Call me crazy, but the start of the school year is one of my favourite times of the year. There is so much excitement in the air, so much promise, and your days are filled with old and new faces. Everyone is recharged and all the bitterness and frustration from previous years is momentarily set aside. Sure, it’s a little busy, but personally I’d rather have too much to do than too little.
One of the things I made this year for my students is a small handout guiding them through the process of preparing repertoire. Many (band instrument) students come to university with little or no solo experience, and the process of choosing, purchasing, preparing and performing repertoire can completely overwhelm them. This little guide shows some of the resources out there, talks a little bit about learning music (although it’s not a “how to practice” guide) and shows how they can use all the opportunities of the school year to slowly “ramp up” for their juries without feeling completely panicked come recital season.
I hope your freshman find it as useful as mine!