Like anything in life, the more you work at something the better you get at it. Your APA music teacher’s main goal is to help your child reach their full potential. As any teacher knows, this goal is more realistic to accomplish with the support of the student’s parents and families. This is especially true for younger students. From all my years as a music teacher, I have found that these are the top 5 most tried-and-true ways that you can help your child succeed in music class:
1.) Treat music class like any other school subject. For example, you don’t want your child’s grades to suffer in school, so you encourage your child to complete their homework on time. Make sure to give music practice the same importance, so your child sees it as something they need to work at each week.
2.) Have your child practice more often for shorter amounts of time, rather than less often for longer amounts of time. For good technique and a healthier musician, it is always better to practice more often for shorter periods of time. A lot of times, students will skip a night of practice because they have a lot of studying for a school subject. They may think that if they don’t have a half hour to practice their instrument, they might as well skip it altogether because anything less wouldn’t be worth it. But believe it or not, you can still get in a good practice session in 10 minutes, and 10 minutes is better than nothing.
3.) Offer rewards for meeting practice goals. Every person, no matter the age, finds it more enjoyable to work hard at something when they know there will be a reward at the end. Rewards don’t need to be big. They can be something as simple as a period of tv time, or phone time after practice. The important thing is that your child feels encouraged as they meet their music goals along the way.
4.) Keep in touch regularly with your child’s music teacher. Trust me, as a music teacher I absolutely love when my students’ parents are involved in their practice. Having a good relationship with your teacher ensures that you can keep track of your child’s progress and support them when they really need it.
5.) Sign them up for any music performance or event offered! Encourage your child to take advantage of music performances. I have never seen students more committed to mastering a song as when they are preparing for a performance. Performances, like APA’s music recitals, provide the perfect opportunity to allow your child to show off everything they have learned, and to feel the excitement of being on the stage in front of all their family and friends.
With your support and encouragement, your child will flourish! 🙂
Tiffany Sullivan, APA Music Director