Spring break has come and gone, and while the respite from the day-to-day happenings of middle school is much appreciated, it is tough to quiet the band director’s brain and not look to the final weeks of school ahead. There are festivals to attend, recordings to be made, graduation performances to prepare, and summer plans to be hatched. Those summer months can and should be a rest period, but that does not exclude the possibility of progress during that time “off.” Although students will go weeks without our direct instruction, we’ve set them up for success and given them the tools to continue to grow as musicians and have some musical fun during their time off.

Some of our students are self-motivated go-getters who will diligently continue their studies through private lessons or music camps. But most will fall into the classic summer slack and return to us in the fall with sloppy skills and little stamina. Even as a band director, I’ve fallen into the same patterns and have benefited from a new challenge. Our students can and will surprise us when we provide them with new ways to perform and demonstrate their skills. Also, PRIZES help!

In the summer of 2024, we offered a weekly opportunity using MakeMusic Cloud for students to earn extra credit towards the following school year as well as earn prizes to be redeemed in the fall. Weekly challenges featured popular Catalog titles in which the students would practice and submit recordings at the end of each week. Students could participate as little or as much as they could or simply when they chose to. At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, prizes were awarded, and all participating students were recognized in our monthly band newsletter, which was delivered to all band students and parents. You’d be surprised what a little recognition can do for motivation and engagement. All participants were awarded extra credit towards their quarter 1 grades. If extra credit is taboo in your district, I suggest incorporating some optional assignments into your curriculum. In this scenario, students who choose to complete optional work can earn credit, and those who do not participate are not penalized.

In addition to extra credit, we awarded prizes to students based on how much they engaged with the challenge and how often. The top two students who logged the most time practicing with MakeMusic Cloud were given the choice of gift cards from either Amazon or Starbucks. We also randomly chose two winners from all students who engaged with the challenge. We are fortunate to have funds in our budget to award gift cards. If your school does not, check with the cafeteria and see what “treat” options they have, as students are often satisfied and motivated by choosing a treat at lunch. Local fast food restaurants will also donate certificates for free treats at their location.

Before the challenge began, I created a summer calendar and chose tunes from the MakeMusic Cloud Catalog I thought would be appealing to students. There are so many options, and you can find something for everyone. Once I had decided on the tunes, I scheduled a new tune to be available for practice and submission each Monday morning at 8 am. Students have the whole week to practice and submit the tune by midnight Sunday. We did not require students to earn a particular percentage in order to submit, although I did speak with students about our performance expectations when introducing the Summer Challenge. Students were encouraged to join the Summer Challenge 2024 class in MakeMusic Cloud, and I shared the challenge with parents via email. One more scheduled email went out to students and parents on the last day of school, and then the challenge began.

Throughout the summer, a handful of students reached out with questions regarding their submissions, but most were independent. I occasionally checked a few submissions, but thanks to the schedule feature in MakeMusic Cloud, I was able to set it and forget it until we returned to school in August. There were the usual and expected participants, but several surprises as well. One of our top winners was unexpected, but well deserved, and after making a production of awarding prizes, we hope for even greater participation this summer.

See below for teacher and student instructions as well as a sample graphic to print and fill out!

FOR TEACHERS: How to Set Up a Summer Practice Challenge with MakeMusic Cloud

Goal: Encourage students to continue practicing over summer break with weekly tune challenges, optional submissions, and rewards to keep them motivated and engaged.

✅Instructions:

1. Pick the Dates: Choose the start and end dates for your summer challenge. Typically, run it weekly from early June to late July.
2. Choose Repertoire: Select 6–8 fun, accessible tunes from the MakeMusic Cloud Catalog. Make sure they appeal to your students and suit different skill levels.
3. Create a Calendar: Assign one tune per week and list it on a printable or digital calendar. Release a new tune each Monday.
4. Set Up in MakeMusic Cloud:
   • Create a new class called “Summer Challenge 2025.”
   • Schedule each weekly tune to appear Mondays at 8 AM.
   • Allow submissions through Sunday at midnight.

5. Invite Students & Parents:

• Send out emails with instructions, the calendar, and the MakeMusic Cloud class code.
• Remind them on the last day of school to sign up and participate.

6. Track Participation:

• No need to grade submissions—just monitor who submits and how often.
• Use participation logs for prize eligibility.

7. Offer Prizes:

• Top Practicer Awards: For the students who log the most time.
• Random Prize Drawings: Enter all students that participated.
• Bonus Credit: Award extra credit or optional assignment credit toward the next school year.
• Alternative Incentives: Lunch treats, shout-outs in your newsletter, certificates, etc.

8. Celebrate in the Fall:
Recognize all participants and hand out prizes early in the school year!

FOR STUDENTS: Join the Summer Band Challenge!

Keep your chops up this summer, learn fun music, and win cool prizes!

🎵 How It Works:

• A new tune will be assigned each Monday via MakeMusic Cloud.
• Practice the tune throughout the week.
• Submit your best performance by Sunday at midnight.
• Participate in as many weeks as you’d like!

🏆 Why Join?

• You’ll keep improving your skills over the summer.
• Win prizes like extra credit, treats, or shout-outs!
• Top practicers and random participants will be rewarded in the fall.