The key to musical growth is personal growth.
Of course technical skills are important if you want to become a better musician or reach a certain goal. But some other things you’ll need are creativity, focus, resilience, a growth mindset, and a way to look back and celebrate how far you’ve come.
Over the course of a year at Powers, you can participate in any or all of the following school-wide initiatives that might give you the extra push to succeed.
MUSE
What is it?
A monthly question for students to think about
MUSE stands for “Musicians’ Unique Studies and Exploration.” It’s a fancy way of saying “dive deeper into what you’re learning and what you’re curious about.” Though we envision the full MUSE program as 3 tiers, depending on how deeply you’d like to be involved, for the 2025-2026 year we’re beginning with just the first tier, MUSE Exploration.
Each month, Powers will post a “prompt” for students to answer (with help from teachers, when needed!) in order to think more deeply about the music they’re studying, the instruments they’re playing, and how music connects to the world around them.
Who is it for?
We encourage all private lesson students to give it a try!
How will it help you?
Saving a few minutes to talk about your answers with your lesson teacher each month can give them clues about how best to guide you and keep you interested in what you’re learning.
Understanding the music you’re playing, how that music is part of the world around you, and which parts of it are most meaningful to you, can make learning a lot of fun!
What do you need to do?
Look for the monthly MUSE prompt in Powers’ Music Notes email newsletter, or in the hallway at Powers. Answer the question for the month and submit your answer through an easy Google form. That’s it!
At the end of the year, we’ll check to see how many prompts you answered and submitted. Any student who submits their answers to at least 3 MUSE prompts between September and May will “complete” the MUSE Exploration level!
Grow with Powers
What is it?
A way to share and celebrate your achievements (of all sizes!)
You’ll see a display on both our 1st and 2nd floor hallways at Powers called “Grow with Powers.” All students can place a leaf (small accomplishment) or flower (big accomplishment) on the branches whenever they feel proud of something they’ve done throughout the year. Together we can watch how our tree grows over time.
Who is it for?
We encourage all Powers students in classes or lessons to give it a try!
How will it help you?
We work so hard to make progress and reach for our goals that sometimes we forgot how far we’ve already come. Taking time to celebrate the big and small wins each week or month helps you feel like you’re getting somewhere, and gives you a confidence boost to keep going!
What do you need to do?
Anytime you’re proud of something you’ve accomplished in lessons or another program at Powers, add it to the “Grow with Powers” tree in the hallway! (Ask your teacher for a leaf or flower to fill out, or they can help you do it.)
Practice Challenge
What is it?
An annual challenge to build resilience by practicing every day
Our school-wide practice challenge is held every year in March. For the whole month of March, students can track how many days they practice, in the way that’s most appropriate for them.
Who is it for?
We encourage all private lesson students to give it a try!
How will it help you?
We know that practicing can sometimes feel challenging or even boring. But regular practice is so important to build skills and make progress, a little at a time. It adds up! The March Practice Challenge is one way to stay invested and do more than you thought you could.
What do you need to do?
Ask your lesson teacher for a practice sheet the last week of February to get ready. Record on your sheet each day you practice during the month of March. Traveling? Injured? Not sure what counts as “practicing?” Your teacher can give you suggestions and alternatives that work for you.
Students who practice enough days (or the whole month!) are eligible for prizes and the spring “Practice Party!”