Music (school) teachers and headmasters beware:
Now organise a practice challenge for your students together with Music for Children!
When? It’s up to you! Pick a period when your students could really use some extra motivation. The payoff is win-win:
- pupils practise on their instrument every day for the agreed period, and discover that they make rapid progress as a result
- great motivation to persevere: the pupils get themselves sponsored for this action and thus raise money for Music for Children.
- with the help of the money raised, children growing up in vulnerable circumstances in Uganda or Colombia also receive music lessons, allowing us to offer them more fun, self-confidence and perspective
- the students who take part in the campaign become aware of the fact that children in other parts of the world sometimes grow up in difficult circumstances, and that the opportunity for music lessons cannot be taken for granted by every child
- if possible, contact is also made between the pupils taking part and the children from our music projects, for example by rehearsing the same piece of music. In this way, we bring children who love music from different parts of the world into contact with each other
How does a practice challenge work? (click on the right for more details!)
– Students who participate will practise on their instrument for at least 15 minutes every day for three weeks (for example). In consultation, other arrangements are also possible. Every day that has succeeded will be ticked off on the practice schedule. You decide on the period of the practice challenge, for instance in the run-up to a big concert or performance evening. Pupils can sign up via a QR code.
– Before the challenge starts, pupils will look in their surroundings for people who want to sponsor them for this action. This can be a small amount per practice day, or a total amount for the whole action. We provide sponsorship forms where the pupil can keep track of the amounts pledged and the sponsors’ details.
– Afterwards, each pupil collects the pledged sponsorship money from the sponsors (tip: use a payment request). The total amount is transferred to Music for Children
– Every participant who successfully completes the Challenge receives a nice certificate from Music for Children with the name of the pupil and a signature of our director on it
– The money raised by the students directly benefits our music projects in Uganda (Kampala) and Colombia (Medellin). You can find more information on our projects page.
In 2023 and 2024, Music School Diemen organised a practice challenge for Music for Children. Coordinator Rombout Stoffers explains:
“Organising the practice challenge gave us a big boost from the start. The Foundation inspired enormously and always provided us with all kinds of information we needed to carry out the challenge. The inspired presentation persuaded many teachers to sign up their students. The teachers noticed that their students immediately started working harder. The result was there for all to see. Funding for the foundation’s projects and a big step up in level and playing pleasure for the students of Music School Diemen. We will do it again next year.”
If you also want to organise a practice challenge, send us a message. We will be happy to think along with you and provide all supplies, such as information letters for parents and teachers, sponsorship forms and practice schedules.
Click below for examples of:
- Sponsorforms (Dutch)
- Practice scheme (Dutch)
- Example flyer (Dutch) for students to get them excited and sign up
If required, we customise all these documents specifically for the partner with whom we are co-organising the practice challenge!
For inspiration: Check out the cross-cultural clip Yo Viajo, which we made in 2020 with children from Colombia, Uganda and the Netherlands!