Posts Tagged formal musical education
When Is the Right Time to Send Your Child to Kids Music Classes?
What is the right age to send my child to kids music classes? This is a frequently asked question by parents when their child is just months old. Some believe that musical education should begin right since birth while others think they should not burden their child with extracurricular activities. So what is the right age?
The advantages of early musical education for children are well known. Music magically stimulates both sides of the brain in children and adults alike. It has been scientifically proven that music education for children helps them become brighter, smarter and more sociable. Your child doesn’t necessarily have to become a great musician to avail of these benefits; just attending kids music classes is enough.
My answer to the question of when to send him to music school or classes is: send him when he himself asks to be sent.
By kids music classes I don’t mean the hundreds of preschool programs for babies. I mean those classes that have high standards of formal musical education.
For your child to be able to develop and display his musical talents, you should know how to create a musical environment that is conducive to music learning. If you are not aware of how to do it, it is high time you visited a music school and talk with the specialists. These creative folks have tons of useful learning material to share.
Having said that, you should understand that although sending your child to kids music classes twice or thrice a week is good, it is not enough. Why? Suppose your newborn listens to human speech twice or thrice a week for 25-30 minutes, do you think it is enough for him to start talking? It is the same with musical learning! In addition to the lessons, your child must listen to music every day and parents must help him increase his database of sound impressions. Help your child’s musical talent blossom by caring for him and providing for all his needs.
But if your child is not yet ready to attend kids music classes, don’t force him. Let him ask on his own. And when he does, act fast! Give him what he needs and encourage him.
What is the age at which children normally become attracted to musical instruments and wish to learn how to play them? It is difficult to answer, because any child’s interest for music depends on the environment you (parents) create for him. It ultimately comes down to how you raise him. But one thing is for sure: greater your child’s musical abilities (which depend only on you!), higher is his quality of life including his results at public school.
Some of you may ask: “What if we are forced to delay our child’s musical education even if he’s ready for it?” The answer is: “If you don’t pluck a ripe fruit from a tree on time, it will just fall to the ground and… be wasted.”
Tags: creative folks, formal musical education, music classes, musical talents, sound impressions
Music Education for Parents: Kids and Music – Who Makes the Choice?
Your child is showing signs of musical talent. Who should make the decision about kids and music lessons, the parent or the child? Most people will say the adult. The child does not know enough to know what is good for them yet.
Actually, there are three different scenarios involving parents, kids and music:
Your child shows interest. His interest and ability is obvious to everyone, both friends and family. This is a perfect scenario with a natural and mutual outcome; the child is simply born to play musical instrument.
Your child informs you they want to sing or play an instrument. Sometimes a parent will pick up on the request the first time and other times the child will ask repeatedly. Children are persistent and if your child is always visiting with the same musical kids then they will embrace these lessons and attend with pleasure.
The parents see their child’s interest. Everyone has a different level of natural musical ability and children are no exception. Kids and music go together naturally. It is easy to prove this if you just turn on the radio. The reaction to the melodies will depend on the age of your child, but even a child to young to walk will start moving to the beat.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the parents who see and hear their child’s desire for a formal musical education but they disapprove the idea of kids and music. They are imposing their own personal opinions on their child. Usually this is because the parent was forced to be involved in a kids and music program as a child and only has bad memories of it.
Kids and music is a natural combination. Why would any parent try to defy nature and separate kids and music? If your child openly expresses the desire to learn music, you should let them. There are a few primary reasons parents deny their child a musical education, here is a brief list of the most common ones:
1. Parents are absolutely clueless about music education because they never took these lessons themselves.
2. The parents were forced to take music lessons when they were young. This is important because the bad memories about kids and music and being forced to do something they hated will not go away. No parent wants to expose their child to something that will be unpleasant.
3. Children change their minds and interests almost daily. Many parents doubt that the child will be studying music for a long time, and the expenses for music are quite costly and immediate. If finances are the only factor between your child and their desired musical education talk to teachers and instructors. In most major cities there are organizations that are willing to help.
4. Parents do not understand the advantages of a musical education and attempt to see some other talents in him, for example, in dancing, art, athletics, etc.
Tags: bad memories, formal musical education, musical ability, musical kids, natural combination