I’ve been having conversations lately with several families about what their child’s practice expectation should be, as well as the old question of how to get them to practice. So I’ve gathered together some tips from articles as well as from my own personal experience. Obviously, every child is different and will need different approaches to motivate them, as well as different expectations. From my experience, the kids who really take to music as a long-term part of their lives are the ones for whom being a musician becomes a part of their identity. That’s not necessarily something a teacher or a parent can instill in someone else. But that’s not to say if your 6-year-old doesn’t identify as a ‘musician’, it’s a fruitless endeavor. There are tons of scientific research on the subject of why studying music is just good for someone’s brain. But it’s also worth mentioning that music is a language. It’s a language for expressing emotion in the abstract. Languages connect communities, and communities form/inform identities. So in childhood music education we hope to give them the tools to learn this language, to develop a sense of discipline and rewarding accomplishments, and encourage their playful creativity.
some of these tips are from (https://de-de.medium.com/a-music-teachers- perspective-how-to-get-your-kid-to-practice-their-instrument-e52ee0181882)
Your Child. The Performer:
Every kid loves positive attention from their parents. They love it when their parents are interested in what they are doing and/or what they have to say. In these days of screens and electronics, many people are not only spending a lot of time working, but also spending a lot of time on devices when they are home. So ask your child to ‘perform’ for you every day after practicing. Let them give you a short concert!
Your Child. The Teacher:
Have your child “teach” you what they learned after each lesson! They will feel important, and proud to be able to teach their parent(s) the skills they’re learning. This also reinforces their memory of what they learned that day. The bonus is that the parent(s) can learn along with them! In the past, I’ve had parents and kids performing duets at recitals by using this method!
Do Not Correct Your Child:
It will end up in an argument, and make the home practice experience negative. The teacher will make corrections at the next lesson, and leave all corrections to them. The more positive interactions you have with your child and their musical journey, the more they will love it.
Make Sure Your Student Listens To Music.
Have music playing in your home and in the car frequently. Play a wide variety of genres. The more styles their ears are exposed to, the better chance they’ll find the music they love the most. Then they can set goals to learn their favorites. Have open discussions about what they like and what they don’t like, and why. Sing along! There’s so much we can learn about music just by using our voice.
Stretch The Boundaries:
Keep an ear out for the songs your child really likes, and see if it’s possible for their teacher to teach them one of these songs.
Structure:
Some kids really benefit from structured learning. For some, having a practice journal with a very specific practice routine can be really helpful. Your teacher can help you set up a routine for your child with warm-ups, homework, and creative play.
Playful/games:
Gamification is another great strategy for learning. Here’s one example of a practice game you can use. You put three pennies (or any small item you have three of) on the left side of your music stand, On a troublesome measure, you play it once, and if you get it right, you move the penny to the right side of the stand. If you play it again and get it right, you put the next penny on the right side of the stand. If you play it again and miss a note or rhythm, then all three pennies get put to the left. You must play the measure correctly three times in a row in order to keep the pennies. The next step is to connect the troublesome measure to the measure before it and continue playing. Another version of this game is with rolling dice. Whatever you roll is the number of times you have to play the measure.
Most Kids Want To “Quit” Music Lessons At Some Point. What To Do?:
Starting a hobby or a new project is always the most rewarding part. You progress quickly, it’s exciting and full of possibilities. But inevitably, a little of that excitement wears off, and the progress can slow down, or you can struggle to find the same sense of motivation you started with. So, for some, it makes sense that this is the correct time to quit and find something new. But it’s important to remember that some version of this happens with everyone and almost everything. So, hitting those initial roadblocks is not necessarily the sign that this is the wrong activity, as it can seem like. Sometimes the lesson is about how to push through this feeling of being overly critical of ourselves. How do we nurture that initial spark of joy that maybe brought us to playing an instrument? How do we combat the expectations we have for ourselves? If I see a student struggling and wants to give up, I would set a deadline to revisit that conversation and see what we can do in the short term to improve their relationship with their instrument. If, after another semester, the family still decides it’s not the right decision to continue lessons, at least you’ve gone through that experience of trying to understand what it is about music, lessons, or routine the student is not connecting with. Which I feel is valuable information.
So there are some ideas to consider. I also got a lot out of reading books that discuss the science of habits for my own struggles with practicing and time management. If anyone is curious about that I highly recommend Atomic Habits by James Clear. It’s kind of a ‘self-help’ book and a little hard to transfer the concepts over to being a parent or helping someone else with their time management but it’s still an interesting read.