Practice tips,
benefits of a music education,
current research,
and more!
Got the instrument? ✅
Booked the lessons? ✅
Ready to practice? 🤔
If you’re considering music lessons for yourself or your child, please consider these practicing tips as well.
1: Schedule it. If you think you’ll actually remember to sit down and practice as often as you should, you wouldn’t be alone— even I am guilty of that fantasy! But no, I can pretty much guarantee that if you don’t schedule it and build it into your routine, way more time will pass between practice sessions than you planned. It’s best to set realistic goals and go from there. Three to five times a week is super doable for most people. Think ahead to other obligations during the week and plan on when you can squeeze the practice time in.
2: Break it up. Divide your practice time into three portions: technical exercises / etudes (which can also serve as a “warm up”); theory and/or musicianship; repertoire (new and old).
3: Quit while you’re ahead. If you’ve committed to 30 minutes and you are feeling like you want to keep going to 45, don’t. It’s easy to over practice one day and then give yourself permission to slack off the next day... and you end up falling out of your routine. End by reviewing existing repertoire before you’re sick of it, and you’ll be ending on a high note!
BONUS # 4 FOR PARENTS
4: Help your child do the above three things. Kids need their parents to help them establish the above practice habits. The average child will not regularly practice music assignments of their own volition. Why? Because it’s hard! Kids need a lot of motivation, encouragement and help when doing hard things.
Most parents do not expect their child to do homework for school without being told, at least until the routine of “ok, homework time!” is established. Well, the same goes for practice assignments from music lessons and classes. Playing an instrument is incredibly rewarding, and CAN BE very fun, but it’s also hard work and takes discipline and dedication. In fact, that’s part of why taking music lessons can be such a beneficial experience for your child: it gives them a real-world understanding of what happens when they invest their time and energy into learning a new skill.
If you don’t help your child practice (especially at first), you will limit their progress (and drive their music teacher bananas). For young children, practicing 10-15 minutes/day is great! As they get older and gain facility, they will likely WANT to practice longer, and you will hopefully find that all you have to do is say, “ok, time to practice Music!” Getting to that point doesn’t need to be difficult. Start with a short session, reward them for their hard work (even just with verbal praise!), and build from there.
For more information on guitar lessons, voice lessons, piano lessons or group music classes in Fallbrook, CA, contact us!
Let's face it: while you may be your child's number one fan, most children who take music lessons don't go on to be professional musicians. So, why even bother? Well, there are a LOT of reasons to give your child a well-rounded music education. Here are just a few of my highest rankings reasons:
1) Teach them that they can accomplish great things with practice and discipline
Regardless of whether your child becomes a professional musician or not, achieving any goal -- be it learning to read music, to play their favorite song, or getting up and performing at a recital -- is something to be proud of. Children who play instruments learn very concretely that practice and commitment is directly tied to how well they do something.
2) Rewire their brains
The science is undisputed on this one. Learning to read and play music is insanely beneficial for cognitive growth! In fact, studies show that as little as two years of music education physically changes the way our brains grow by changing the structure of white and gray matter. It's pretty amazing, really. If you think about the level of multitasking we do with our senses while playing music, it makes sense: tactile, fine and gross motor skills, auditory AND visual... playing music is like a running a marathon for our brains.
3) Help them build confidence
Helping your child develop a skill or "talent" they are proud of is the ultimate confidence booster. Even better is when they get to show off their hard work at a performance! (BUT-- music does not have to be performing!)
4) Give them a place where they can be themselves
Whether your child is in a group music environment or private lessons, you can guarantee they are with like-minded individuals. Not to mention that they are also given the opportunity to connect with an adult mentor that you trust and respect (and if that's not the case, find another music teacher!!).
5) Provide them with a skill-set that will help them manage their emotions
One of the things that makes music so special is how closely connected to our emotions it is. A child or adult with music training can turn to music in times of stress, anger, sadness or happiness and use it to help express and make sense of their emotions. Music has been more or less a form of therapy for me since I was a teenager! Additionally, folks with some music training are better equipped to enjoy music as an active or passive music listener.
These are just some of the many reasons why I have my own children taking music classes and why I passionately believe parents should invest in a music education for their children if possible. I hope these reasons have resonated with you, and helped you understand why childhood music education is so important. If you are ready to enroll your child in music lessons, you can check out our offerings here!