We get lots of questions about practicing especially when new students begin at DSM or online at DLP.  Parents want to know how long their kids should practice each day and adult learners are anxious to know "how much do I need to practice to be good enough to...uh, play?".  

My answer is probably not what they expect and usually goes something like this;
To the parent - "If I'm doing my job then your child will enjoy playing music and the chances are he'll make time to explore our material and practice on his own." 

To the adult - "How about we focus on learning these very first few basic concepts and see how it goes at our next lesson?" 

Folks sometimes mention that mythical "half hour a day" rule, but I rarely budge. My reply usually goes something like; "Let's see, it's our first lesson, we learned how to put the instrument together and made a little noise.  We introduced some musical concepts and there are a few things to review before next week. That shouldn't take too long."  

Still, parents and adult students who have armed themselves with information like the Mozart Effect or the "10,000 hour rule" (attributed most recently to Malcolm Gladwell) sometimes put emphasis on the wrong P word.  Read on...

In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell looks at the factors that contribute to high levels of success in a wide array of disciplines. He studies hockey stars, computer programmers, scientists, and musicians, among others, and boils down his findings to the much ballyhooed '10,000 hour' rule.  i.e. "The key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours."

For his musical example, Gladwell cites the Beatles. He learned that the lads had performed live in Hamburg, Germany over 1,200 times between 1960 and 1964, and thus easily reached the mystical 10,000 hours of playing time before they returned to Liverpool (and ensuing critical acclaim). But hey, these are THE BEATLES for gosh sake!  I reckon they may have been just as fun and 'good' on their 200th gig as they were by the time they reached the Ed Sullivan show.

It's tough to argue with the basic premise of Gladwell's findings, after-all, it's not rocket science. The more you work at a task, the better you will become at it.  But as one of my esteemed colleagues (Gary Feltner) said when I told him I was writing this blog, "Some students can get a ton accomplished in one short practice session while others labor on with little progress to show for their work." Besides, not every student aspires to play Carnegie Hall. Most just want to reach a level of proficiency and understanding of their chosen instrument and genre. If that's you, then here are 3 basic tips to keep you on your path.

1. Concentrate on the PROCESS not the end result.  This was one of the main points in Gary Marcus's book Guitar Zero.  After having some success at the game Guitar Hero, he decided to see if his mad skills might translate over to 'real' guitar playing.  His words of wisdom to other learners? "Enjoy the journey and don't fixate on the destination". 

2. If you take lessons, attend them whether you practice during the week or not!  I can't tell you how many students (mostly adults) completely undermine their progress because they fear they are not prepared for their weekly lesson.  A good educator knows what you need and will present ideas for you to review so that you can carry on. Of course it's great when students get some practice time on their instrument, but it should not be a determining factor as to whether a lesson is attended or not. 

3. When you DO have time to practice, make it count!  A good instructor will provide you with a set of clear goals after each session (a really good instructor will document those goals for you after every lesson).  I encourage students to keep their instrument out and 'in sight' at home,  if it's visible you'll be more apt to tinker with it now and again. A few minutes of playing can really go a long way and there's no need to skip it altogether if you feel like you don't have a predetermined amount of time available. Every little bit helps!

We meet lots of folks via social media. Twitter for example, gives us a chance to observe the pulse of our profession and every now and again, converse or banter with those who have the same or differing viewpoints. Over the past few years we've had  posts featuring Kat Fulton, Lisa Canning, and Patrick Kolhami, all folks we met via social media. 

Now I bring you April Estep (or as I've known her for the past year or so on Twitter, @MsEstep). April is a high school music teacher, she is an avid tweeter using the #musiced hash-tag, and she also maintains a wordpress blog called I'd Rather Be Tweeting...

I contacted April because she is a music education  'insider' (working in a public school) with a keen interest in reaching 'the other 80%', i.e. those interested in learning music but who do not access band, choir, or orchestra programs in schools. She agreed to answer a few questions for us.  Be sure to show her some love on Twitter and check in on her blog as well!

