Off-Campus for the Summer?

If you are away from campus for all or part of the summer, the library can still help you in many ways:

Interlibrary Loan can supply you with book chapters or journal articles in .pdf format.  For faculty off-campus, ILL can also scan chapters and articles from print resources here at Bracken (Faculty Document Delivery)

Ask a Librarian services include many off-campus options:  phone, e-mail, text message, and live chat.  And of course, I am always available for phone or e-mail consultation, too.

Distance Education Services are available if you have registered for an electronic-only course.

E-Books:  The Library has a select number of recent books available online, plus thousands of historical books.  To find them, use Advanced Search in CardCat, and then select "e-book" as the format after filling in other search terms.  Topics include Music Education, Opera History, and multi-disciplinary studies.

Subject Guides:  The subject guides for music include online subscription resources as well as select open access websites.

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Let us help you stay on track!

For many students, summer means going without lessons in their primary performance medium. They may be back home, away from university-level instruction or on-campus while their teacher is abroad performing in a summer music festival.

The library has books and magazines for almost every instrument, often with performance tips or exercises to help you progress in your technique.  Look for these subjects if you need motivation:

Practicing (Music)
Music -- Psychological Aspects

...and these books:

Practicing Sucks... But it Doesn't Have to, by Phyllis Sdoia-Satz
MT 1 .S44 2009

Practicing for Artistic Success, by Burton Kaplan
MT 170 .K37 2004

The General Collection has self-help for time management and the mental side of athletic training, which may apply to musicians as well:

The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, by Stephen Covey.  This is one of the classic self-help books for time management.  The key take-away concept:  Ask yourself "Is it important?  Is it urgent?"  If it's neither, then don't do it!  Video games, Facebook, channel surfing... we can whittle away our days in a thousand ways.  If it's important, even if not urgent, that's where your time should be spent, for example practicing scales!
BF 637 .S8 C68 2004
BF 637 .S8 C68 1990 (first edition)

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by James Duhigg.  This book is more about theory than self-help, but it makes a compelling case for practicing carefully, i.e. not practicing mistakes.  Duhigg summarizes psychological research about forming and breaking (extinguishing) habits in a writing style that reaches anyone.
BF 335 .D775 2012 & Non-Fiction Best-Sellers Collection

Mindset, the New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck.  This book asks you to reflect on your motivations and examines what it means to be talented, how to cope with (apparent) failure, and how to reframe experiences in a more helpful way.  The Growth Mindset is based on the premise that everyone can grow through study, no matter their initial level of "talent."
BF 773 .D85 2006

In Pursuit of Excellence: How to Win in Sport and Life through Mental Training, by Terry Orlick.  Orlick is a former gymnastics trainer at the Olympic level.  Like musicians, gymnasts have to deal with distractions, goal-setting, and self-doubt.  Orlick's advice based on years of coaching these athletic performers can help anyone achieve their goals, but especially musicians.
GV 706.4 .O73 2000

These e-books can help you manage your time and yourself:

Ready, Set, Organize!  A Workbook for the Organizationally Challenged  (online ebook)

The 26-Hour Day: How to Gain At Least Two Hours a Day with Time Control (online ebook)http://www.bsu.edu/libraries/askalibrarian/