1/30/2014

Music Lessons For Your Child

By Madeleine Bridgeman


If you look back at your many years of education, from kindergarten through college, one thing holds true. A good teacher is one that we remember, and we also remember what these special teachers taught us. No matter what subject we are learning, a teacher can make or break the experience. This is certainly the case when a child begins taking music lessons. A great teacher can truly inspire your child, while a poor instructor can have the opposite effect. Here are some tips that will make selecting a music teacher a bit easier.

Obviously, you want to select someone with excellent qualifications. So look for someone with both professional experience as a musician and a music teacher. Ask your potential teacher about the ages of their previous students as well as what instruments they have taught children to play. After all, if your instructor has mainly taught higher level students, they might not be a great match for a young child taking their very first lessons. A teacher that focuses mainly on piano and voice might not be the best person to teach your child how to play the violin or clarinet.

Everyone has expectations when the music lessons begin. The student has expectations about the level of fun and the level of difficulty. The parents have expectations about how quickly children learn an instrument as well as how enjoyable the experience will be for their child. Finally, the teacher has expectations about how much work is required of each student to achieve success at various levels. It is important that all three of you have similar expectations. You might simply want to find a creative outlet for your student or perhaps you are hoping for a high level of achievement. Different teachers also have different philosophies about achievement.

While your child will have to practice in order to improve, and they might grumble about this, the overall experience should be positive. Practicing contributes to their overall development of discipline, which can extend into many areas. However, if the whole experience feels more like an unpleasant chore and they dread their music lessons, you probably haven't selected the right teacher. Particularly with beginners, an energetic and enthusiastic and patient teacher can go a long way in encouraging a child to stick with an instrument for many years to come.

In the end, take into consideration how you and your child truly feel about each teacher you interview. Sometimes the personalities just seem like a great match, even if it means that you are selecting a younger or less experienced teacher. Sometimes children are more likely to stick with an instrument if they get to choose the instrument and some of the songs they practice. Keep in mind, that even if they are playing rock music, they are learning just as they would by practicing one of Beethoven's sonatas.

If you are searching for music lessons in Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente or San Juan Capistrano, a fun option would be to consider the Los Rios Rock School. Serving all of Orange County, this music school offers both private lessons as well as a special rock band experience for its students. You can learn virtually any instrument and also play that instrument in an actual band. The students perform a variety of concerts throughout the year at well-known Orange County venues such as Stillwater, the House of Blues and the Coach House.




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