5-Ways-to-Get-the-Most-Out-of-Music-lessons

5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Music Lessons

These guidelines will help you to have a successful, rewarding experience learning an instrument. These are practical tips that we have discovered from years of teaching and our experiences with teaching hundreds of students each year.

1. STARTING AT THE RIGHT AGE - HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG? Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based on how willing they are to commit to practicing. For children starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. If a child is put into lessons too soon, they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off music just because they had an unpleasant experience which could have been prevented. Sometimes if the child waits a year to start lessons their progress can be much faster. Children who are a little older than the suggested earliest starting age usually do very well.

The following are guidelines we have found to be successful in determining how young a child can start taking music lessons.

3-4 Years Old

If a preschooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group music class will give him a good foundation in music basics which will be helpful in later lessons. At this age, private lessons generally do not work as the child has not yet experienced the formal learning environment of kindergarten or school and learns more effectively through the game-oriented preschool environment. Pacific Conservatory offers KinderARTS for this age group. It's a theme-based, drop-off preschool program that combines music, art and drama. We also offer Music for Little Mozarts - ages 3,4 a first introduction to playing the piano.

Piano/Keyboard

At Pacific Conservatory, the youngest age to start piano lessons is 3 yrs old in our Music for Little Mozarts program. We do not recommend students take private lessons until they are at least 7-8 yrs old. Most of our students begin in the class lessons to build a strong foundation, then add a private lesson after a year or two to work in detail on repertoire and technique. We believe the optimum learning environment is our Comprehensive Musicianship program which is an integrated class and private lesson for late-elementary, intermediate and advanced students. A strong foundation in playing the keyboard will make learning another instrument or taking singing lessons much more successful as the student gets older.

Guitar - Acoustic, Electric and Bass

The youngest a student can begin learning the guitar at Pacific Conservatory is 6 yrs. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingerstips from pressing on the strings. Children under 8 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students are generally 9 yrs old and older. We recommend very young students learn the keyboard as their first instrument; transferring when they are older to another instrument.

Drums

6 years old is the youngest age we accept students in our drum classes. Students have to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals, so the age varies greatly depending on the size of the child.

Voice Lessons

Students ages 5+ may enroll for singing classes at Pacific Conservatory,

Musical Theatre

Students age 4-15 will benefit from our Musical Theatre program. Our teachers understand well the importance of careful vocal training for the young student. Due to the physical nature of voice lessons (proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords and lung capacity), the younger body is generally not yet ready for the rigors of vocal technique. However, the young age is perfect for ear training, pitch matching, developing their listening ability to harmonize with classmates and to enjoy the cameraderie of performing on stage. Our drama teachers help the younger age groups with their lines and often double cast parts so the children fell well-supported. The older age group auditions for parts and is expected to memorize their lines.

Violin

We accept violin studens from the age of 5. It is important to have an instrument of the appropriate size for the young student. Both group and private lessons are available starting at this age.

2. CHOOSE A SCHOOL WHICH OFFERS A CHOICE OF GROUP OR PRIVATE LESSONS FOR BEGINNERS

Different students require different teaching approaches. Some students progress best with the peer interaction and class motivation of a group lesson. Other students prefer the focused concentration of a private one-on-one lesson. When a class student is more advanced it will be necessary to take private lesssons to master the advanced techniques of an instrument or voice with individual attention, but we recommend the student continue the group lesson for theory, ear training, music history, appreciation, composition, etc.

3. TAKE LESSONS IN A PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ENVIRONMENT

Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teacher, but also having an environment that is focused on music education. In a professional school environment a student cannot be distracted by TV, pets, ringing phones, siblings or anything else. With only 30-60 minutes of lesson time per week, a professional school environment can produce better results since the only focus at that time is learning music. Students in a school environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels and by being exposed to a variety of musical instruments. In a music school, the lessons are not just a hobby or sideline for the teacher but a responsibility which is taken very seriously.

4. MAKE PRACTICING EASIER

As with anything, improving in music takes practice. One of the main problems with music lessons is the drudgery of practicing and the fight between parents and students to practice every day. Here are some ways to make practicing easier.

Time

Set the same time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. This works particularly well for children. Generally the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding required by parents to get the child to practice.

Repetition

We use this method quite often when setting practice schedules for beginners. For a young child, 20-30 minutes seems like an eternity. Instead of setting a time frame, you can use repetition. For example, practice this piece 4 times every day, and this scale 5 times a day. The child then does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing, but knows if they are on repetition number 3, they are almost finished.

Rewards

This works very well for both children and adult students. Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after a successful week of practicing. Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. Our school rewards young children for a successful week of pracitic with stars and stickers on their work in addition to our prize boxes. Praise tends to be the most coveted award - there is just no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done. Sometimes we all have a week with little practicing. In that case, there is always next week! One of the advantages of group lessons is the mild peer pressure that comes from announcing to the teacher in front of their classmates their number of practice days.

5. USE RECOGNIZED TEACHING MATERIALS

Pacific Conservatory uses excellent teaching materials developed by professional music educators that are made for students in a variety of situations. For example in piano, there are books for very young beginners, books for teens and books for adult students that have never played before. There are books that can start you at a level you are comfortable with. These materials have been researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning easier. These materials ensure that no important part of learning the instrument can inadvertently be left out. If you ever have to move to a different part of the country, qualified teachers and institutions will recognize the materials and be able to smoothly continue from where the previous teacher left off. Our class piano students use a standardized curriculum which allows students to make up missed classes on different days and be assured they will receive a matching lesson.

Most Importantly...

HAVE FUN!!!!

Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime. So, try not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children to learn too quickly. Everyone learns at a different pace and the key is to be able to enjoy the journey.