As many families head back to school this fall, with some returning to in-person learning for the first time in a while, it can be overwhelming to deal with new schedules, activities, and the uncertainties in life that a continuing pandemic may bring. Music can be used as a tool to navigate big transitions such as these however, and the simple act of practicing your instrument can create helpful feelings of joy, calmness, or energy!

So, how can you ensure that your music lessons are a source of positivity in your life rather than just an additional source of stress? Here are some useful tips!
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Making time for the things that matter most in life can be a big challenge for anyone. Yes, playing music in a way that satisfies our need for self-expression requires regular practice, and this can be extremely difficult to carve out of a busy week filled with school, sports, tutoring (and hopefully a little down time!). It can feel that much harder when we're adjusting to a new schedule. That being said, making time for music probably doesn't take as long as most people think.

Set aside as little as 10-15 minutes a day, and stick to it for a few weeks. The specific timing doesn't matter, as long as the student isn't hungry, tired, or frustrated. For some students, this means practicing in the morning before they get ready for school or work, whereas other students are freshest just after getting home for the day, or right before dinner time. If you're still wondering where to find that 10-15 minutes in the day, think through a typical day and note any periods of natural downtime. You might discover that you're not as busy as you feel. For instance, many parents have expressed that limiting screen time is a major step in freeing up some time for their child to dedicate towards music.

​Once you've started to create a habit, it won't feel as difficult to get to the instrument, your songs will flow more easily, and you will find yourself feeling naturally drawn to practicing. A mistake is to assume that inspiration comes first, and that dedication then follows. It's actually the opposite: once we regularly do something well, we become inspired by the possibilities for our own self-expression! 
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Music creates powerful connections between the world around us and ourselves in a way that few other activities can. Whether singing along to meaningful lyrics or exploring a cultural connection to our ancestry, there is much to be gained from music in addition to just technical mastery.

​But it's just one of those things: You must be present to benefit, and you only get out what you put into it! In other words, if you want to learn a song that brings you joy and relief, but you never find the time to sit down and actually do it, you don't get the reward. This is why it's so important to remain focused and motivated, and to establish goals for yourself along the way to track and reward your own progress. 

One way to stay motivated is to learn music that is meaningful to you. For instance, my students are currently learning the National Anthems of their parents or grandparents' countries! Being able to connect with their ancestral history through music motivates them to practice in an incredibly powerful and personal way!

Once you have the motivation, you need a way to stay on track with your goals. It may sound like common sense, but keeping a practice journal is one of the most effective ways to help you stay focused. Every time you practice, log it in your journal. If you practice five days in a row, find a way to celebrate your dedication. See if you can't beat your practice streak the next week. Your teacher can help you with setting up a practice journal that works for you.
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My daughter plays both guitar and piano, and, at the risk of embarrassing her, she plays both quite well. When she was younger, my wife and I had to put in a lot of effort towards "making it fun" and juggling practice times to keep her engaged. Now almost old enough to drive, she naturally goes to her instrument every day to play, work, and express herself. It took six or seven years of "making it fun" for practicing music to become a part of who she is, but now I don't think she could imagine a life without it (it also helps that she has musical friends to play with in a quartet and a teacher she looks up to and wants to please). I see this in almost all teenagers at Orpheus who made practicing a habit through their younger years.

​"Making it fun" looks different for every student, and will require some trial and error on the part of the parent and the teacher. A good starting place might be to try out some practice games. There are plenty of examples online, and we've compiled a useful list for download here.
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As I've said, big transition periods can be overwhelming, but music lessons don't have to be part of that stress. Here are the most important things to remember to keep music fun, motivating, and joyful:
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1. Avoid burnout by switching up your practice routine and revisiting easy favorites.
2. Make time for music in your new schedule by carving out as little as 10-15 minutes a day. Establish a habit, and see how quickly practicing becomes your favorite part of your daily routine!
3. Find motivation by learning songs that you can connect with, and stay focused by logging your goals in a practice journal.
4. For parents, don't engage in power struggles, but do ask your child questions. Collaborate with your teacher to find strategies that keep practice fun!

