YOUTH WORSHIP TEAM
NEW YEAR , NEW SKILL SET | Vance & Michelle Shepherd
Many people make New Year ’ s resolutions , and the start of a new year is a great time to have a motivational talk with our students on setting new goals . How valuable is the amount of time in every single day , every hour , every minute … and how fast life goes by ! Imagine setting a goal to learn a new skillset , setting aside a time slot each day for five days a week , and then keeping it no matter what until next year at this time . You would be blown away at how proficient you would be !
We take time to sit down , and goal set with our music students , helping them get focused on what they want to achieve in one years ’ time . And if they do this for just one year , we know it will help them continue being goal minded and time-aware for the rest of their lives , because they get the concept of trading time and energy toward a goal , and seeing it achieved .
Ok , but … there ’ s so many distractions ! Especially in today ’ s culture of social media , the scroll hole and can anyone say “ video games ? ADD is now an epidemic ! And it ’ s no wonder why . As music teachers , we see this as a constant struggle between parents and their children . Whenever a student is not excelling in their music studies , I question them on what they did with their time throughout the week . I ’ ll ask , “ Did you play video games ?” They ’ ll smile and say with excitement , “ Yeah !” When I ask how long , their answer is typically anywhere from 2-5 hours per day . Wow . Incredible ! I encourage the parents to consider only letting them play video games for half as long as they practice their music or other studies . Of course , the student is horrified at this suggestion , but the parents get that “ aha !” light bulb moment . And when the parents then set these ground rules in their home , it ’ s at that point we start to see the students excel very quickly in their musical studies ( and not just music , but grades in school excel also ). And the younger they are , the more this strategy works .
Setting a solid foundation for learning and goal setting is crucial at a young age . The older the child is , the harder it is to set these rules , due to them not being under the parent ’ s watchful eyes as much . It ’ s interesting : we always hear the same thing from musicians , “ I ’ m so glad my parents made me practice and continue in music , even when I wanted to quit ”. On the other hand , I ’ ll hear from non-musical people , “ I wish my parents would not have let me give up on music ”.
Maybe you ’ re a teenager or young adult reading this article , and you ’ re in a place in life where you mostly manage your schedule outside of school . I want to encourage you to think about this year , and take inventory of the time in every day , and where and how you spend that time . Then think about your goals and desires . This year , could you commit at least 30 minutes to one hour out of your day , taking active steps to achieve your musical goals or other studies ? I find that it ’ s good to make it the same time in every day , either the first thing in the morning ( so it for sure gets done ), or the same time every afternoon - it doesn ’ t matter what time it is , just make it an everyday thing . Maybe consider only spending half as much time on social media and video games as you do on your musical studies . If we could grasp the potential of the amount
of time in just one year – 8,760 hours to be exact , then discipline ourselves to commit to achieving a specific goal in that year , we could literally change the world !
If you do this for one year , you ’ ll be blown away by what you ’ ve accomplished . And quite likely this method will become a lifestyle and habit for you . I ’ m confident that if you implement this mindset and take charge of your time as a young person , you will be incredibly successful and satisfied as an adult . And you will be an inspiration for so many people ! You will be a living example of goal setting and the outcome of achieving those goals .
Let us all consider setting aside time in every day to sharpen our skills for the glory of God so we can live the amazing life that He has made us for .
We wish you a successful and happy 2024 !
May you be blessed as you pour into or become the next generation of worship leaders !
Vance & Michelle Shepherd Founders of The Shepherd School of Music in Las Vegas , NV , where they work with youth to raise up the next generation of worship leaders and musicians . facebook . com / shepherdschoolofmusiclasvegas www . ShepherdStudiosLV . com
44 December 2023 Subscribe for Free ...