Growing Your Musician: A Practical Guide for Band and Orchestra Parents

by Tony Bancroft

Overview

All teachers need this book on their desks to help parents develop their budding musicians! This user-friendly guide covers a variety of issues such as choosing the right instrument, how to set practice guidelines, how parents can talk about music with their children, and ways to inspire children and enhance their creativity and confidence. Includes a list of frequently asked questions, a handy guide to musical terms, and lots of tables and charts throughout for easy reference.

See new edition: Growing Your Musician: A Practical Guide for Band and Orchestra Parents, Second Edition

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781565451605
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	01/01/2004
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Tony Bancroft began his instrumental music career at age 11, playing tuba in middle school band. He continued to pursue his love of music into adulthood, earning a bachelor's degree in music from UCLA and a master's degree in music from Yale University. Performances at Carnegie Hall and at music festivals around the world are among the highlights of his musical career. He currently serves as the music director for the El Segundo Unified School district in California, and the city has honored him with four public commendations. In 2003, he was selected as an alternate for a Fulbright Teaching Scholarship and was a nominee for the Music Center of Los Angeles County's prestigious Bravo Award.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tables     v
Foreword   Eyde Rugolo     vii
Acknowledgments     ix
Introduction     xi
Select the Right Instrument
Getting Started     3
Tools for Selecting Your Perfect Instrument     16
Buying and Renting Instruments: What to Expect     34
Practice Makes Perfect
What Is Practice?     49
Practice Smart: Strategies for Young Musicians     69
Secrets of the Pros
Building Basics     91
Focus on Musicality     104
College and Beyond     113
Private Lessons     125
Instrument Nuts and Bolts     129
Annotated Book List     147
About the Author     149

Editorial Reviews

This "how-to" guide is the perfect embodiment of a primer for parents at the beginning of their child's instrumental career.

Thomas C. Duffy

This is a terrific, much-needed book packed with valuable advice and helpful anecdotes benefiting parents and their music-learning children.

Alexander Bernstein

Praise for the first edition: A practical, down-to-earth guide to the challenges and pitfalls of shepherding your child through selecting and then practicing and instrument. I highly recommend this book to all band and orchestra parents.....

Lynda Jenner

Praise for the first edition: It's great to have a book that gives a step-by-step process to help students select instruments and carefully gives students and parents an effective guide to practice!

Frank Heuser

Praise for the first edition: Tony's book is a welcome guide for those who want to keep music alive at home and in the classroom, and it reinforces the fact that playing music is a powerful and positive activity.....

Felice Mancini

Praise for the first edition: Growing Your Musician is the most comprehensive, well-thought-out text of its kind.

Bob Curnow

Praise for the first edition: A helpful guide for parents who want to be hands-on in their support of the young music student.....

Aaron A. Flagg

Praise for the first edition: The concept of 'active practice' is especially helpful to beginning band or orchestra students and their parents. Setting a goal and breaking down the music into manageable pieces make practice much more purposeful. Thank you, Mr. Bancroft, for demystifying the 'practice makes perfect' mystique!

Laurie T. Schell

Praise for the first edition: This manual provides very practical advice for nurturing young musicians of all ages, guiding parents to ask the critical questions at the appropriate time.

Charles Grode

Praise for the first edition: This book is the first real self-help music book for parents-a true blueprint of how to engage your child in a lifetime of music. Tony Bancroft has filled a void in learning for every parent.....

Mike Gordon

Praise for the first edition: Growing Your Musician will become a staple of the music director's library. Parents will find it comprehensive, informative, and reassuring in supporting their child's instrumental music endeavors.....

The Grammy Foundation