Tuesday, September 23, 2014

How Do We Get Organized to Practice Now That Fall is in Full Swing?

I don't know about you, but summer flew by and now I find we are in the throws of the full schedule of fall!  What a great time, but how do we fit practicing into that crazy schedule?  Take a moment and breathe!  We have had a couple of weeks of what our fall schedules will be.



Sit down and organize yourself and think about these things. 

-Where do you have that extra time?  Certain days or time frames?
-Are there certain days that you have more time than others?
-When do you become stressed with your studies? Would it be beneficial to take time out as a break to practice when studying for that Geometry test?
-Is there time that you idly waste on Facebook or Instagram that could be tweeked?
-Do you have an extra long bus or car ride at some point in the day?

Once you have identified some places that you have a little extra time (or could make time):

-Pencil in a 30 minute practice session into your planner
  (If you have a math test that you want to study for 2 hours for, mark a 30 minute break to practice 1 hour into it!)
-Move yourself to your practice space
-Turn off/ignore all other outside influences
-Warm up using the exercises from your lesson
-Practice for 30 minutes (or more if you are motivated)

If your time is in a space that is not quiet or not conducive to sing out loud:

-Pull out your music,look at it, and 'silently' practice
-Think through the song
-Mark in your breaths and dynamics
-Write out the lyrics and work on your interpretation
-Work on your pronunciation
-Work on memorizing the words and phrasing

To focus your practice time even more:

-Write down exactly what your teacher wants you to work on in each song (phrasing, pronunciation, breath support, vowel space) at your lesson so your practice sessions are mapped out
-Pick one thing to work on that day and if have time move onto the other

The more you plan out your practice sessions, the more productive you will be in a shorter amount of time!  PRACTICING individual techniques and ideas rather than just SINGING your song is a sure way to progress faster.

As an added tip, end your practicing with just singing a song for fun!

Happy practicing and happy singing!