Q. Tell us a little about yourself, what brought you to be a music teacher?

A. I'm not sure what to tell you about me. (I do much better with specific questions, lol.) I grew up in southern West Virginia and teach in the high school I graduated from. I was a stereotypical band nerd through junior high and high school. I became a music teacher because I loved band so much that I couldn't see myself giving it up.

I am currently teaching grades 7-12. I have a junior high general music class and junior high choir. My high school classes are music appreciation and guitar. I have a small high school choir that meets after school one day a week...even though state policy requires choir be offered in the regular schedule.

Q. How do you use technology in your classroom? Anything on your wish list?

A. Tech is fairly non-existant in my class on a regular basis. But we do get time in the computer lab when we can. My music appreciation classes do composing and mixing and we also do musical autobiographies with movie maker. I also use my iPhone to record and share student work in guitar class.

If I could have any kind of tech, I'd have a class set of iPads with garage band...maybe some macs. Also, unfiltered access to YouTube would be great! :)

Q. How do you think tech has affected music education.  How might it evolve in the future?

I think technology has made a big difference in the way I teach my "other 80" classes. Composing is so much easier and more accessible for students. They can also share their work, like original songs, to a much bigger audience outside my classroom. I love that!

Tech should be impacting all of education. There are people in my building who think tech is destroying creative thought and problem solving (with which I totally disagree). I think tech gives us new ways of thinking and creating that are just as important as the more traditional models of thought.

Q. I sense from your tweets and your blog that you sometimes get frustrated with the administration or administrative parts of being a music teacher. Can you shed some light on that?

A. Yes, I get very frustrated at times.  It may be a touchy-feely Mr. Holland's Opus kind of answer, but music is so important to us as humans yet the powers that be in education think it's unimportant. It's nice to have, but no one really cares if they cancel choir to fit in an extra geometry class.

I also get frustrated among music people who think performing ensembles are the most important music classes.  Another band director in our district actually said to me, "Screw guitar class. I'm not a music teacher, I'm a band director. I'm here to build a band and that's all."

It may sound like I don't think performing groups are important, I do. (Nerdy band kid here, remember?) I just really think music ed. needs to do more to reach ALL students. Instead of seeing a kid that's got a good sense of rhythm and pitch and saying, "you should join band (or choir, or whatever)" we should find out what they want to do and find ways to help them reach their musical goals.

Thanks April, we couldn't have said it any better than that!  Keep up the good fight and hope we will bump into you down the road sometime.  Cheers from all of us @DLP_DSM.

After our crazy hike down into the Waipio Valley, we made our way back toward the city of Hilo.  Along highway 19 we stopped off in a little town called Honakaa.  There we met lots of 'islanders' selling everything from healing stones to homemade fudge.  The Honakaa Marketplace (pictured left) was packed floor to ceiling with trinkets and souvenirs and we spent a good while browsing every nook and cranny. We stopped in to an eco-friendly store ("everything is eco-safe and bio-degradable!") and even saw a place offering piano lessons.

What struck me most when speaking with locals and merchants in Hawaii was that each one had the same attitude about life and a secure sense of their place. "It's not about the money," I heard more than once, "it's about the islands, the history, those that came before, and how we can protect the beauty of our home. It's about using the gifts that we've given responsibly". This is the Tao of Hawaii. After resting a bit, taking in a few more shops and some well deserved ice-cream, we continued our trip back to Hilo.

In Hilo I stopped into a little music shop and met Brandon Nakano. He was behind the counter playing guitar and writing a song with a beautiful Hawaiian lilt.  I mentioned that I had just hiked down into the valley and stopped in for a few guitar picks to bring to my students back home.  He asked about the hike and I told him it was "very spiritual, a life changing experience". 

Brandon smiled with a sense of understanding and echoed the same sentiments of history, beauty, and an overall passion for the islands that other locals had spoken of. He told me about visiting his grandparents home in the hills when he was young, how the property was sold after they had passed, and how he recently took his daughter there so that she could experience the place and learn why it was so important to him. "That's what the new song is about" he said. 

On the way out Brandon said "Let me give you this." It was a CD by his band, the Keawe Trio. I am listening to the music as I write this; it's bringing back great memories of my trip and a hint of that very special Hawaiian "Tao".  Mahalo Brandon.

