Book Recommendation: The Young Musician’s Survival Guide

The Young Musician’s Survival Guide: Tips From Teens and Pros

by Amy Nathan

This is a great book for teachers, parents, and teen/preteen  musicians. The Young Musician’s Survival Guide does a good job of addressing like practicing, staying motivated and playing in a musical group – all at the student’s level.   I picked up my copy this summer at Powell’s and found some good ideas to pass along to my own students.   Some of the chapters include:  “The Time Squeeze”, “Boring – Practice Blues”  and “The Jitters.”  Other teens and professional musicians share their tips for getting through the harder parts of being a musician.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the interviews with performers.  Many of them shared their experiences learning their instrument (ranging from violin to solo percussionist) and what they wished they knew as teens or had done a better job of.  Many of these points teachers make to our own students over and over but hearing it from a successful performer may help it sink in . . . we can always hope :)

One interview that caught my eye was with Joshua Bell (if you are not familiar with him as a performer here are two links to him performing on youtube) :

Here is an excerpt:  ” My mother insisted I practice violin every day, even if only for half an hour.  Then I could do other things,” he reports.  “I had plenty of fights about not wanting to practice.  I liked practicing much of the time, just not always.”

This is a great reminder for students and for their parents – who are on the other end of the “fights about not wanting to practice.”   It’s ok to insist on practice and most students (even Joshua Bell) are going to have days when they don’t feel like practicing and will need you to help them make it happen.

Has anyone else read this book?  What did you think?