After hearing about all the 40 / 30 / (insert desired number here) piece challenges out there, I decided to try my own (with just 12 weeks left until recital). I invited the students to participate, and none of them declined. 25 pieces in 12 weeks: more pieces than some of the beginners had learned in total. I won’t say I was skeptical, but it was a lot of work on my part to set everything in motion, and I wasn’t sure it would be worth it. I am absolutely thrilled with the results.   At the end of it all, 19 students complete 651 songs in 12 weeks.  The best surprise was a first year student who completed 60 pieces (including performing each one of them for her class).

The overall sight reading ability in the studio has increased by (what feels like) a million percent. Their willingness to try more challenging pieces, and their ability to chew them up and spit them out (so to speak), is all the proof I need that this was the best challenge I have ever initiated in my studio. I am so happily stunned and can’t wait to do it all again this year 🙂

Do you do practice challenges in your studio?