A recent issue of Time Magazine (October 19, 1998) has, as part of its cover story, "How to Make a Better Student," an excellent article called "Their Eight Secrets of Success." As I read it, I was thinking, of course, how the principles discussed in the article apply to flute students. These are things that many parents and teachers already know, but I thought it might be interesting to write about how each characteristic relates to flute students. The subtitles below and the sentences in quotes are taken from the article, which was written by Claudia Wallis.

1. The Sweat Factor
"Top students take pleasure not merely in the achievement but in the effort. They are willing to work and are persistent. The best students have parents who have nourished and supported things they're interested in."

Top flute students like to practice. They persist with a passage until they master it. They persist with their music lessons over time, even when other things in their life distract them. The parents of successful flute students encourage their children in their interest in flute, buy them music, and take pleasure in and allow their children to follow their own musical interests, whether it be pop or classical, composition, individual or group performance.

2. The Joy of Learning
"Good students tend to have what teachers call a broad 'fund of knowledge.' They've been taken places; they've seen a bit of the world. If the family resources are slim, it might only be to the city park, a train yard, or the kitchen of a restaurant. But the experience has been brought to life for them."

Good flute students have been taken to flute concerts. They attend a broad variety of other kinds of concerts, musical theater, and dance. They listen to CDs and the radio. They participate in local flute association events.