| How many parents have given their children years of | | | | thrive from the envelopment of warm feelings, positive |
| music lessons, only to have the child one day | | | | attention, and sense of accomplishment that they feel |
| announce: "I quit!" | | | | after a performance, (not to mention camaraderie with |
| It can be heartbreaking for the parent, not least | | | | their fellow performers). Whether it's performing in a |
| because of the thousands of dollars they may have | | | | studio recital, a solo competition; or with their youth |
| invested in lessons and instruments. | | | | orchestra at carnegie hall, performances are key to |
| But inevitably, years later, the former teen will say, "I | | | | keeping up a child's interest, and improving their playing. |
| never should have quit the violin (or cello or viola)! I wish | | | | The vast majority of children who only do private |
| my parents had forced me to stick with it!" | | | | lessons, and don't have any performance opportunities, |
| Being a music school director for the past ten years, | | | | will eventually lose interest and drop out. |
| and the parent of three (an 8-year-old, a teenager, and | | | | 5. Stay positive! When in doubt, do not shout, berate, |
| a former teen), I have seen this sort of thing happen | | | | belittle, or threaten to drop the lessons. None of the |
| again and again. So I have made it one of my primary | | | | negative stuff works, and it will just lead to more |
| missions to create an environment that keeps kids in | | | | frustration for you, and your child. Even when it feels |
| music, from tot through teen years. Here are some of | | | | like your child is not meeting your or the teacher's |
| my most powerful techniques for keeping children | | | | expectation, remain positive. Your child may just be |
| involved in, and passionate about, their music. | | | | going through a rough patch. |
| 1. Start them young - on piano. I have found that | | | | To get through it, with the little ones, offer small |
| children who begin with piano, and then come into my | | | | rewards for practicing daily or weekly. It could be a |
| violin or other stringed instrument class, always do | | | | sticker or a trip to the toy store. In their teens, you can |
| better than children who have not had early piano | | | | relax their practice schedule if it feels like too much of |
| training. Violin and other stringed instruments are | | | | a burden. When my teen son decided that he wanted |
| difficult, due to the many aspects needed to focus on | | | | to quit saxophone, his teacher suggested that he just |
| at once. It is also physically challenging. Piano is a lot | | | | practice five minutes a day. He did this for over a year, |
| easier to grasp for pre-k kids. Once the student | | | | continuing to participate in various orchestras and jazz |
| already has a basic understanding of music, including | | | | groups. It worked! He continued playing saxophone |
| note-reading, rhythm, and practicing, they are freer to | | | | through high school, and received a huge music |
| focus on the technical challenges of the stringed | | | | scholarship to college. Although he has decided not to |
| instrument. I now require tots to take my beginning | | | | make music his career, he continues to make money |
| piano class, and i encourage parents to keep those | | | | with his instrument through teaching and gigging. |
| lessons going until they begin in my violin class. | | | | 6. Summer and school breaks are a great time to |
| 2. Don't go it alone! How many parents enroll their | | | | move ahead! Rather than taking a break from music |
| children in private music lessons, only to have them | | | | lessons, vacation is actually a great time to make |
| refuse to go because they don't know anyone? Yet | | | | headway. It's an opportunity for life-changing musical |
| the same child will participate in almost any activity if at | | | | adventures or just plain getting lots accomplished. Enroll |
| least one friend is present! Group beginning music | | | | your child in a summer music program that offers |
| classes can be a lot of fun for the younger set, and | | | | something different in the way of lessons and |
| particularly ideal for children age 3½ years through 5 | | | | orchestra or chamber music. For teens, there are |
| ½, depending on their maturity. | | | | many programs away from home, in beautiful settings |
| 3. Kids who play together like to play together! The | | | | in the mountains or countryside. The more your child |
| more opportunities the children have to play the more | | | | improves the more they will like playing, and the more |
| they will improve. In addition to private lessons, as soon | | | | they will feel good about themselves. It's the child who |
| as the child is eligible, we place him or her in a | | | | lags behind who will want to stop practicing or worse, |
| performing group. At our school, graduates of our | | | | quit. |
| beginning violin class will enroll in private lessons and in | | | | 7. Don't over schedule. Although we want our children |
| our training orchestra. More advanced players go into | | | | to be well-rounded, it's better for their psyche for them |
| our more advanced children's orchestra. Older | | | | to excel in one thing. And if that one thing is playing a |
| students are encouraged to join regional youth | | | | musical instrument, it will have tremendous benefits. Skill |
| orchestras. Ninety-nine percent of the time, once the | | | | on a musical instrument sets them apart from their |
| initial excitement of playing an instrument has passed, it | | | | peers. They will begin to identify themselves as a |
| is the group playing that the kids will remain excited | | | | musician, which is great for their self-esteem. Excelling |
| about. Children love to be with other children! | | | | at a musical instrument - especially strings - will help in |
| Participation leads to more practicing, especially if the | | | | applications for arts schools and programs, and |
| conductor or musical director connects well with | | | | eventually, colleges! Most colleges have orchestras |
| children. | | | | with many chairs to fill. There is usually a need for |
| In addition to private lessons and orchestra, many | | | | many more violin, viola, cello and bass players! |
| participate in our chamber music program. I started the | | | | 8. Stay committed. Staying committed to your child's |
| chamber music program with four kindergarten girls | | | | music education may be the hardest part of raising |
| who knew each other from orchestra. After a few | | | | your child, but i can say from first-hand experience, it's |
| months of playing together they named themselves | | | | worth the it! The experiences your child will have being |
| the bff ('best friends forever') they have been playing | | | | a musician will shape their lives (not to mention their |
| together for 3 years by now. They've performed for | | | | brains) in a way that cannot be duplicated any other |
| our us congressman, senior centers, local schools, and | | | | way. Music promotes self-esteem, teamwork, and |
| even at our local farmer's market. What I've | | | | good study habits, and it has shaped the lives of many |
| discovered is that the kids in the quartet were | | | | youngsters in a most profound way. |
| developing faster and playing better, so i set out to | | | | Taking all these steps will make it far more likely that |
| form more groups and a chamber music program. | | | | your child will have lifelong appreciation for their |
| 4. Keep em' in the spotlight! It is rare that a kid doesn't | | | | instrument and for music. |