http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog Where Wiley Band musicians, families, and friends share their musical musings Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:00:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en In band class, we talk often about how to practice...but did you know that it can also be helpful to learn how NOT to practice? In this 3-part series, we'll present several not-so-good practice habits that you'll want to stay away from! 1. Practicing Too Little The #1 mistake ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2012/02/12/common-practice-mistakes-part-1/ Greetings, Wiley Continuing Band students, and welcome to our third post designed to help you give an outstanding solo performance at our upcoming coffeeshop gig! Today, we share 6 things to do on gig day to help your performance run smoothly. Before the Show: 1. Warm up at home. You ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2012/02/05/delivering-a-polished-solo-performance/ In our last post, we discussed some ways to get a strong start on preparing pieces for a solo performance. Today, we'll learn three things every soloist should do as the show gets closer. 1. Work on style. When you're in the early stages of practicing a solo piece, ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2012/01/29/preparing-for-a-successful-solo-performance-part-2/ If you're in Continuing Band, it's time to gear up for your first solo performance of the year--the Loco Lu's Coffeeshop Gig! The best way to ensure a great solo performance is to practice effectively before the gig. Today, we'll talk about some ways to get a strong ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2012/01/22/preparing-for-solo-performance/ For wind and brass players, the condition of our lips can make or break our day in band. Playing is fun when our lips are soft, supple, and responsive...but dry, cracked, chapped lips can make playing feel awful! In the winter, we have to do a little extra ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2012/01/15/winter-lip-care-for-young-musicians/ For many young musicians, January can be a tough time to practice. Since we just had a nice, long break, we may feel very lazy, and the cold, gray weather doesn't help. But January is also a great time to evaluate our practice, and make sure it's as ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2012/01/08/breathe-new-life-into-your-practice/ January is a time when many people create resolutions to eat healthier, lose weight, or make more money. But as we know, by February, many of these resolutions are already abandoned! As a musician, it may be tempting to resolve to “play better” in 2011. But like the resolutions above, ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2012/01/01/new-years-resolutions-for-musicians-and-how-to-keep-them/ The winter holidays can be a great time to kick back and enjoy relaxing with friends and family. However, if we forget to include practice in our holiday plans, it can be all too easy to lose all the musical skills we've worked to develop this year in band! ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2011/12/11/use-it-dont-lose-it-how-to-maintain-your-practice-over-the-holidays/ Greetings, Wiley Band Families! Our final concert of the fall semester is coming up next week! Here are all the details: When: Thursday, December 15th at 7pm. Please arrive by 6:40 to unpack and get set up. Where:Wiley Media Center Dress: Concert black and white, with optional festive decor :) What students should ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2011/12/04/winter-concert-details/ As growing musicians, we spend much of our time trying to get better at what we do. We're always striving to break our bad playing habits, learn new things, and become better at our instruments. Although it's important to focus on making progress, it can be equally important to sit ... http://wileyelementaryband.com/blog/2011/11/13/an-attitude-of-gratitude-how-to-be-a-thankful-musician/