Parents and adult students are concerned at times about missing out on lessons they're not going to be able to make. Folks can feel like they are losing out on the financial end of the spectrum or the educational side of things.
For many parents interested in starting their child in music lessons, choosing which instrument to play can be filled with uncertainty. It is a big investment of time, energy and money for the family. It also comes with a great responsibility since the lessons and instrument will affect their musical experiences as players and listeners for a long time.
Recitals and performances can have a lot of baggage attached to them.
One of the most common questions we get as teachers is, "How much should I (or my child) practice?" This seemingly benign question can actually be pretty charged and stir up a lot of emotions.
With so many great school jazz programs in the Seattle and Wallingford area, we often have families who come to CMA looking to start jazz lessons for their child. Or they are at least curious about whether they should start their child in jazz lessons or do more traditional music lessons.
Over the years, Creative Music Adventures in Wallingford has become known for our group piano lessons. This took us several years to accomplish for many reasons.
Last week I covered the basics on what instrument to choose for beginning students between the ages of 4 and 7 years old. This week I'll introduce some things to think about before starting a child on music lessons who is 8 years of age or older.
Parents often feel at a loss when it comes to choosing the "right" instrument for their child. The good news is that there often isn't a right instrument - especially if musical concepts (not repertoire) are the emphasis in early lessons. Once students start on something, they usually will start to gravitate towards a specific instrument or style over time. They can easily transfer the understanding of concepts gained from their first instrument to other instruments.
Families can maximize their music learning experience by understanding the difference between music practice and a music lesson. Music lessons are a little bit different than other activities we do. For example, we go to soccer practice or dance rehearsal.