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Your child begs you to let her learn the piano/organ/drums etc. You spend money in purchasing the musical instrument and paying for lessons. Then they seem to lose interest and getting them to practice music becomes just another thing you have to nag about, just like homework or cleaning up the room. If you face difficulty getting your child to practice music, know that you are not alone.
So how do you motivate your child to practice music? We hope this guest post on the strategies to encourage children to practice music will help you handle your child's music lessons with smiles, not frustration.
This guest post was contributed by Airina Lee from The Music Factory, Damansara Jaya.
HOW TO MOTIVATE YOUR CHILD TO PRACTICE MUSIC
Explaining And Rewarding
Help your child understand 'why' they need to practice. Don't just ask them to practice. You need to explain to them that practice makes perfect. When we practice we are 'reprogramming' our brain to achieve greater things, over and over again. A reward chart would also be helpful.
Increase Exposure
To encourage and motivate children to fall in love with the musical instrument they have chosen, you should routinely bring them to performing arts shows such as those held by the KLPAC, DPAC, or the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
For a child to love practicing he must first learn how to love the music itself. It is important to nurture an environment for the child in which the kind of music that he is learning is near-at-hand all the time, whether it is listening to CDs in the car or inviting him to watch a YouTube video at home.
Create a performing experience for him at home. For example, you can invite your child to play a song during a birthday occasion or family festive gatherings.
Turn It Into An 'Objective-oriented' Practice
Many times parent would reward a child for practicing a certain set time duration. This would in fact turn practicing into an enduring affair, just to achieve the reward at the end. Turn it into to a realistic, 'objective-oriented' affair instead. For instance a child will be rewarded if he completes 8 bars of the music, regardless of how much time was needed. In this way, your child will be motivate to learn the music rather than think of how long he has to practice just to obtain the reward you promised.
Make It A Routine And Guide Your Child
Sit down to practice with your child if you need to. A child's music books that teachers use in class are usually designed in a way where parents are able to guide them at home. You are encouraged to make a difference by understanding what he is learning, learning together with him and fuel the interest in your child.
Many times a child comes to music lessons filled with curiosity and enthusiasm, but after a few months we see interests fading. They become discouraged and think that what they are learning 'is too hard' and they will 'never be able to play that way'.
Not every child is born a prodigy, it takes practice and effort (on both sides of the equation - parent and child) to lead to a rewarding musical journey.
We hope you will embark on a sweet musical journey with your child and wish you success in getting your child to practice music.
Thank you to Teacher Airina Lee and The Music Factory for these practical tips for parents.Located at Damansara Jaya, The Music Factory offers piano, violin, vocal, guitar and drum classes for all ages.
You can call Teacher Airina at 012 233 5055 to arrange for a free trial music class for your child.
