We’re in this together.
How do you get your child to practice? Find them a community of musical peers.
“I like having a Practice Buddy because it gives me someone my own age to talk to who understands music.” — Ethan S., age 11
“I value that I get to talk to someone who understands that I love cello, and who also understands my life, and who listens. — Svaha W., age 6
“What a cool way to make a new friend (and a genius strategy for practice motivation)!” — Dana Stulberg, parent
Practice Buddies are accountability partners and musical penpals. Students are matched by age, level, and extra-musical interests. Our students live all over the U.S., as well as in Austria, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and Romania — and we’re continuing to expand worldwide.
Ready for a Practice Buddy? Click here to fill out an application.
Practice Buddies exchange an email and a short practice video every week. In emails, they’re encouraged to share details from their daily lives (about school; weekly activities; favorite games/movies/TV shows/books; etc). They also explain their practice goals for the week. For example: "This week, my teacher is having me focus on my rhythm. I'm practicing with a metronome and trying different rhythmic combinations. Do you ever practice like this?"
Practice Buddies support one another, re-digest their lesson material, and learn to give and receive constructive feedback. Students can practice foreign language skills when matched with a Practice Buddy from another country. This exchange creates engaged and curious students. Children from different parts of the world build friendships based on mutual support and a love of music.
Membership fees are sliding scale, so each family pays whatever fee they can support (including $0). The suggested monthly fee is $60. Cost should never be prohibitive -- children from all circumstances are welcome to join. The fee goes directly towards supporting students who take private lessons through MusicAlly, and who mostly come from backgrounds underrepresented in classical music, like Black and Latino students, as well as students experiencing homelessness or those in the foster care system.
