Submitted by: Klondike Steadman

Probably the single most challenging issue for parents is how and how much to encourage their child to practice. Here are a few pointers that have helped me as a parent and as a teacher.

The desire to learn music must come from the child:

Another way to say this is that the child needs to develop a sense of ownership of the music learning process. Nothing is more powerful than a child who feels that she plays well, enjoys playing and wants to get better for her. Several things that can help a person develop a sense of ownership are: Let them choose their instrument and teacher (telling them that if they excel at piano for five years they can learn guitar is likely to result in a child who resents piano and longs for guitar); take them to concerts that are fun for them; take them to purchase CD s and sheet music; be available when they want to play for you; give your child choices regarding their practice such as what time of day, which pieces they want to work on, how long to practice on a given day; recognize how much work it takes to practice don t take their hard work for granted.

There are also many things that we can do and say that tend to steal ownership away from the child:

Telling your child they have to practice because the lessons are expensive; telling your child you wish you could have had this opportunity; comparing your child to someone else; telling your child if they don t practice they can t take lessons. Many parents use this last one and, while it is technically true, it tends to make a child want to practice even less. In general, focusing on threats and coercion rather than environment and inspiration diminishes any desire to be creative and to practice.

The environment must be conducive to practice:

Practicing requires an incredible amount of concentration and energy. In our busy worlds it can be extremely difficult to find a time when the child is awake and focused, create an environment free of distractions and be available to listen to the child if need be. Guitar and string students should have a music stand. Piano students should have the correct height bench. All music students should have access to their music and a metronome.

The practice should be at a regularly scheduled time:

Your child can gain ownership and take some responsibility for this by helping to choose the time of day that they will practice. Once they have done this, however, it should remain the same time every day. This allows practicing music to become a habit like brushing teeth or putting on a seat belt and reduces the likelihood of a daily conflict over practice. Of course, exceptions can be made, but be aware that multiple exceptions undermine the routine.

Support your child s hard work, don t criticize:

While your child s teacher will occasionally ask you to provide learning support by reminding your child about a specific detail of their study, this does not mean that you should regularly engage in giving constructive criticism. Depending on the relationship you have with your child, you might not be the right person to give feedback to their child about a challenging guitar chord or violin shift. Besides, when, how much, and regarding which mistakes to give feedback are very delicate decisions a trained music teacher will have had experience making on a daily basis.

About the Author: Klondike Steadman is the director of the Orpheus Academy. He has extensive knowledge about music. His academy frequently organizes Music Camps for children and summer music schools for budding musicians. Visit here for more info

orpheusacademy.com

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