Why this guide?

Learning a musical instrument requires a triangular effort from the teacher, student, and parent.

Yet, attention to the role of parents or caregivers is often neglected. Music teachers ask them to read the studio policies, make timely payments, and assume they’ll follow through on enforcing practice at home.

In reality, caregivers may know very little about the adventure ahead. They may also make assumptions about music lessons based on their past experience.

Some resources offer specific tips on home practice but avoid the topic of how to set up and enforce a practice routine. Some bemoan the lack of parental involvement and what to do about it, while others provide such an in-depth approach to the matter that the word count is prohibitive. 

I recognized the support my studio families needed was lacking, and at the same time, I struggled to find the exact resource I was looking for.

From what I hear from colleagues, they feel the same.

So, I took on a mission and a challenge.

Mission: Amp up the support given to caregivers of budding musicians.

Challenge: Condense the essential information that caregivers need into bite-sized nuggets and deliver it in a way they can easily access.

After poring over top resources for practice, parenting, and music, I believe I met my challenge with

The Caregivers Guide for Budding Musicians.

Take a quick tour!

WOW! This is incredible, Leila!
Thank you so much for creating such a robust, organized, and versatile resource! I can't wait to share this with my studio parents.
-Leah Drake

What’s included?

• Over 75 nuggets of practical advice and inspiring quotes.

• Downloadable PDFs of cards with large font organized into six color-coded sections

• Expectations

• Routine

• Practice

• Holding the Line

• Questions

• Quotes

• Student practice strategy cards for teachers and students to use in lessons and apply at home.

• Hyperlinks and QR codes to all resources–books, blogs, and podcasts.

• An introductory letter to send to caregivers.

What are ways for caregivers to access the guide?

The guide is available in three DIGITAL formats.

• PDF for desktop

• PDF for phone

• PDF for a print version that creates the cards as shown above with the lanyard (I recommend taking this file to your local printer!)

How do you COAX busy caregivers to read the guide?

• Personally hand the lanyard cards to parents as they arrive to drop off or pick up their musician, thank them for all they do, and excitedly present them with the cards.

• In your weekly or monthly letters to student families, highlight a section or quote and encourage parents to use the suggestion or consider the quote during the practice week.

• As you integrate practice strategies in lessons, remind parents to ask students about the practice strategy used in the lesson.

• Ask parents which tip, strategy or quote has resonated with them lately.

• If parents have a question about a topic addressed in the guide, make sure to refer to it yourself. When parents see you referring to the guide, it will remind them to do the same.

What is included for the Budding Musicians?

Besides the three formats of the guide, 24 Practice Strategy cards (digital download) are included for teachers to demonstrate in lessons and assign to musicians for home practice.

These can be

• Shared as a PDF in lessons on Practice Space and other practice tracker apps.

• Printed and shared as a 3-page PDF for student binders.

• Printed and cut into trading card-sized cards, stored in trading card protector sleeves, and placed in a binder. 

• Printed and cut into individual cards, hole punched, and hung on a book ring with a lanyard and stored in practice pouches.

• Shared as photos in practice apps like Practice Space and Vivid Practice.

24 Practice Strategy Cards for Budding Musicians are available as a PDF AND as PHOTOS to share in Practice apps!