Most of you are about to start summer break, so instead of giving you a bunch of homework and pushing for progress, we’re going to focus on how to have fun with your instrument and enjoy the progress you’ve made so far, while enjoying the weather. If you’re feeling inspired and want to continue learning over break, there are also some ideas for you in here and in other blogs.
Since summer break lasts for several weeks, I will update the song of the week throughout break.
- Camping/Trips. Bring your instrument on trips. Unless you’re flying, in which case I don’t recommend bringing your instrument. If you are flying, or if you don’t want to bring your prized instrument, buy a cheap ukulele and pack it in your bag. Anyone can learn the basics of ukulele pretty quickly, in fact I will probably make a short blog about this, if so I will link it HERE.
- Outside Lands. Go outside with your instrument. Your backyard, your local park, coffee shop. I used to take my classical guitar on hikes all the time. It’s pretty awesome to find an epic natural landscape to practice at. Makes for great videos!
- Start a supergroup. Okay maybe not that serious, but you probably know other people that play an instrument and they would most likely be down to play songs or just jam with you. I’ve met some of my best friends through music, we started as complete strangers with nothing in common besides wanting to play music. You don’t have to go that far, but music is a great social connector in that way.
- Do it live. Go see a concert! Summer is prime time for touring bands. I would encourage you to check out local shows too, not just big arena concerts. I can’t tell you how many times watching a local band has inspired me. Even just hanging out for a bit and watching those bands or musicians that play at farmer’s markets can be interesting. Music is such a personal thing, and it’s interesting to see how different people do it.
- Rest on your laurels. Use this time to polish up songs you have already learned, or are close to finishing. The whole point of learning songs is to eventually play them, so make sure you spend some time actually enjoying music by playing your songs.
- Learn your summer playlist. Bring your playlists to your next lesson and let’s learn some of those songs! You are more than welcome to look up the sheet music or tabs on your own and give it a shot. If you run into any problems just bring it in or email me.
- Learn my summer playlist. I will be posting a separate “Songs of the Week” article weekly, so check back there for inspiration.
- Extra Space. Use your extra free time to boost your progress. My favorite time to practice is in the morning. It’s a great way to get my brain started and it’s an inspiring way to start the day. Try taking advantage of those times that were normally eaten up by your school schedule.
There are so many good ideas for how to fill in the extra time this summer. The ones I have come up with are related to music, but there are many other options. Of course, enjoy your break, rest and relax, but also use your time wisely and don’t get too lazy! Pick up a new hobby, read more books, learn how to paint, learn how to cook, watch good movies, play soccer outside with friends, start a club and overthrow the world leaders.
All in all, enjoy your summer break and congrats to those who are graduating this year!
J Holguin Music 