Doing something you know you love is easy.  For me, practicing is part of my daily routine…I don’t feel right if my day has started without some time on the flute.  It doesn’t have to be anything serious, just some long tones and scale exercises, and I feel like I can face anything.  It’s my yoga for the morning.  But it’s not like this for everyone, especially if you are pre-college and playing an instrument.  That’s ok, because I didn’t always need to practice either.  I did it because I had to; because I wanted that first chair; because I wanted to be in that chamber group.  The important thing to realize about practicing is that it’s okay if it’s not always the first thing that you add to your list for the day; it’s even okay if you don’t want to put it on that list, as long as it gets done at some point.

So how do you make yourself practice if it’s really not what you want to do? Find ways to motivate yourself.  Why did you get into music to begin with?  For me, I thought the flute looked pretty and I knew I could carry it; I watched my brother struggle carrying a baritone on the bus every day so I wanted to play something small.  But I also loved hearing “real” musicians play the flute.  The first time I knew I wanted music to play a key role in my life was when I won a trip to see Les Miserables in seventh grade.  The pit amazed me!  They sounded perfect; clear, precise and they added so much beauty to the show.  This might be something you need for yourself.  Go see a show! Go see a professional orchestra concert, or even a community ensemble play.  Hearing others perform after years of hard work can show you what is possible; just because you are stuck on a few difficult exercises that your teacher is making you suffer through doesn’t mean there isn’t light at the end of the tunnel. 

That brings in another point that is important.  Talk to your teacher. If you feel like something needs to change to get you picking up that instrument a few more times in the week, they need to know about it.  Ask them if there are any duets or fun pieces you can work on; duets are one way I love to end every lesson because it allows the student and teacher to work together.  Maybe your best friend plays an instrument and you can play duets together after school! Go to a music store and look for movie music; maybe your favorite movie has parts written out for your instrument.  Another great way to gain motivation and perspective can simply be to ask your teacher to play for you. Most likely they have a piece that they have been working on that they would be glad to play for you.  Sometimes you just need to see what can be to know why you are working so hard.

So, next time you sigh before taking your instrument, try to think really hard about why you began in the first place, and use your resources to help you.  Ask your parents to take you to a concert, or even use the internet to look up videos of professional ensembles.   Hearing the result of hard work can sometimes push you to continue your own hard work.   Making music is hard work but it should always be something you love.

 Kate Alusik, Flute Instructor at Hunterdon Academy of the Arts

So, you want to make Regions?

I get a lot of inquiries from students who want to make Regions. Here's some information and advice from my experience teaching students who have made Regions.

What is Regions?

Regions is sort of an Honors Band/Orchestra/Wind Ensemble and Chorus run by the New Jersey Music Educators Association through the schools in New Jersey.  There is an Intermediate Regions for middle school studens (grades 6-8) and a Senior Regions for high school students (grades 9-12).  The auditions are in December (Senior) and late January (Intermediate).  Repertoire is chosen by a committee within NJMEA and includes a standard solo, scales, and a sight-reading selection.  Those who make Regions are the best of the Central Jersey student population on their instruments. 

All-State audition invitations are offered exclusively to those who perform in Regions.  There are 3 Regions districts, Northern (Region I), Central (Region II) and Southern (Region III).  Note, you must be recommended to audition by your school music teacher.  To qualify, you must play in the school groups (it's not un-reasonable for a band teacher to hold Regions away from an
otherwise talented student who won't participate in school programs).  Your private teacher can only nominate you if you are home-schooled or have some other extenuating circumstance.

How do I get in?

No, this isn't an admission of drug use, its a part of why I am a flutist.  And maybe, how to help a flute student start to love the playing too.

My father was a musician, and so naturally he played music in the house on our record player all the time.  I got to know the sounds of the New World Symphony, the Pastorale Symphony, La Mer and many other wonderful orchestra works.  When I picked the flute to play (because it was easy to carry) he started to buy records of Jean-Pierre Rampal. That golden gorgeous tone became a regular fixture in my head.

Then, I started taking lessons from my Junior High School teacher who was a flutist. He was a good teacher but I wasn't ready to start really practicing yet. I made Queens (NYC) All-boro band and orchestra,and they were fun, but in 9th grade two things happened.  First I was invited to play in the Queens College Orchestral Society, an adult amateur orchestra.  In spite of its being amateur, it was a very good group.  My father played in
the viola section and my flute teacher was principal flute (probably how I got in there).  That first concert playing
some of the works I had heard on the record player, but being in the middle of it, was the first "hook."