Posts Tagged musical talents

Music Education for Parents: Why Learning Music in Classrooms Is Essential For Young Musical Talents

It is no big secret that parents are the most important people in the life of a child. Teaching the child music in classrooms or at home makes no difference to the responsibility of parents in mentoring him and supporting him by all means.

You need to awaken his interest and eagerness towards his musical education so that studies become joy and not compulsion. One way to do this is to encourage him to learn music in classrooms and play in groups before an audience.

Everyone, including private music tutors, knows the benefits of playing or singing to an audience. They even organize small gatherings if they have a dozen students or so under their tutelage. But learning music in classrooms is more favorable because the child gets to play in concerts and in group performances. This is actually great for shy children to shed their inhibitions and become more confident.

Music stands on three supports: composers, performers and listeners. If any one is absent, the other two are meaningless. What good is it if a composer creates a marvelous piece, the performer plays it, but there is nobody to listen to it? Will they keep playing to themselves and enjoy?

Just as there cannot be music without a composer and a performer, there cannot be music if there is no audience. It is the audience who value the music created. Learning music in classrooms provides the third support – audience.

If your child strives that extra bit for perfecting how to play his musical instrument in order to draw acclaim from the audience, what can be better? You as parents might have also dreamed that your child will be able to play in front of friends and family and make you proud. This is the amazing power of listeners.

Who do you think your child needs to realize the power of his musical talents? A music teacher? No doubt he is needed. But he meets the child hardly twice or thrice a week. So who is it that boosts the confidence of the child 24×7?

You, dear parents!

Your child needs you to praise him, support him in his every effort, and listen to him practice after learning a new piece of music in classrooms…

The important thing you need to remember is: ignore each one of his mistakes, no matter what! Just speak positive things. If you do this simple job, dear parents, you will create a music genius out of your child even if his abilities were average at the start of his musical education.

Tags: , , , ,

Music Education for Parents: The Importance of Music Teacher Education

Is your child interested in learning a musical instrument? That’s great! It’s now time to find a music teacher for him who will be his guiding force throughout his musical learning. But, you should ensure that the teacher has had a sound music teacher education so that you are assured of professional and understanding care.

If you don’t know the basic criteria for searching for the most suitable music teacher for your child, it will just come down to your luck. And should you trust your luck especially when it comes to your child and his entire future?

To give your child the opportunity to explore his musical talents to the best of his ability, I suggest you to hire a teacher from acclaimed music teacher education programs.

Children are no doubt excited with their music lessons at the beginning of their education due to innate curiosity and eagerness. Their music teacher, whoever he is, however does not remain so kind and patient forever. He soon comes out of the “child’s shoes” and expects responsible and diligent practice from the child for at least half an hour every day.

Restless children especially find it difficult to follow the stricter regime. As the music teacher starts using “professional” language rather than kid language, the children start losing focus and get more restless. Here is where the exceptional music teachers stand apart from the average ones. They will think from the perspective of the children and modify their teaching accordingly. Children are brilliant imaginers and this is what needs to be tapped to teach them correct reading of musical notes, correct movements, sounding, etc.

Music teacher education trains teachers in how to sustain the child’s interest in musical learning. Else if you let your child train under average teachers, you will soon see your child just “serve his time” at the lessons and homework and lose the whole point of learning music.

If music teachers continue their strict ways of handling music lessons, the child loses interest, which is the lifeblood of learning. Once a favorite of the child, the teacher will now be seen as a monster that keeps reprimanding him for laziness and inattention. Parents too will start pestering and forcing the child to practice more. But remember, dear parents, force will only lead your child to depression.

How do you make out if your child is losing interest in learning music? Simple – just look into his eyes and see if the spark is still there. Recall the spark that was in his eyes on the first day of his music lessons. Is it still the same?

If the teacher you choose for your child puts his music teacher education to good use, he will know the psychology of children at every stage of music learning, and will be in charge of the situation!

Tags: , , , ,

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: , , , ,