A Parent's Guide to Music Lessons for Kids
© 2019 Goh Tong Keat
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If you are a parent with no background in musical training, you may not know what to expect when you send your child to music lessons. We break the process down into three simple parts to help you with finding a good music teacher, enrolling your child into music lessons, and knowing your responsibilities in the journey of your child's musical learning.
Finding A Good Music Teacher
Finding a good music teacher for your child is crucial. Music teachers do not necessarily have to be outstanding performers or composers themselves. Still, they must possess ample knowledge and understanding in their respective fields, along with experience in teaching and playing their instruments. They must also have the willingness and passion for sharing their expertise with the students.
To find the right music teacher, parents must first understand that music learning requires a great deal of time and effort. Apart from regular lessons, which are usually around thirty to sixty minutes a week, the students need to practice on their own throughout the week. Some parents enroll their children for music lessons to fill up the remaining slots in their hectic weekly schedules. In such cases, the children can rarely show meaningful progress in music learning no matter how good the teachers are, simply because there is no time for practice. When they learn music in the right ways, there are so many benefits to it that it can be more than just a hobby for the children.
Once you have understood and accepted that music learning is a long term process that takes time and effort, the next step is to get to know the teacher's background. There are various genres in music, and for example, classical pianists train very differently from jazz or contemporary pianists, even though both follow mainly the same fundamentals of music and practice the same technical etudes. If your child has the aspirations to play in a symphony orchestra, you may want to find a teacher who can guide him or her in that direction. Similarly, if your child is interested in contemporary music, he or she may not enjoy learning or practicing the classical repertoire. Being a versatile musician is undoubtedly a big plus point, but parents must first find a good starting point to stimulate their interests.
To find the right music teacher, parents must first understand that music learning requires a great deal of time and effort. Apart from regular lessons, which are usually around thirty to sixty minutes a week, the students need to practice on their own throughout the week. Some parents enroll their children for music lessons to fill up the remaining slots in their hectic weekly schedules. In such cases, the children can rarely show meaningful progress in music learning no matter how good the teachers are, simply because there is no time for practice. When they learn music in the right ways, there are so many benefits to it that it can be more than just a hobby for the children.
Once you have understood and accepted that music learning is a long term process that takes time and effort, the next step is to get to know the teacher's background. There are various genres in music, and for example, classical pianists train very differently from jazz or contemporary pianists, even though both follow mainly the same fundamentals of music and practice the same technical etudes. If your child has the aspirations to play in a symphony orchestra, you may want to find a teacher who can guide him or her in that direction. Similarly, if your child is interested in contemporary music, he or she may not enjoy learning or practicing the classical repertoire. Being a versatile musician is undoubtedly a big plus point, but parents must first find a good starting point to stimulate their interests.
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Enrolling Your Child into Music Lessons
Each teacher and student is unique in their ways of teaching and learning. Some teachers are stringent that their students must show measurable progress each week, while some are more flexible to allow for the natural development of the student's ability. Students also range from the very enthusiastic ones, to those who could not care less about their music lessons. As such, there is no such thing as the best music teacher, but it is crucial to find one that works well with your child.
Some music schools offer trial lessons so that you can decide if you want to enroll your child for the long term. You should make good use of this opportunity to see if your child can willingly take instructions from the teacher. While modern parenting often talks about respecting the child's intention and giving them the freedom to choose, it is crucial to understand that for the very young children, the ultimate decision falls on the parents. It is the parents who decide whether or not to enroll their child for music lessons. Any experienced parent knows that young children can easily change their minds over time.
When you sign up for music lessons, you want to find out if the lessons are being conducted one-to-one, in a small group, or a large group. For instrumental lessons, many experts recommend that you sign up for individual lessons so that your child can get the full attention of the teacher, and the teacher can guide with a method that works well for your child. However, some children may only respond well when there are peers around. In these cases, you may consider small group lessons. Large group lessons, also known as classroom teaching, usually happen in school settings for general music education rather than specialized instrumental training.
Some music schools offer trial lessons so that you can decide if you want to enroll your child for the long term. You should make good use of this opportunity to see if your child can willingly take instructions from the teacher. While modern parenting often talks about respecting the child's intention and giving them the freedom to choose, it is crucial to understand that for the very young children, the ultimate decision falls on the parents. It is the parents who decide whether or not to enroll their child for music lessons. Any experienced parent knows that young children can easily change their minds over time.
When you sign up for music lessons, you want to find out if the lessons are being conducted one-to-one, in a small group, or a large group. For instrumental lessons, many experts recommend that you sign up for individual lessons so that your child can get the full attention of the teacher, and the teacher can guide with a method that works well for your child. However, some children may only respond well when there are peers around. In these cases, you may consider small group lessons. Large group lessons, also known as classroom teaching, usually happen in school settings for general music education rather than specialized instrumental training.
Maintaining Interest in Music Learning
Once the child has started taking music lessons, the parents play an essential role in supporting and maintaining their interest, while at the same time, teaching them to persevere through difficult times. Parents should often communicate with the teachers to find out their children's progress. However, being overly-anxious of their progress does not help either. Allow enough time for the teachers and students to build their trust and relationships, but do not be afraid to seek alternatives if the learning process has not been going well after a long period.
Parents are also responsible for motivating their children by acknowledging their achievements, no matter how trivial it seems. Some parents were quick to jump to conclusions and to consider their child as having no talent whenever they are struggling to learn something. Such behaviors are highly damaging to the child's self-esteem, and they will be afraid to try out new things when they grow up.
It is also advisable for parents to keep their children engaged by bringing them to music-related events. A great deal of learning happens outside the studio. Being actively involved in musical activities is especially important for students who may want to pursue tertiary education or career in music. Most of them felt overwhelmed or unprepared when they entered college because they lacked the exposure to what is happening out there, outside of their regular weekly lessons. There are plenty of the events that can inspire them, such as music festivals, concerts, masterclasses, seminars, or workshops.
Parents are also responsible for motivating their children by acknowledging their achievements, no matter how trivial it seems. Some parents were quick to jump to conclusions and to consider their child as having no talent whenever they are struggling to learn something. Such behaviors are highly damaging to the child's self-esteem, and they will be afraid to try out new things when they grow up.
It is also advisable for parents to keep their children engaged by bringing them to music-related events. A great deal of learning happens outside the studio. Being actively involved in musical activities is especially important for students who may want to pursue tertiary education or career in music. Most of them felt overwhelmed or unprepared when they entered college because they lacked the exposure to what is happening out there, outside of their regular weekly lessons. There are plenty of the events that can inspire them, such as music festivals, concerts, masterclasses, seminars, or workshops.