Whenever I am fortunate enough to travel I try to make a point of visiting out of the way places that tourists might miss.  Such was the case last week during an amazing trip to Hawaii.

We rented a car on the 'big island' and drove from Hilo up through the town of Honokaa and out along the Hamakua Coast to the Waipio Valley. It is the southernmost and largest of seven valleys on the windward (northeast) side of the Kohala Mountains. It was once home to Hawaiian royalty and is known for its black sand beach and huge waves. The ride up this coast offers breathtaking views of steep cliffs and beautiful blue green water to the right with prairie like ranches (home to Hawaiin cowboys!) to the left.  

At Waipio, scenic cliffs rise thousands of feet from each side of the valley which is about one mile wide and six miles deep.  We hiked down the winding, steep road into the valley which took a little over an hour. The road ends inside a lush jungle and it takes another 15 to 20 minutes along a makeshift footpath to reach the beach. You can hear the roaring surf getting louder and louder with every few steps and when it finally opens up to the coastline, the view is stunning. The sand is smooth and black and the beach is freckled with lava rock.  The water churns foamy blue-gray and the cliffs that frame either side of the beach create an amazing site. The entire experience is very spiritual and in fact, local lore has it that it is the burial grounds for Hawaiian kings (and at least one legendary and unfortunate surfer). 

It's hard to explain the power and the beauty of this place and how it intoned a sense of magnificence, splendor, and most of all spirituality. I have visited other places and gotten the same feelings; Niagara Falls NY, Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur in Paris to name a few. I couldn't help to think of how blessed and fortunate I was to have this experience and how I wished that my friends, family, and students could be so lucky. 

I'm back in Dallas now but many amazing Hawaiian memories linger.  I resume work with a sense of calm and even though I am a little jet-lagged from the return trip, some much needed renewed energy. Mostly, I learned to appreciate the bigger picture and a clearer sense of my own smallness. I hope to keep these thoughts front of mind in my teaching and overall approach to life this year .and beyond. Aloha!

It has been an eventful year at DLP. I hope you enjoy this look back at some of the years most memorable blog posts!

Finding Inspiration in Unlikely Places - Part 1 January 6 
One never knows where or when inspiration will strike, but if you keep your eyes, ears, mind, and heart open as you slog through every day life, you may just find inspiration in the most unusual of places...in this case, sports radio.

Finding Inspiration in Unlikely Places - Part 2 January 20
Between the Folds is a documentary about origami artists.  This film inspired me to be better at explaining my thoughts and ideas as I teach and play music. 

The Future of Music Education?  BRIGHT! - February 17
This was one of the most read, most commented on, and most linked-to blog of the year. The optimistic outlook of our profession struck quite a chord on twitter too, and the blog was re-posted on many music education websites.

Magic Johnson's Instrument of Choice?  Bass. - March 19
How awesome is it to live in this digital age where we have a chance to virtually 'sit-in' on live interviews and webinars? This live chat with Magic Johnson was promoted by Inc. Magazine on twitter and we were there!

Meet DLP User Patrick Kohalmi - April 20
The greatest thing about music is the people you meet through it. Patrick Oliver Kohalmi is a personal trainer, web- entrepreneur, and budding soprano sax player from Hune, Nordjyllan, Denmark. He is also a DLP user! 

Be Well, Feel Good, and Make MUSIC! - July 11
Another person we met this year (via twitter) was Kat Fulton. She's a music therapist, drum circle facilitator, and a wonderful promoter of her profession.  How could we not contact her?

Music Education + Business = Win Win - November 14
This one took the prize as our most read post. It was featured in many 'daily bests' from the #musiced twitter-verse and was reprinted on several sites including Entrepreneur the Arts. This post was prompted by our conversation with Marty Albertson the former CEO and current Chairman of Guitar Center.  

Digital Learning is Here to Stay - December 5
I watched a regional TED Talk featuring Tom Vander Ark author of Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World. I was intrigued enough to write Tom and share with him what we're doing at DLP. Lo and behold he wrote back with 'two thumbs up' and a promise to feature us on the Getting Smart website...we'll keep ya posted!

