One of the words that I (and my co-educators) find ourselves using more and more is patient. Be patient we say to our students who want to move on to a new song before they are ready. It's a hard process, to learn an instrument and techniques in a song...............moving on before we have accomplished our current goals will prove for frustration later.
Play it again! And AGAIN! Response we hear most often? I just played it. Repetition is the key to learning any new skill. A practice routine of redoing sections will help 'learn' the challenging sections quicker. BE PATIENT!
In today's society, with Google, texting and Wikipedia we have learned instant information. Why spend time looking at a dictionary or an encyclopedia (what's that?) when we can get the information with a few clicks? Why walk over to a friends house or even to the kitchen when we can text to find out what the homework assignment was, or what's for dinner?
When will my child sound like you ( or their educator) on their piano, violin, voice, viola, cello. First of all, that question I find very disrespectful. Yet I have always answered it pleasantly. We must be patient. I in my learning years (starting at age 4) began just as they did, several small songs, playing repetitively. Gradually adding exercises and etudes. By the time I was in high school I was playing close to 8 hours a day. On top of making honor roll, working a part time job, and playing in two local orchestras. Not to mention prepping for auditions and filling out college/university applications. Is your child playing their instrument every day?
Research says that you have to do an activity upwards of Ten THOUSAND hours to master it. If your child is only at their instrument of choice 10 minutes a day once a week, well it will take them a very long time to sound like me (or Ms. Joanna, Ms. Doreen or Ms. Stacey) It will take them 60, 000 days OR 164.38 years. Let's be realistic, and build up their endurance to work on a skill that they (hopefully) asked to learn and INSIST that they do 20, 30, 40 or even 60 minutes three or four days a week.
I think parents and students alike need to develop their skills of Patience and Endurance, so that their music making skills will blossom. As well as their study, baking, gardening and waiting for a child to develop in the womb skills to develop too! In one word.......PATIENCE!
Play it again! And AGAIN! Response we hear most often? I just played it. Repetition is the key to learning any new skill. A practice routine of redoing sections will help 'learn' the challenging sections quicker. BE PATIENT!
In today's society, with Google, texting and Wikipedia we have learned instant information. Why spend time looking at a dictionary or an encyclopedia (what's that?) when we can get the information with a few clicks? Why walk over to a friends house or even to the kitchen when we can text to find out what the homework assignment was, or what's for dinner?
When will my child sound like you ( or their educator) on their piano, violin, voice, viola, cello. First of all, that question I find very disrespectful. Yet I have always answered it pleasantly. We must be patient. I in my learning years (starting at age 4) began just as they did, several small songs, playing repetitively. Gradually adding exercises and etudes. By the time I was in high school I was playing close to 8 hours a day. On top of making honor roll, working a part time job, and playing in two local orchestras. Not to mention prepping for auditions and filling out college/university applications. Is your child playing their instrument every day?
Research says that you have to do an activity upwards of Ten THOUSAND hours to master it. If your child is only at their instrument of choice 10 minutes a day once a week, well it will take them a very long time to sound like me (or Ms. Joanna, Ms. Doreen or Ms. Stacey) It will take them 60, 000 days OR 164.38 years. Let's be realistic, and build up their endurance to work on a skill that they (hopefully) asked to learn and INSIST that they do 20, 30, 40 or even 60 minutes three or four days a week.
I think parents and students alike need to develop their skills of Patience and Endurance, so that their music making skills will blossom. As well as their study, baking, gardening and waiting for a child to develop in the womb skills to develop too! In one word.......PATIENCE!
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