Music practice in Boarding Schools

[grendeltimesthree]

I want to Benchmark how different boarding schools manage instrument practice. My D.C. is not getting practice done. A lack of scheduled opportunity and drive to get it done. So I'd like to know how different boarding schools manage it to gather some good ideas I can suggest to the school. Please help. Good ideas from Mums would also be appreciated.

I suspect some of the specialist music schools and choir schools may have some good processes so any of you who know what they do please pass it on.

grendeltimesthree are you asking for prep boarding schools or secondary age boarding schools?
I assume the former as for the latter it is very much up to the DC from age 13 to organise and fit this in themselves. If they have n't got the motivation it won't happen.
Prep school music practice and access will depend on the facilities ie availability of music rooms and pianos if a pianist. This usually means that scheduled practices for individual boarders may only be two to three times a week. Also if the rooms are at a music school which is a short walk away that makes it harder to spontaneously fit in some practice. A very motivated DC may try early morning (pre breakfast) or instead of other evening activities. In choir schools this would be a routine that all the choristers would do instead of having to make the choice of leaving their friends behind when they were having fun.

What year group grendel?

I've a child at a choirschool; getting enough practice time for the older ones as well as prep is problematic. They do have quite a lot of space and routinely have musical staff members / gap students helping with practice supervision. My child tends to appear self-sufficient and not ask for help when needed though ... Practice is timetabled - but I asked several times last term how she was organising her time / how much time she had and she could never actually tell me ...

My DD boarded and did piano, violin and singing. There were practice rooms with about 6/8 pianos and other rooms the girls could use for other instruments. However, it is down to them to do it. It was not timetabled. However as DD was not sporty, practice tended to be done on a Saturday and Sunday. It was more problematic in the week due to prep and orchestra, string quartet, choirs, drama, house meetings and activities, MUN, dance, to name but a few of the extra curricular activities that took up previous time!

Precious time!!!

My DD is not musical at all, but I understand that at her secondary school it is up to the children to practise as and when they have the time. I know one of DD's friends tries to do this before breakfast, as she has very little free time with homework and a whole host of musical clubs which she attends.

Ds is a music scholar at a senior school, and he has to do at least 2 early morning sessions a week at 7.45am. There are always teachers in the department by then, and the boys are casually monitored as to what and how long they practice. Other than that they organise themselves. Non scholars are just nagged by housemasters!!!