Encourage your students to critique themselves during practice and performance. Nurturing a musician's self-awareness results in increased concentration and enhanced observation skills that can be used to further shape artistic nuances in dynamics and rhythm. Musicians who can approach their own performances on an objective level will be able to better assess and correct problems.
Allow students to develop their own unique interpretations of the music they are performing. Although musicians should adhere to the rhythmic and expressive markings written into a composition, the shaping of phrases and small melodic gestures is left to the performer. As these embellishments often help distinguish celebrated performers, developing these capacities in a young performer will greatly increase her chance for success as a professional musician.
Incorporate the study of music theory into lessons to help students understand the mechanics of the compositional craft and the framework of individual compositions. By understanding the structure of a musical work, performers will be better equipped to maximize the emotional impact of their performance. This knowledge will also allow performers to begin writing their own compositions.
Emphasize the importance of technical fundamentals on a regular basis. Instrumentalists lacking a solid foundation in pitch and rhythm will find it difficult to hone the more subtle aspects of a musical performance.