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I like music because I like to play the piano. Several piano teachers taught me to play the piano. I enjoy playing three songs at a time. I learned how to play the piano when I was in kindergarten, and I also played at several concerts that included parents and children. I take virtual piano lessons due to C19. I received two trophies for playing the piano extremely well. In addition, I continue to play the piano to learn different songs and for personal enjoyment.
-Caleb







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I am very proud to present Caleb as the student of the month. Caleb has shown impressive progress since the first day we met. He is sensitive to music and works hard to achieve his goals. I am especially grateful to see his discipline, perseverance, and spirit of curiosity. This month, Caleb was able to consistently learn one new song (these songs are not easy for him!) each week and had meaningful explorations of music with me. I feel honored to have nominated him. -Mr. Benjamin

I just love music. Every piece is so cool and amazing—it's beautiful and has different notes. Each type of music and note creates something new and interesting. All the techniques are wonderful and they can make one same note have many sounds. Every music/instrument is very unique and different but so good at the same time.  I find music through guitar beautiful and amazing. I like singing along to my songs while playing on my guitar. Sometimes I just like to play some notes on my own. I love the different sounds and things that make a violin sound so graceful like a ritardando, it makes the end of a piece so beautiful and vibratos just make largely unique sounds.
-Akshaj

The joy he brings to his lessons is so uplifting and always brings a smile to my face. There is not a challenge he will shy away from. It is clear that music means so much to him and is a big part of his life. I am honored to teach him at this point in his musical journey.
-​Mr. Jesse

​I love music because I can sing and dance to it. Violin classes with Ms. Mackenzie are great because she is kind and makes me smile.
-Eleanor

I am excited to announce Eleanor as July’s student of the month. I am nominating Eleanor because she shows up everyday enthusiastic to learn and brings so much laughter and light to our lessons. She is always asking questions, focused on finessing her technique, and is reflective and perseveres when she struggles. I look forward to Wednesdays to see what stories she has to share and what revelations she has had over the past week of practice. Keep up the great work Eleanor, you’re becoming a fabulous violinist!
-Ms. Mackenzie

Douglas: Hi everyone, welcome to "Pickup Notes," a sit-down with the directors of Pathways Though Music. My name is Douglas Stefaniak, I'm the Program Director at Pathways Through Music.

Jesse: My name is Jesse Crites, I'm the Executive Director for Pathways Through Music.


Douglas: What is the need we are fulfilling in the community?

Jesse: Well we are serving the Williamson County community. We know that Leander does not have a dedicated music teacher for their elementary school students, and they don't have string programs, that is, orchestra or guitar. So we're really looking to address those needs for Leander. We also serve Title I schools that we have in Round Rock, and we also look to provide private lesson instructions for students involved and enrolled in our after-school programming.


Douglas: Why did we create Pathways Through Music?

Jesse: Well I think you and I sat down, along with a lot of other colleagues of ours, and we just noticed that nobody else was doing this, nobody else was really focusing on these specific needs. So we felt the calling to do just that, to provide these programs for those schools.

Douglas: Yeah. And on a personal note I know that I moved to Austin because of the thriving music scene, and there's so much to do with guitar. But then in the district just north of the city, there doesn't seem to be as many opportunities.

Jesse: Yeah, I mean if you think about-- Williamson County is right next to Travis County, and Travis County boasts one of the most iconic American music scenes: Austin, Texas. And yet just north of that county you have a school district that doesn't provide a specific music teacher for their elementary kids, and doesn't even have string programs. To me that's a bit of a travesty, and something that I know you, and I, and this organization can help address.

Douglas: Mm-hmm.

​Klondike: So, can you just share with us some of the notable statistics about Postcards to Seniors?

Aylin: Yeah, so our concerts of over 100 students reached over 760 nursing homes in 26 U.S. states, four Canadian provinces, and three Australian states.

Klondike: It just blows me away. It's one of the most impactful initiatives we've ever had at Orpheus, and I just am so grateful that you did that. Not to undercut the amazing work that you've done changing the lives of seniors, but I also want to say, the students themselves that probably were just on their screens all day long-- they need a really good reason to feel like what they're doing has meaning. 

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Klondike: Can you talk a little bit about your experience changing lives, and then how it felt to see those wonderful videos from the other students?

