Keys & Strings Music Studio

Encouraging Your Child to Practice Their Instrument: A Parent's Guide As parents, we want the best for our children. We want them to excel in academics, sports, and extracurricular activities. One such activity that holds immense value is learning to play a musical instrument. Whether it's the piano, guitar, violin, or any other instrument, the benefits of musical education are plentiful. However, getting your child to practice their instrument consistently can sometimes feel like a challenge. In this blog post, we'll explore some effective strategies to encourage your child to practice their instrument with enthusiasm and dedication. 1. **Set Clear Goals**: Help your child set achievable short-term and long-term goals related to their musical journey. These goals could include mastering a particular piece, improving technical skills, or participating in a recital. Having clear objectives gives your child something to strive for and helps them stay motivated. 2. **Create a ...

What should your smart move be this week? Sign the kids up for music lessons! A study of older adults has found that years of childhood music lessons could pay serious dividends later on my fending off age-related cognitive decline.

Don't think of it as "practicing." Think of it as "spending time with the instrument." There are sort of two ways of "practicing": the wrong way and the right way. The wrong way is sort of watching the clock and sawing away for a certain number of minutes. The right way is to forget the clock and actually PLAY the instrument with intense focus. You should never "practice" for more than 20 minutes at a stretch. If you can do two, three, or more such "practice" sessions a day, you will get good at playing the instrument. But never underestimate the value of "practicing" even just for 10 minutes. If you're really listening, your muscles and musicianship will benefit. Having even a general idea of both short-term and long-term goals is helpful. Keep track of what you're doing, and certainly what is required from the teacher every week (if you have a teacher). One of the best books you can get on this is Barry Green...