Rest Period Activities: Instrumental Practice
Figure 1.--Here is a boy practicing his flute during the rest period after lunch. This was not allowed at all schools. He was one of the older boys at the school and quite accomplished.
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One exception to the quiet period is that the children at some schools were allowed to practice the instruments that they were learning. Practice is of course the key to learning an instrument. Thus some schools were especially interested in making sure that the children got in their practice time. Children varied in how enthusiastic they were about practing. Some saw it as a chore. Many schools placed a considerabe emphasis on learning instruments and went out of their way to promote music. As a result, the orep school children were far more likely to learn an instrument than the average British student. At rest time, the problem was to find an isolated spot where they would not disturb others. They were not allowed to practice in their dorm rooms because it would disturb the others. And keeping the children quiet can be a bit of a challenge. So some schools did not want the added complication of some children practicing their instruments.