Aylin: Yeah, so for me, giving back to my community through Musical Postcards gave meaning to my life. We're inherently social beings who crave social connections, and I think our communities can really give us courage, help us overcome life's challenges, and make the journey worthwhile.

So I saw that we could really alleviate social challenges by working together and uniting. And with the help of the Orpheus leadership, students, and teachers, we all worked as a team to put this together, and I think it brought out the best in people and enabled us to stay connected. And hearing the positive feedback from seniors was very meaningful. Many of them commented on how the concerts have brought a smile to their faces and sparked a memory of their own children playing instruments and performing in school concerts.

One senior, I remember he commented like, “I love this so much that I watch it every morning, it gives me hope and brings sunshine to this dark time.” And helping to bring joy to even one person is very meaningful and rewarding.

Klondike: Wow, again it just really touches me so deeply. You may not even be aware of this Aylin, but concurrent with the Musical Postcards, all the teachers and staff at Orpheus were kind of exploring what our deepest values are as an academy, and we decided to settle on “Collaborate, Play, Engage, and Create,” and I think that Musical Postcards-- You just hit on all of them. You came up with a great idea, it was very creative, and then you collaborated with the teachers, staff, and students, and also the people at the nursing homes, to get people playing and get the engagement up. So I’m just so proud of his project.

When Wendy and I started Orpheus like 18 years ago, it was mostly because, even outside of a pandemic, music lessons, classical music lessons particularly, can be a very isolating experience: “Practice by yourself, go to a private teacher, go home and practice what the teacher told you you did wrong, go back for another lesson.” And we wanted the opportunity for kids to come together and be able to be in group classes, and like you said, that experience of playing in ensembles was already really meaningful, and I think that you then took it to this whole new level, which is just so inspiring. 
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​Klondike: Well thank you so much Aylin, and I know you've already inspired so many, and you will continue to do so as you go out into the world and make a big, big difference. So thank you, thank you, thank you for everything you've given to Orpheus!

Aylin: I couldn't have done it without the Orpheus community, so thank you so much Orpheus. Thank you!
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I really enjoy playing Guitar. It sounds great, and the new songs that I am learning are awesome! It is really fun learning with Mr.Doug, because he teaches well and makes everything I learn easily understandable. 
-Akshar

I am nominating Akshar for Student of the Month because he is consistently prepared, works super hard, and is always excited about guitar. Akshar and I recorded his Level 2 project earlier in the semester, and he also just took his Level 3 Musical Journey Test and did extremely well! Each and every week, Akshar shows up to lessons ready to go, and we have been able to make steady progress for years because of this. He also thoroughly enjoys music, and is often playing pieces that he teaches himself. I am so excited to see where his musical journey takes him. Congrats Akshar!
-Mr. Doug

I like music because it sounds Amazing!  Singing and humming let me make music even without a piano!  I love to play my piano and sing along!  My favorite song I ever learned was Whirling Leaves!  It sounds so beautiful!
-Micah

Micah is an incredibly enthusiastic and dedicated student. She has shown great patience in her learning, taking into account that she started lessons at Orpheus during the middle of the pandemic. I look forward to meeting Micah when we go back in person!
-Ms. Leanna

I love music because it really relaxes me and makes me smile. I want to make the world a better place one song at a time!!
-Sahana
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Sahana has been steadily building her musical theater repertoire with great enthusiasm. At the beginning of the Spring semester, she prepared intensively for the Hal Leonard Musical Theater online competition and made it to the semi-finalist list! She is working hard to hone her vocal and musicianship skills, and I love to see her creativity shine from lesson to lesson.
-Ms. Megan

The Friendship Concerts are all about collaboration, as Orpheus students, friends, and families team up to make music together. These performers engaged in a long process to perfect their pieces, and spent weeks practicing, giving each other feedback, and creatively solving problems. After trying, making mistakes, and trying again, these musicians have succeeded in creating awesome performances that we're excited to share with you!

With these concerts being virtual, many students also took advantage of the opportunity to explore their creativity in unique ways. We asked them to explain how each song sparked their imagination, and some students even submitted a visual element to accompany their performance.

Watch these special concerts and celebrate the Orpheus community!