With summer right around the corner, we will soon find ourselves with lots of free time. Why not take advantage of that free time? As a musician, summer can be an excellent time to improve your musical skills and prepare for next year’s concert cycle. With long hours available for you to practice, there are many ways for you to stay involved as a musician this summer.

“This summer, I plan to implement a daily routine in order to keep my skills,” junior Mari Composano said. “I am going to practice harder music and focus on auditioning for colleges.”

Once the concert cycle is over, you all of a sudden have no music to practice. Well, except for your old music but let’s face it, playing the same music over and over can be boring. That is why getting new sheet music over the summer can be really fun. Websites like musicnotes.com have a wide variety of songs to choose from at affordable prices. You can also order music books on Amazon that contain etudes, caprices, and sonatas. Getting new music that you enjoy playing allows you to stay motivated to practice over the summer.

“New music helps me improve by challenging my skills,” junior Anahi Vazquez said.

An alternative to purchasing new music is watching music tutorials on Youtube. You will still be able to practice new music while improving your listening skills. You can also increase your musical knowledge by watching videos about music theory and composition skills.

“I like to stay involved by searching up performances from professionals and watching tutorials on new techniques,” junior Sara Barron said. 

Taking private lessons over the summer is a great way to improve and focus on your skills as a musician. Unlike playing in an orchestra, a private teacher will provide you with one on one instruction. Private teachers can show you new techniques, give you practice tips, and help you with your music.

“Private lessons have pushed me to the best of my ability and allowed me to accomplish things I never thought I’d be able to do,” sophomore Kyleigh Lewis said. “It gives me an extra challenge and my love for it has only grown through the years.”

Summer camps and music workshops are another wonderful way to stay involved. Summer camps and music workshops, usually offered by colleges and universities, are available for musicians of any level or instrument. Stephen F. Austin State University is one of many universities in Texas that offers a summer camp. There are also some universities that offer online summer courses about music. 

“There are so many benefits to attending a summer camp, but probably the best one is playing music with others who love it as much as you do,” orchestra director Sherry Paetznick said. “You also get targeted lessons, sectionals, and opportunities not available at school.”