"The new year stands before us, like a chapter of a book waiting to be written." – Melody Bettie
The new year is always the perfect time to set new goals for yourself and make progress on your musical journey. As we enter 2022, we wanted to give our NMA family some inspiration for setting new goals that will further your growth as a musician and inspire you to reach your highest potential!
In this month’s blog post, we’ll be diving into some musical New Year’s resolutions you can work towards in 2022. We encourage you to take what works for you and add these to your list of musical ambitions!
#1. Practice more
It’s no secret that practicing more makes you a better musician, but making time to sit down with your instrument can sometimes be a challenge. With school, other activities and daily life being pretty busy, it’s hard to find the perfect time to rehearse. Coming to class and learning there is of course incredibly important, but it’s equally essential for students to play their pieces and make time to practice on their own too to get the most out of lessons.
Making it a goal to schedule dedicated practice times can be really helpful for young students and lead to more productive rehearsals! You can start small and work your way up to a few times a week or longer sessions until you find the right amount of practice time for you! You can also always ask your student’s instructor how much rehearsal time they recommend based on your student’s age, skill level, as well as goals.
#2. Try a new instrument
The excitement of picking up a new instrument can be really motivating for young students. The process of choosing a new skill to learn is so exciting and can encourage your student to grow not only with their new instrument but on their original instrument as well. Studies have even shown that learning a new instrument can increase a child’s language growth, coordination and even their math scores!
If you want to learn something new but don’t know where to start, feel free to ask our staff what instruments they might recommend for your student. Some instruments are more easily translatable (for example, going from guitar to ukulele) than others (like learning flute and suddenly picking up the drums). We can’t wait to see what new instrument combinations we’ll see in the studio!
#3. Expand your repertoire
It’s important to challenge yourself as an artist so that you’re able to grow. Learning new pieces and trying out new musical styles is a great way to learn and become a better musician in 2022!
Take a look at the pieces you have in your book and what styles you’re most comfortable with. Then, try and find a piece that could challenge you or push you as a performer. Doing this can further develop your musical skills and make learning even more interesting!
#4. Work towards an Honors Recital or performance goal
At Northside Music Academy, we host a yearly Honors Recital for students who are exceptionally dedicated to their craft. These recitals are intended as a reward performance for select intermediate/advanced students that have been making outstanding progress through their hard work, dedication, and promising talent!
To be part of one of these recitals could be a great goal for students looking to elevate their level of performance. We’re always so thrilled to see our students perform in the Honors Recitals and would love to see even more students participate! If you’re not quite ready to try out for one of our Honors Recitals yet, set another performance goal to work towards instead that can motivate you!
#5. Expand your musical taste
Growing as a musician isn’t always about practicing and performing. It’s also about expanding your scope of the music world and taking in all it has to offer! It’s important to experience new sounds and flows to explore what you love most!
This year, try listening to music genres you’ve never given a chance! Make playlists for yourself filled with new and exciting music. You can even collaborate with your friends to swap songs and share in all the incredible music available to you!
We hope you feel inspired to continue mastering your craft and become an even better musician in 2022! Do you have any more suggestions for musical New Year’s resolutions? Let us know in the comment section below!
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