The purpose of practice is to allow a person to improve skill. In order to improve skill, there must be sufficient motivation, a relevant feedback channel, and sufficient opportunity to practice and use feedback. In the absence of one or more of these factors, no meaningful learning can occur. Relevant feedback is a crucial element of learning to play an instrument. If a practice situation allows feedback, then that player will develop that skill; if not, that player will stagnate and not develop the skill. Players of all ages and levels benefit from some form of feedback. Playing a musical instrument requires skill and is not mere entertainment. Those who use feedback to improve can develop a more accurate or complete grasp of the instrument, increasing their ability to play. The feedback must be both correct and relevant; it should not be merely congruent with the student’s skill. It is also good for a person to learn what NOT to do, as well as what to do. The teacher must have an accurate perception of how good the student's skill actually is and must be able to provide valid feedback that is both encouraging and helpful. Another element of effective feedback is the ability to give praise or correct a student’s wrong choices. Appropriate praise and criticism of both skill and music must be used effectively and judiciously by the teacher. If praise is not given when it is deserved, then the student will not see the point of practice; if criticism is given before the student knows what he or she is doing wrong, then the student will be demoralized or discouraged. Feedback from teacher to student and student to teacher can be very important in the development of the student as an artist. Without feedback, the practice situation has no purpose. As well as receiving feedback, the teacher must also teach by feedback. No matter how experienced a teacher may be, the player who gives or receives feedback will probably have the most benefit from that teacher. In fact, the teacher can only take the student so far; only the student himself or herself can take the student beyond that point. " The goal of a music-appreciation course is to increase the enjoyment of music and to understand music more deeply." (1) Music appreciation is the enjoyment of music. It differs from music-performance appreciation, which is the enjoyment of listening to someone playing a musical instrument. It also differs from music-teaching appreciation, which is the appreciation of being taught to play an instrument. If an individual plays an instrument for enjoyment, then that individual will develop musical skill. If, however, a person does not have musical skills, then that person will only enjoy a shallow and uninteresting listening experience. No amount of "good" musical appreciation can make that experience a musical one. "Good" music appreciation is the enjoyment of fine music. To enjoy music, one must have the opportunity to listen and the ability to learn from that listening. If the person hears music and has no knowledge of music theory, then the experience will be shallow and limited. Listening alone will not teach the individual to understand the musical elements. The musical aspect of music appreciation requires the learning of music theory in addition to listening. Music theory enables the individual to develop a better understanding of musical forms, styles and genres. Even if one enjoys music, understanding its principles will enhance the experience. Musical ability and appreciation are mutually interdependent. One cannot exist without the other. "Music-appreciation courses are an important part of a music-teacher education and can play an important role in music schools. These courses typically require only half-semester (four sessions) at the most." (2) No individual person can develop a broad understanding of the field of music by merely listening to and enjoying music. It takes time, patience, commitment, and practice to truly develop one's own understanding. There are few people who can understand all music. In addition, there is music of great variety and complexity in this world; it takes effort to develop a basic familiarity with so many different types. The fact that even the best courses do not develop an individual’s full understanding of the musical field does not mean that music appreciation courses have no role to play. A person's understanding should be built, not begun. If the student has the determination and practice necessary to explore music on his or her own, then this individual can eventually develop a greater appreciation of the art of music than most people who receive musical instruction. The more familiar a person becomes with music, the greater that person’s ability to interpret new music and understand the musical aspects of life. The goal of any musician is to provide entertainment. The goal of an artist is to create beauty. To create beauty, however, is not easy. The musician must first know what to create and how to create it. “To enjoy music, one must have the opportunity to listen and the ability to learn from that listening. If the person hears music and has no knowledge of music theory, then the experience will be shallow and limited. Listening alone will not teach the individual to understand the musical elements. Music appreciation requires the learning of music theory in addition to listening.” Music appreciation is not something that can be purchased; it is not something that can be taken or earned from a course. A person can only truly enjoy music if one has the opportunity to learn it. Listening alone will never take anyone any place, unless that person learns about music before he or she listens. And even then, unless the student is willing to put effort into developing a greater understanding of the art of music, the experience will never be enjoyable. There are some things about the musical art that are beyond the ability of most people to understand. In order for one to enjoy listening to music, one must have some concept of the reasons why certain choices are made and certain harmonic patterns are followed in a piece of music. Music theory, and specifically harmony, allows a person to understand some of the musical elements that cannot be learned by mere listening. The more a person learns about music, the better the understanding of it will be. An understanding of music can only be acquired from those who have already acquired it. Someone who is taught music theory may not understand it if the teacher does not explain it well. Some people may hear an explanation and still fail to understand. For those who have never studied music, music theory will not mean much; it will not help the listening experience or increase enjoyment. A layperson can learn music theory at home, but doing so on his or her own is unlikely to result in a deep understanding of the art of music. Understanding is not a matter of how well a person is taught; it is a matter of understanding how music works and how one relates to it. No amount of teaching will make one understand musical principles unless one learns them first. “No amount of good music appreciation will make the experience a musical one if a person has not learned about music theory. Some people may hear an explanation and still fail to understand. There are some things about the musical art that are beyond the ability of most people to understand. In order for one to enjoy listening to music, one must have some concept of the reasons why certain choices are made and certain harmonic patterns are followed in a piece of music. Music theory, and specifically harmony, allows a person to understand some of the musical elements that cannot be learned by mere listening. The more a person learns about music, the better the understanding of it will be.” Music appreciation and music-performance appreciation should go together. If the individual tries to listen to music without first learning about music theory, he or she will fail to understand the music and will not truly enjoy it. No one will know or understand a piece of music unless that person first learns music theory. If the person is not familiar with music theory, the experience of the listening will not be a musical one. To truly understand a piece of music, one must be able to look beneath the surface and understand the composition. Once a person learns music theory and understands some of the music theory principles, he or she can listen to and enjoy any piece of music. The difference between understanding the musical elements and enjoying a piece of music is that the person who does not understand the musical elements will only learn how not to play the piece. If he or she is not familiar with music theory, the individual will find it difficult, if not impossible, to play the music successfully. On the other hand, a person who knows about music theory may be able to play the piece perfectly or nearly so. But the true beauty of music lies in the ability to interpret what is heard, not in the ability to play perfectly. Knowledge about the elements that make up music can help people with one type of music, but not necessarily with all music. In general, a listener who knows about music theory will be able to enjoy most types of music, but the understanding of the musical elements, especially harmony, will allow a person to enjoy certain types of music better. Learning music theory does not mean that a person must limit his or her musical interests. Music appreciation can enhance one's appreciation of any music. "Learning music theory will not result in a musician becoming able to play an