09/04/2019
Beginning of the school year Public Service Announcement! Hello, I am the owner of Media City School of Music. I've been teaching piano for over 20 years and I've seen a lot of different kinds of kids over the years, and wow are they all so different! There are definitely 2 things I've learned that work for all of these different people and I want to share them with you no matter where you go for lessons.
The #1 thing you can do to help your child along in their music lessons is to set a regular practice time at home. Do not roll your eyes at me! :) Yes, it is your job. Kids do not have the planning capacity to remember to practice on their own and before you know it, their next lesson is here and they "forgot to". They spend the whole lesson remembering what they learned last time and either move forward very slowly, or not at all. Then it becomes "not fun" because they aren't moving fast and aren't sounding good when they do play. When they are supported at home with regular, consistent, non-negotiable reminders to practice, you will see your child start to enjoy playing! Give it a little time. They need to grouse for a little while until they settle into the routine. But soon, you will see them become proud of their abilities and they will show up to their lessons excited to show their teacher what they did.
The #2 thing you can do is sit near them when they practice. You can be paying bills, or reading (maybe not on the phone or computer though!). You don't have to help them or give feedback. Just make sure they can tell you are listening. They will practice longer and better if they feel you are in it together and that you like it.
That's it. It's pretty simple. Make them practice, and work within earshot or view when they do. If your kid is asking for lessons, jump on the chance, because the initial enthusiasm will go away eventually and it will be the difference between them regretting that they never learned, or enjoying playing music for the rest of their lives. Eh, I'm sure there's something in between as well, but I hope you all have a great year of music lessons!
-Diana Extein