Play Every Day!

LAM’s February 2025 Practice-A-Thon

As a school, we believe in progress over perfection. This practice challenge celebrates self-growth and improvement in our musical community.

Here’s how to join in:

  1. Pick out the practice log that you think will work best for you. You can print this out at home or find copies in either of the LAM lobbies.

  2. Find an accountability partner. This can be a friend, family member, or your teacher. Your accountability partner will check in with you throughout the challenge and sign off on your practice log at the end of the month

  3. Keep an eye on our social media for special announcements, extra challenges, and share your progress with #PlayEveryDay

At the end of the month, we’ll celebrate our progress with an ice cream party in the newly renovated recital hall!

Happy Practicing!!

Practice Tips

Getting Started… 

  •  Set aside a time of day that works for you and your family. Consistency is key! Start with 10 minutes and work your way up. try to practice every day, with a day “off" for lessons.

  • Find a special spot to practice where you can keep your music and instrument.  

  • Have young students work with an adult. Make a practice plan to break up the time. Singing, clapping rhythms, listening to a recording, and analyzing all count as practice!

  • Stretch! Playing music is physical- even if it's small movements. Take a few minutes to stretch, breath, and transition into "music brain" at the beginning of practice.

  • Use your ears! If something sounds wrong– stop! go back and find the problem, and see if you can solve it like a detective! Then, play it without the mistake at least 3 times before moving on. 

Feeling Stuck? 

  • Mix up the routine- draw a picture or write a story to bring the piece to life. Try improvising or writing your own music based on a theme you are learning- give yourself some creative freedom during practice to stay engaged. 

  • Use practice time to zoom in and zoom out. Practice tiny details but also save time to practice performing- even if it's for your sibling, cat, or plant. You have to practice going through your piece without stopping and letting go of mistakes too! 

  • Break hard passages up into two bar ‘bites.’

  • Use a metronome. Pick out difficult sections and start slowly, eventually working your way up to your desired tempo. 

  • Pay attention to articulation, dynamics, and other details in the score. You can use highlighters or colored pencils to color code the dynamics and help you remember to incorporate them! 

  • Take notes of any ideas or questions you have while you practice.

  • Reach out to the LAM office if you’re interested in being paired with a practice buddy!

  • Remember that the ultimate goal of practicing is growth, not perfection.