BENEFITS AND GUIDELINES FOR INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
These guidelines are designed to assist you in giving your child the best support possible for his or her musical endeavors. Like any skill, interest counts far more than talent. With the right support from you, playing music will become a natural part of your child’s life.
BENEFITS
For Your Child
Music participation enhances:
Problem solving Teamwork
Goal-setting Self-expression
Coordination Memory skills
Self-confidence and esteem Concentration
Poise and much, much more!
For Your Family
A child’s music study also offers opportunities for shared family experiences, including:
Music event attendance Performing for and with family and friends
Family music making Learning about the lives of composers and cultural heritage of many civilizations
A sense of accomplishment and pride for the entire family
HOW YOU FIT IN
Your support is an essential element in your child’s success with music study.
Schedule Practice Times
Music achievement requires effort over a period of time. You can help your child by:
Providing a quiet place for practice.
Remaining nearby during practice times as often as possible.
Scheduling a consistent, daily time for practice.
Praising your child’s efforts and achievements.
WHAT TO DO
To give your child the best possible support, you should:
Encourage your child to play for family and friends.
Offer compliments and encouragement regularly.
Expose your child to a wide variety of music, including concerts and recitals.
Encourage your child to talk with you about his or her lessons.
Make sure your child’s instrument is always in good working condition.
Allow your child to play many types of music, not just study pieces.
Listen to your child practice, and acknowledge improvement.
Help your child build a personal music library.
Try to get your child to make a minimum two-year commitment to his or her music studies.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Your child’s progress will be greatly enhanced if you:
Don’t use practice as punishment.
Don’t insist your child play for others when he or she doesn’t want to.
Don’t ridicule or make fun of mistakes or less-than-perfect playing.
Don’t apologize to others for your child’s weak performance.
Don’t start your child on an instrument that’s in poor working condition.
Don’t expect rapid progress and development in the beginning.
