When our girls started their bluegrass band they got in the habit of a 2-hour practice every Saturday morning. I liked that because I was home and could enjoy hearing them make music together.
This went on for many weeks and they got better as time went by.
Then I had a flash of musical brilliance. Not with vocal arrangements, cord selection, or lyrics. No way! My musicianship didn’t get past the Kazoo.
I simply asked a question and left it up to them.
“Why don’t you go down to the Grower’s Market and practice there. You might get some tips!”
Christina immediately saw the wisdom here and they did it. Grants Pass, Oregon has one of the busiest growers’ markets in Oregon and there were no musicians at the time. The growers’ market manager was happy to get some free ambiance.
The Emmons Sisters band got the opportunity to try out new songs, get experience in front a wide range of people, and have fun. Not to mention getting $20 to $50 a week in tips.
The moral of the story is that practicing in public makes you a better musician. Although this was not a paid performance the girls gave it their all and the crowds loved it.
Same thing is true when it comes to learning to write. You need to practice a lot and you’ll get better faster when you know others will read your articles.
The Ron Paul Curriculum has a weekly writing assignment for most of its courses. Usually 250 words. Students learn to write well and write fast which is a very valuable life skill.
Students are expected to create a WordPress.com website to post their articles. Students post links to their articles on the course forums. This lets parents and fellow students read the articles and offer feedback and encouragement.
Read this to learn more reasons to create a WordPress blog for writing assignments.
http://www.ronpaulcurriculum.com/public/156.cfm
Always learning,
Richard Emmons
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