In 2014 I had the privilege of co-launching a new, internal project in the String Project community. Our goal was to foster relationships between students and parents across ages and instruments. Operating under the name Buddy Program, we partnered young and orchestra aged students and encouraged inspiration and mentorship through one-on-one meet-ups and check-ins. This year the program is forty students strong and ranges in age from the oldest ensemble to the very youngest.

As I was putting together the materials for the introductory meeting of the Buddy Program, I realized that members of my studio had built informal buddy partnerships as well. The close partnerships we formed led directly to more successful lessons, studio classes, juries, and overall states of mind. Because it has become a natural instinct of students to bond together in this way, It seems this model is a necessity in order to navigate the trials of music school.

I connected with a graduate student my first year of college who, like me, worked very hard to keep up with the virtuosity of most students enrolled at the Butler School. She and I related to each other in our commitment to mastery and willingness to sacrifice comfort and esteem for true development of skills. Our partnership manifested itself in frequent one-on-one play throughs before lessons and classes and exchanging technical advice. But even more significant was the emotional support we offered each other. When development stalled, practice time faltered, injuries and pain cropped up we were available and empathetic to one another.

Furthermore, being accountable to each other made a profound difference in our day to day practice. As menial a task as making it to the music building by 8:00am can prove impossible without another person’s help. In addition to being responsible for getting to the music building, one would also be responsible for dissatisfaction and reprimand if the task is not accomplished. By offloading those negative feedback loops and making a commitment to my buddy, I am now rarely tardy to the music building for practice in the morning. We have also successfully applied this accountability tool to scales, completing assignments, recording lessons, and practicing on weekends.

Find a parter with whom you can relate, communicate, be inspired by, and be accountable with. The measurable effects of this approach reach far beyond the scope of violin practice. Any practice routine, creative endeavor, refinement of skill, daily habit, or daring goal can be augmented by committing yourself to a accountability buddy. Do it today!