If music is truly a universal language then we as music educators have an amazing opportunity to reach learners of all levels according to these 2011 statistics. This graph shows percentages of internet usage per population in various areas of the world. 

With 488 million users in the America's alone, it's no wonder why folks like Tom Vander Ark are keen about investing in Digital Learning programs. Tom's Getting Smart is a site focused on innovations in learning with primary emphasis at the K-12 learner, but they also explore informal, early, and adult learning as well.  

From the Getting Smart site: "We are optimistic about the potential of connecting more young people to the idea economy through personal digital learning. Getting Smart is a community of people passionate about learning and helping others learn."

Music ed. programs take note. Our future music teachers need more training in non-traditional classroom teaching/learning with a special emphasis on digital technologies.  Reaching this huge and growing market can provide far-reaching support for musical arts organizations, music retailers, performers, and yes, even in-school music programs. The global educational landscape is changing and we need to be proactive about the future of our profession. This is an opportunity that needs to be seized. Let's not be the last profession to the dance! 

A former student of mine  (and a very good player by the way) has decided after several years of applied instrument classes to be a music education major. I am not certain of his motives, but I have no doubt that if he decides to go ahead with this decision, he can be a super teacher. I thought I'd put down a few thoughts for him and anyone else who might be considering music education as a career.

1. Don't choose music education as a 'fallback'.
I've seen first-hand what a huge mistake this can be.  Most successful music educators are passionate about teaching or feel it is a calling. Those who 'back-in' to education are often disappointed or worse, burned out after a short time. If you want to be a performer, then be a performer. If you decide to teach, make it a career decision and jump in with both feet. Your performing career will most likely become secondary.

2. Be ready for anything!
Anything? Yep...anything. If you are in a school setting you may be asked to monitor study halls and the lunch room. You may have only a handful of colleagues on your team and you may be working with students who care as much about music as they do math....which is to say about nil. I have taught in a janitor's closet and a math classroom. And you may wind up outside of your comfort zone when someone asks you to design a half-time show or cover a French class. If you go the private practice route, be ready to learn bookkeeping and management skills, scheduling, and tuition collection. In fact, you may very well spend more time on the business end of things than on actual teaching. Who knows, you may be asked to write a blog!

3. Keep all of your options open.
The job market can be limited. Your ideal teaching gig may be at a small private school working with a jazz quartet, or as an instrumental teacher at a college.  But those specific jobs are tough to get aside from being few and far between. It's sort of like saying you'd like to coach basketball... at Duke; it's probably not gonna happen for a while. However, the future of music education is bright if you keep your options open. Consider the private instruction studio or starting a small private 'practice' with colleagues. Innovations online have made this a tremendous option in many communities and even globally. Lastly, do not be defined or confined by your chosen instrument or area of expertise! Having a teaching degree means you are the expert and should be able to work with students on many levels, in many genres, and on any number of instruments. 

Most of all have fun and enjoy the ride!

I was recently discussing a typical day of teaching at DSM and DLP with my bestest friend Gracie. She thought it was funny that I spent more time telling her what I had learned from my students versus what I had taught them. She suggested I write a blog about this idea, and though it's probably not exactly what she had in mind...here goes:

6 Things I've Learned While Teaching Music


6. Teaching music is a calling... a much different calling than being a musician. If you are a great player but can't relate to people, then please go concentrate on your gigging career.  And thank you in advance from our profession.

5.  If you are teaching music and don't enjoy it, you should seriously consider choosing another line of work.Your students can tell if you like what you do or not. If you are lucky enough to teach music and enjoy it, congratulations and welcome to the club! 

4. Teaching music requires interpersonal skills. If you are a 'people person' you might be a good music teacher. If your idea of a perfect day is being alone with your i-pod and the Oxford Companion to Music, you may want to seek out a library position.

3. "Liking music" and or "knowing music" have little to do with "teaching" music. Your students want to know that you care about them, not the music they are learning.

2. Having the best curriculum, the best 'chops', the best instrument, or the best facility does not guarantee that you will be a successful teacher. Good teachers will be successful without these things and conversely, they will not help a bad teacher very much... if at all. 

1. Music is not important, people are.