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Making Music at Home (why just taking lessons does not a musician make..........)


MY CHILD ISN'T PROGRESSING (POST HOLIDAY SLUMP)

Post holidays, I heard from a lot of parents (both of my students and other educators students) that they were thinking of 'taking a break' because the children were not progressing, or fighting them to practice at home.

My reply, (questions) were always the same.  Did you maintain your usual routine during the holidays? (No)  Did you stay out late, have house guests, excitement over tree decorating, Nutcracker performances, Church Pageant rehearsals (Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes).

Of course they aren't progressing.  Your teacher is hoping to just maintain during changes in home life, whatever the reason.  Please give it the rest of the month and try this routine before you 'take that break' and completely stall your child's (or your own) music progression.

For young musicians, go back to playing each assigned (tabbed) piece of music their age each day.  This means if your musician is five they should play each newly assigned song five times.   Try to fit in at least 4 sit downs with their instrument a week.  All completed songs should now be review and played once at each music making session.

I am happy to say that every parent who came to talk to me January first has now confirmed that we are over the hump and moving forward again.

WHY ISN'T MY CHILD GETTING MORE THAN ONE NEW ASSIGNMENT A WEEK?

This has also been asked of me recently, by a parent of a new piano student  who just went into
the second book of their method series.  

When children first start piano lessons with the educators at Keys & Strings, each page is a fun, short exercise.  They get lots of tabs at the beginning, sometimes up to ten a lesson in their lesson book.  Then gradually dwindling down to four or less.  The lesson book is for learning, the performance book is more challenging music for perfecting and performing.  

When they graduate to the next level, the songs are not only applying EVERYTHING they learned in the first series, but sometimes adding three or more new ideas per piece.  They probably WILL NOT get four new assignments each week.  They MAY NOT master a piece within one week.  We should be very pleased when they do, but we should NOT EXPECT it, and we SHOULD NOT push for them to get more than one if that is the way their teacher feels they are progressing.  

It takes many years to become a physician.  Let's apply those same principals to our musicians.  

WHAT SHOULD I DO TO HELP MY CHILD SUCCEED IN THEIR INSTRUMENT?

I loved this question.  The concern and love that the parent expressed for wanting to help their child do their best.  Here are some guidelines:

A gentle reminder to go to their instrument

A well lit area in which to see their music

A music stand if they are a string or woodwind student

A proper seat/bench if they are a piano student that is the right height

Lots of love and praise

An offer to contact Ms. Sandie or their educator if they are having confusion

Any parent is free to contact me via email at keysandstringsmusicstudio@gmail.com  with any concerns whether their child studies with me or not.  You can email me a specific question about a piece (let me know which book and song title, and what the issue is) and if I cannot answer it personally I will get the answer from your educator within the next business day. 

WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GOAL!

To help your musician!










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