Simple Tips for Being a Successful Music Student

​CURO Financial Technologies Corp president Don Gayhardt is an experienced business executive who places an importance on positive leadership in the workplace. With over 25 years of leadership experience, Don Gayhardt also serves as the chairman of Music Training Center Holdings, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based group that provides 2,000 children in Pennsylvania and New Jersey with access to music lessons across multiple locations.
 
When taking up music lessons for the first time, the most successful music students tend to try harder and practice more effectively than their peers. Listed below are eight ways you can follow their lead and find success in music lessons, no matter your age or experience level.
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1. Give maximum effort during practice

Successful music students practice purposefully and often because they understand that mastering an instrument demands hard work. Many music education professionals assert that raw talent is far less valuable when it comes to learning an instrument than dedication. Successful students use this to their advantage and optimize their practice sessions by setting goals, regularly tackling new challenges, and putting their full focus on the task at hand when they sit down to play. 

2. Start your lessons before you even leave the house

Successful students look for ways to get as much as possible out of the time they spend in music class, and one way that they accomplish this is by taking time to do their warmups before leaving home for their lesson. Students who get their hands and fingers moving on an instrument with a 15-minute warmup at home are prepared get started right away when they arrive to class. This gives the student more time to spend working on new material instead of using the beginning of the lesson for warmups.

3. Show up prepared

To be successful, a music student must be reliable. This means that he or she shows up for all lessons on time with the necessary supplies for the session, including his or her instrument and music sheets. It also means that the student has spent enough time practicing between classes to move forward with the new material the teacher has planned. Showing up ready with the right tools and enough practice lays the foundation for the student to be focused and engaged in the day’s lesson.

4. Use your teacher as a resource

Successful music students take advantage of the knowledge available to them through their instructors. They aren’t afraid to ask questions during a lesson when they don’t understand a concept, and they work to analyze and understand the information presented to them in class. Additionally, a successful music student may choose to ask his or her teacher for specific feedback on topics like the student’s strengths and weakness as a musician, areas that should receive extra focus during practice sessions, and new practice strategies that may improve the student’s overall playing style.

5. Study more than just musical notes

A successful musician’s interest in music extends beyond simply learning to play notes on an instrument. The best students seek out supplementary knowledge on many different music topics through reading, watching videos, attending performances, and listening to recordings. They may find a musical piece that inspires them and choose to research its history, learning when, how, and why it was written. Participating in music research outside what is taught in lessons broadens the student’s perspective and enriches the learning experience, making for a more well-rounded musical education. 

6. Routinely record yourself during practice

​One way that successful music students improve their skills on an instrument is by recording themselves as they practice. Recording a practice session gives the student musician an opportunity to hear his or her performance objectively and identify mistakes that may otherwise go unrecognized. Students who save these recordings will also be able to document their progress as musicians, which may help keep them motivated to work toward success when faced with difficulty in their lessons.
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7. Don’t let frustration make you feel discouraged

No matter how much students practice their instruments, there will always be challenges to face on the path to proficiency. Successful music students approach challenges with a patient, positive attitude, and do not let problems cause them to lose confidence. The students who eventually become highly successful on an instrument are those who see struggles during the learning process as opportunities to improve, rather than insurmountable problems.

8. Find genuine joy in music

The last and arguably most important factor that sets successful music students apart from their peers is a true passion for music. This is not to say that students who genuinely love music don’t encounter frustration or trouble as they learn, but these problems never erode their overall enjoyment in the process of mastering their instrument. Many successful musicians truly enjoy practice sessions, seek out a variety of musical experiences, and will always strive to learn more, even when they’re at the top of their game.