STAYING ON LONGER IN LESSONS AND PRACTICE -TIPS & INSPIRATION

As parents who have invested time, energy and money in your child's music lessons and  know the long-term holistic benefits of learning and practising music, we need to also know how to support your child in music lessons to enable them to develop a lifelong  relationship with music learning and making.   

A great tip for parents - try sitting together with your child for as short as 5 minutes in your regular practice sessions and get your child to show you what they know or have learned - with no pressure and listen attentively! Respond to them in a positive manner when they practise!  Even just 2 or 3 short supervised practice sessions each week can make a huge difference and build a longer term practice routine that works for you and your child. Children will love showing you what they have learnt. 

They need:

• positive encouragement

• routine - it is like going to school or brushing their teeth - we need to establish a routine that fits your household schedule

• for the younger child, act like a cheerleader who sits with them during practice or at least be in the vicinity of the practice room who claps after a good run or give them encouraging feedback (even when it may not be perfect)

• a practice friendly environment where parents can support - without instructing (too much - leave that to the teacher!)

   

Your positive attitude will have a big impact on your child. " I love hearing you play that piece or that new piece! " sounds very different to " do your practice or else .... no point going for more lessons ....".  Just phrasing your feedback with a pleasant, optimistic tone can nudge your child to the bench (and other aspects of life too).  They will become more confident learners and make better progress!

Another good tip to motivate practice at home is to encourage your child to listen to or watch performances - "live" (in person) or digital - live streamed or digitally streamed. Pick music your child is inclined towards initially then move on to the genres he/she is learning.

So many adults say " I wish I hadn't given up the piano."  Believe me as a parent, you can help your child continue learning an instrument with the above tips and that they will feel the rewards along the way. The digital age children want instant reward or gratification. It is like choosing between a take-away  or a home-cooked meal!

Learning how to make practice fun (just try and make the learning fun), how to reward your child for good practice behavior and how to encourage your child's interest in music are skills parents can develop. 

To sum up, before you conclude your child doesn't want to learn music anymore, make sure you have done your best to create  a practice-friendly environment.