Customer Reviews

The Practice Revolution: Getting great results from the six days between lessons

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At first one has doubts about Philip Johnston's book, as one has about any volume that claims to revolutionize the study of music. The breezy writing style and the bulleted and numbered headings, which make "The Practice Revolution" look like one of those innumerable self-help books aimed at the corporate world, are partly to blame. If one can get through these features, though, there is much of value here. Johnston correctly points out that the actual lesson occupies but a tiny fraction of a student's study of music, and that therefore what happens in between is crucial to the success or failure of music study. He catalogues common types of bad practicing and offers solutions for each; he shows that much apparent laziness among students stems from lack of clear communication and understanding between student and teacher, not lack of motivation. He is sympathetic to the real difficulties today's youngsters must deal with in terms of time management. Perhaps the most valuable section of the book consists of a variety of musical games designed to engender a milder form of performance anxiety in practice, so that the real pressure of a recital or contest won't come as a shocking and insurmountable obstacle. Other chapters on memorization, ironing out rough spots and interpretation, while solid, have been done as well or better in other classic texts on music pedagogy.

Johnston's book has two notable flaws, the first minor, the second major. The minor flaw is that the entire book turns out to be in the nature of an advertisement for his Internet business; while this by no means is offensively done, nor does it negate the real value of the book, it is a little off-putting to the reader to discover this. A much more serious drawback is this: Johnston seems largely to discount the possibility that many of the problems students encounter in practice, that he spends pages trying to solve, can be ironed out in advance by the teacher, simply by choosing the right repertoire in the right order. An ill-chosen assignment means the student will either be bored by something way too easy, or made frustrated and insecure by something hopelessly beyond his or her technical/musical grasp. A thorough knowledge of the literature and the strengths and weaknesses of a student, and the ability to match the former with the latter, is an absolutely essential quality of a good music teacher. I find it inexplicable that the author barely mentions this fact.

This is simply the best book ever written on the techniques of effective practice for musicians. Unlike many other books in the genre, Philip Johnston writes from his extensive experience as a teacher. He delivers very SPECIFIC techniques related to practice strategies. Every performer who is interested in improving his/her art and craft can learn from this book. The chapters are detailed. Every page gives important, indispensable tips. I've integrated Johnston's work into my own teaching and my own practice and I will recommend this to every musician who is interested in improving or helping others improve.

Get this book you will be glad you did.

A colleague loaned me this book - though I was unsure what exactly to expect, I think any music teacher would find this immensely helpful.

Johnston's main concept is designed to help alleviate the problem - students who HATE practicing. Most teachers simply look for a specific amount of time which students should practice. This tends to lead to students practicing inefficiently and viewing practice as an inescapable chore.

Instead of this pattern, Johnston proposes a paradigm shift: assign practice based on specific assignments and goals which must be accomplished during the week. The student can then be excited about completing objectives, and will also seek to practice as efficiently as possible in order to SAVE time.

Johnston then provides many specific exercises and tactics in order to learning a new piece, memorizing pieces, building speed, fixing tricky sections, and preparing for performances.

From some of Johnston's tricks and games, it seems this book is more geared towards younger adolescent students, but many ideas can be applied to students of all ages. Also, many of these techniques seem to be focused towards piano teachers specifically, though other instrumental teachers can also find helpful information here. Johnston also mentions his website and other optional materials which may be of benefit.

I enjoyed reading the book, and found its general approach to be fantastic. A great resource for piano teachers.

Really great book with a friendly tone and charming wit. Nevertheless a serious and important topic for both music teachers and, of course, for parents of music students as well. The book is extraordinarily practical and sensible. It really makes you wonder why you didn't think of the stuff that Johnston just pours out. It is really content dense and seldom a sentence goes by that doesn't have something to offer the reader. Johnston deals head on with issues like why kids don't want to practice and then offers hundreds of pages to show not only how to fix that but also categorizes the reasons so that you can find each student (or your own child) decribed in some detail in one or more of the chapters. I can't begin to tell you how useful the book has been both in the private studio as well as in my methods classes. The book is just -- well marvellous and comes highly recommended for every music teacher, studio or classroom and and parent of a music student.

Johnston has some good suggestions on the important topic of practicing, especially helping students with time management issues, and the importance being absolutely clear in their weekly assignments. But I think the author is too quick to recommend too many games, with their tendency to distract students from the joy and responsibility of making music.

He's very weak in the area of solving technical problems and memorization issues with MUSICAL solutions. "Hear it, Visualize it, Play it" seem to be not in his vocabulary.

Overall -- too wordy, to mechanistic, not sufficiently musical in its approach.

I have read, ear marked, highlighted, and practically worn out this book! It is by far the best thing I've ever read on teaching music. It has changed the way I teach piano, and I've been teaching for over 20 years. My students love it, I've implemented the student webpages and studio webpage referenced in the book, and they are extremely professional, with great customer support. Anyone that wants to breathe life into their teaching and into their students' practicing should buy one copy to read, and maybe a second one for when the first one wears out!

The information in this book is well presented and easy to read. I am a music student. Even though this book is written basically for a teacher, it provided immeasurable assistance in showing me where my practicing is inefficient. I fit into 11 out of 13 practice error categories. The author not only clearly identifies these practice traits, he also tells how to correct them. The games he provides are fun - but my ego will not let me play by the rules all the time. I expect great results from my improved practice sessions. This book also deals with the stage fright I get before a performance. This will be very useful.

Really great book with a friendly tone and charming wit. Nevertheless a serious and important topic for both music teachers and, of course, for parents of music students as well. The book is extraordinarily practical and sensible. It really makes you wonder why you didn't think of the stuff that Johnston just pours out. It is really content dense and seldom a sentence goes by that doesn't have something to offer the reader. Johnston deals head on with issues like why kids don't want to practice and then offers hundreds of pages to show not only how to fix that but also categorizes the reasons so that you can find each student (or your own child) decribed in some detail in one or more of the chapters. I can't begin to tell you how useful the book has been both in the private studio as well as in my methods classes. The book is just -- well marvellous and comes highly recommended for every music teacher, studio or classroom and and parent of a music student.

"The Practice Revolution" is a goldmine of tips, explanations and advice delivered in a book impressive in its content, approach and layout. Written with depth and insight, the author cleverly dissects, diagnoses and offers treatment for a vast array of practising situations from the mildly exasperating to the "hardcore" cases. Delivered with unfailing wit and humour, the text leaves the reader chuckling at the descriptions and smiling at the author's uncanny ability to target problems with understanding. Immensely quotable, insightfully practical and unerringly user-friendly, this book is one-of-a-kind and an absolute must for every studio. No longer need teachers bemoan the practice skills of their students, or lack thereof. Help is just a turn of "The Practice Revolution" pages away.

I returned to piano lessons about 16 years ago after being away for nearly 20+ years. It wasn't until about 6 years ago I was able to find a teacher who, while technically skilled, is a remarkable musician and from whom I've learned A LOT really didn't help me address my practice problems. After reading your section on "Common Practice Flaws" I saw myself with at least six of them. No wonder I had been giving serious consideration to quitting...I just felt like my playing was not improving like it should.

I'm going to take your book with me to my next lesson and, together, we'll map out a plan for my future. I am really inspired that I can fix these problems and start to make some real progress with my playing and learning.

BTW, I spent about 20+ years in the sales field...I really think these concepts could apply to virtually any field of endeavor, particularly sales!

I am really excited about the ideas presented in the book, and, more importantly, about it injecting new life into my learning process.