To play or not to play

A lot of parents want their children to play an instrument, and in so doing begin what can often turn out to be a ghastly experience for the child. If you are a parent who wants to purchase an instrument for your child, you should really consider up front why you want your child to play.

If it is because you like music, then why not learn the instrument yourself? After all, this is probably the best way to make your child interested in music. Keep listening to loads of good music and let your kids hear it, too.

If it is because you think your child will have an edge if they start young, then remember that music lessons can sometimes be a source of distress for young children, and that playing an instrument is much harder for a child than an adult. Physically and mentally it is much more difficult, as I am sure you will remember yourself, if you went to music lessons when young.

If it is because your children have expressed a desire to learn, then why not buy them the instrument and learn it with them? Why not help them as much as you can. To play something well requires regular practice, and to practice something regularly requires a lot of drive and dedication, things which young people rarely have..

So why not let them know that you are most happy to encourage them in music, if they should want to play an instrument, and until then, focus on playing and enjoying music yourself.

Tips for parents

♪All children can benefit from music.

♪Encourage your child to sing and play for you. NEVER make fun of your child’s singing or playing!

♪Encourage your child to practice regularly (6 —7 times a week is ideal). You might want to break the practice time down into shorter chunks several times a day.

♪Provide a quiet place and time for your child to practice at home.

♪Have a routine - try to have a time set aside for your child to practice each day, and try as far as possible to ensure you are able to spend some of this time with them.

♪'Go do your practicing’ might not seem very appealing to a child. Talk about playing rather than practicing - this could be more meaningful and encouraging to your child. If you are there, too, it’s more of an event than a penalty.

♪Many instruments sound far from beautiful when played by a beginner. Children need all the praise and encouragement that you can give them. Make your child feel that you are enjoying their music, and be tactful about any imperfections. Don't expect too much in the early stages.

Think about it

Your students need to know what practice is--and what it is not. It is not mindless repetition, even though repetition is involved. Practice is repeating a small portion of a piece (or a technical exercise) with a specific goal in mind. This goal should be small enough to reach by the end of the session so that the student can judge whether or not he met the goal. "Fix the middle of the Scarlatti" is not a good goal because it's too broad and too unfocused. "Decide on and write in the fingering in measures 20-40" is a fine goal. For the second day, the goal might be "Learn to play measures 20-30 with the new fingering" (or even fewer measures, if the music is exceptionally difficult). Practice also may include playing larger portions of a piece--up to the entire piece--provided it is done at practice tempo, not at performance tempo. More advanced practice entails more “cause” work, that is, what makes this passage difficult? How do I need to approach this part to make it easy to play? This is where your sophisticated practice techniques come in!