routines and habits, and I wanted to share some ideas and concepts I have been pondering. Especially if you, like me, are having trouble practicing with your kids it’s important to think about why we’re practicing in the first place, and what we want our practice to accomplish.

First, why are we practicing?

I practice with my kids so we’re not embarrassed at the next lesson. Just kidding. Mostly. But really, it is important to prepare for the next lesson because I want my kids to feel prepared and not embarrassed or overwhelmed. I want them to learn that consistent efforts lead to improvement and more ease.

And what do we want our practice to accomplish?

When I practice with my kids, I want to not only get the work done, but I want to create at least a little bit of fun and connection. In an ideal world, we would finish practicing having laughed a little, smiled at each other, and improved some aspect of their playing. This is difficult to do and to remember in the heat of the moment, so it occurred to me that my routine needs to have these aspects built into it.

Why should you consider creating a practice routine?

1. Routines take out the guesswork. Too many choices lead to overwhelm. Relying on a routine frees up your brain for more important work.
2. Routines reduce practice resistance. If your kids know and expect practice to happen at a regular part of your day, they usually fight about it less. Sometimes.*
3. Routines make sure that nothing gets neglected for too long. If you make note reading part of the practice routine, you won’t go six weeks without opening the book. (No, this is not an example from my real life. Okay. It is.)
4. Routines give you a chance to figure out what is important and prioritize accordingly. If playing duets with your child is important to you, you can put it in the routine and ensure that it happens. If your teacher has asked you to prioritize review or scales, throw them in the routine!
5. Routines are adjustable and fluid. If it’s not working or if practice goals have changed or evolved, you can change it. It’s your routine.
6. Creating or improving a routine provides an opportunity for you to communicate with your child and get their opinion. If there is something they’d like to put in the routine, do it, and show them you believe their ideas and opinions are worth incorporating in their musical journey.

Thoughts on practice routines for you to consider…

1. Start small. Especially if you haven’t been practicing consistently. You don’t want to overwhelm your student with too many tasks or a long practice session.
2. Be realistic about your life. If you only have twenty minutes before school drop-off for practice, don’t put twenty things in your routine. It’s only going to be frustrating.
3. Focus on starting and ending strong. Start with something fun and positive that your child likes. Play a game. Be silly. End in the same way. You want to leave practice on a high note, pun intended, so that you both are looking forward to spending time together for practice next time.

I encourage you to sit down today and start planning your child’s practice routine. Invite them to help you. Figure out what is important to you both, and prioritize that in your routine. And then share in the comments! I’d love to see (and try out with my kiddos) all your great ideas.

*results may vary. 😉