The #1 Myth about Piano Lessons
Parents who are looking into music lessons often have lots of questions. How do I know my child is ready to start lessons? What type of lessons (i.e. private, group, etc.) are best for my child? What kind of books or materials should we use? How long will my child need to practice each day?
A good teacher will be able to talk a prospective parent through the answers to these questions in a tour or interview and give them a good idea of what to expect. But one thing we don’t discuss enough in this setting is a myth that too many piano parents buy into:
If my child likes piano, I won’t have to remind or encourage them to practice. They’ll just do it on their own without any help from me.
Parents put their kids into lessons with this myth in mind, and at first practicing is easy. It’s new and exciting and fun. But just like even a job you love isn’t blissful every day, it’s unrealistic to think that your child will ALWAYS want to practice. Practicing is work. It can be frustrating and difficult and requires a whole lot of patience, perseverance, and tenacity. Even great musicians sometimes just don’t “feel like” practicing.
But oh, is it worth it.
Learning to push through the difficult moments (or days, or sometimes weeks) is a skill that will not only allow your child to experience great music, but will help them in literally every other aspect of their life. Piano lessons (or really, any music lessons) are a fantastic opportunity to develop character traits and life skills such as resilience, creative thinking, sacrifice, and so many more.
But they can’t do it without some help. The truth is, you will have to help your child practice. They may just need some gentle reminders, or they might need you to sit down and practice with them every day for a while. But your support, whatever form it takes, is a vital piece of the teacher-student-parent triangle that makes lessons successful.
Of course, the idea that just “pushing through” is always the answer is also a myth. If your child is struggling with any aspect of piano lessons, talk to your child and talk to the teacher. Most teachers will be more than happy to help find solutions and make adjustments to help your child enjoy piano!
So maybe next time you hear “Mom, I don’t want to practice today” – and it’s almost guaranteed that you will – remember that struggling is a part of the journey! With your help, your child can discover that both music and their own abilities are probably even more awesome than they thought.
Want some help practicing with your child? Check out out some of these ideas.
Have other questions about piano lessons? Give us a call at 801-701-0113 ext. 3 or shoot us an email at [email protected]