As the summer holidays arrive, regular routines often take a backseat. Without the focus of upcoming exams or scheduled lessons, it can be challenging to maintain consistent practice. However, this can present a fantastic opportunity to explore new music and enhance your skills in creative ways. Here are some ideas to keep your students' musical journey vibrant during the summer…
Dive into New Repertoire
If you've invested in Trinity College London books for your exams, you already have a treasure trove of pieces at your disposal. This summer, why not challenge your students to explore a piece of music from a different culture? Choose a continent and find a Trinity piece that represents its musical heritage. Our article, Exploring Global Melodies: A Journey Through Trinity’s Repertoire, is a great starting point for discovering some of the global melodies contained in selected repertoire.
Compose Your Own Music
Have your students ever tried composing their own piece of music? Trinity’s syllabuses offer candidates the chance to perform their own compositions in place of one of the listed pieces. Whether they’re a seasoned composer or just starting, there are many resources available to help them get started from starting points on a PDF to audio starting points. For specific instruments like the piano, additional resources can be found here.
Play with Others
Playing or singing in an ensemble is an enjoyable way to keep students engaged while enhancing valuable musical skills such as aural perception and recall. Trinity is proud of our Champion Centres, many of which offer holiday activities where you can join a group. Playing with others not only provides entertainment but also fosters a different type of practice. You can find a list of our Trinity Champion Centres here.
Explore Different Syllabuses
If your students typically take classical and jazz exams, consider diversifying their repertoire by exploring rock and pop music. Our estore offers single pieces for purchase, allowing them to try something new. Classical guitarists might enjoy experimenting with rock and pop guitar songs to learn different techniques. Wind and brass players could select a melodic piece for a singer and play the vocal line. For instruments not in the key of C, you can use our transposition tool with rock and pop vocal pieces.
Improve Your Theory Knowledge
Summer is an ideal time to bolster your music theory skills. Trinity offers Theory for Rock & Pop Musicians Volume 1 and Volume 2, practical introductions to contemporary music theory available as eBooks. If your student is studying traditional theory, our theory workbooks can be purchased online as PDFs or paper copies. Additionally, they can complete a Digital Theory exam online, which qualifies for Grade 5 theory requirements for other exam boards. This flexibility allows students to take the exam when they’re ready.
Utilise Trinity’s Resources
Trinity’s general resources page is a goldmine of practical guidance for running our assessments. During the holidays, your students might want to reflect on their exam report and plan where to maintain or improve your skills. Explore supporting tests such as improvisation, and use our library of videos to supplement their learning.
By trying new things, composing, playing with others, exploring different syllabuses, and improving your theory knowledge, you can make this summer a fruitful period for your students' musical development. These activities not only keep you engaged but also broaden your students’ horizons and enhance your overall musicianship.
Happy practising and enjoy your summer musical adventures!
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