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If most music schools seem to have qualified, friendly and
experienced teachers with a recital at the end of the year, aren’t
they all pretty much the same? Does it really matter where you
decide to enroll? Yes. There are five main attributes that can make
a huge difference in the quality of instruction your child receives,
the convenience of taking lessons and the overall enjoyment and
satisfaction of being involved with a music program.
Every parent should consider these five criteria before deciding on
a music school for their child. These are practical tips that we
have discovered from teaching hundreds of students each year.
1. How young is too young?
Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based
on how willing the adult is to commit to practicing. For children,
starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their
lessons. Some people will say “the sooner the better”, but this
attitude can actually backfire. If children start lessons too soon
they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and may want to stop
lessons. The last thing you want is for your child not to have a
positive musical experience just because they had one unpleasant
experience which could have been prevented. Sometimes if the child
waits a year to start lessons his/her progress can be much faster.
Children who are older than the suggested earliest starting age
usually do very well. The following are guidelines we have found to
be successful in determining how young a child can start taking
music lessons. If a child wishes to begin lessons and is younger
than the recommended age, ISM can arrange a trial/audition class to
determine a child’s readiness to begin lessons.
Piano, Keyboard, Violin and Cello:
At our school, age five is the youngest age that we
start children in private lessons. At this age they have begun to
develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease. In
some cases we can accept children at age four depending upon their
trial/audition class.
Guitar: Acoustic, Electric and Bass:
Age seven is the earliest we recommend for guitar
lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the
fingers from pressing on the strings. Children under age eight
generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass
students are generally ten years of age and older.
Voice Lessons:
Eight years old is recommended as the youngest age
for private vocal lessons. Due to the physical nature of voice
lessons (proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal
chords and lung capacity), the younger body is generally not yet
ready for the rigors of vocal technique.
Drums:
The average age of our youngest drum student is
eight. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They
have to be able to reach the pedals and the cymbals.
Flute, Clarinet and Saxophone:
Due to lung capacity (and in the case of the
saxophone the size of the instrument), we recommend that most
woodwind beginners are age nine and older.
2. Insist on Private Lessons when
Learning a Specific Instrument
Group classes work well for preschool programs and theory lessons.
However, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private
lessons are far superior. In private lessons it is hard to miss
anything and each student can learn at his/her own pace. This means
that the teacher does not have to teach a class at a “middle of the
road” level, but has the time and focus to work on the individual
student’s strengths and weaknesses. For that lesson period, the
student is the primary focus of the teacher. The teacher also enjoys
this as he/she does not have to divide attention between five to ten
students at a time and can help the student to reach his/her full
potential.
3. Take Lessons in a Professional
Teaching Environment
Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teacher,
but also having an environment that is focused on music education.
In a professional school environment a student cannot be distracted
by television, pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. With
only one half to a full hour of lesson time per week, a professional
school environment can produce better results since the only focus
at that time is learning music. Students in a school environment are
also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels and by
being exposed to a variety of musical instruments. In a music
school, the lessons are not just a hobby or side-line for the
teacher but a responsibility which is taken very seriously.
4. Make Practicing Easier
As with anything, improving in music takes practice. One of the main
problems with music lessons is the routine of practicing and the
friction may often develop between parents and students concerning
daily practicing. Here are some ways to make practicing easier:
Time:
Set the same time every day to practice so that it
becomes part of a routine or habit. Generally, the earlier in the
day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by
parents.
Repetition:
We use this method quite often when setting practice
schedules for beginners. For a young child, twenty to thirty minutes
can seem like eternity. Instead of setting a time frame, we use
repetition. For example, "practice this piece four times every day
and this scale five times a day". The child then does not pay
attention to the amount of time that she is practicing the
instrument, but knows that if she is on repetition three that she is
almost finished.
Rewards:
Children and adult students respond very well to
rewards. Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after a
successful week of practicing. Parents can encourage children to
practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful
practicing. In our school, we reward young children for a successful
week of practicing with stars and stickers on their work. Praise
tends to be the most coveted reward – there is just no substitute
for a pat on the back for a job well done. Sometimes we all have a
week with little practicing and in that case there is always next
week.
5. Use Recognized Teaching Materials
There are some excellent materials developed by professional music
educators that are made for students especially for young beginners
and adult students with no previous music experience. There are
books that can start you at a comfortable level. These materials
have been carefully researched and are continually upgraded and
improved to make learning easier. They ensure that no important part
of learning the instrument can inadvertently be left out. If you
ever have to move to a different part of the country, qualified
teachers and institutions will recognize the materials and be able
to continue smoothly from where the previous teacher left off.
Have FUN!!!
Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime. So try not
to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children to
learn too quickly. Everyone learns at a different pace and the key
is to be able to enjoy the journey.
Click on the underlined categories below to find out
more:
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Keyboard:
piano
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Strings: cello, guitar (acoustic/electric/bass),
harp, viola, violin, cello, banjo
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Voice: classical, Broadway, jazz, pop/rock
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Woodwinds:
clarinet, saxophone, flute, piccolo,
recorder, oboe, bassoon
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Brass: cornet, trumpet, flugel horn, french horn,
euphonium-baritone, trombone, tuba
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Percussion: drumset, afro-Caribbean drums, mallet
instruments, symphonic percussion
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Theory: music theory, ABRSM theory, composition,
improvisation, song-writing, jazz improvisation
Register Now! Submit Registration Information
To schedule a
trial lesson call 301.365.5888
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Call Now for Current Openings:
301.365.5888
(Next to Montgomery Mall)
301.657.0763
(Next to Friendship Heights) |
