Category Archives: Parental Roles in Music Learning

December 31, 2010

Choosing a Music Teacher

By ms-ye

 

Please note:  The following material was taken from http://pianoeducation.org/pnolearn.html#Choosing .

 

Where do you start?

The process of choosing a music teacher is similar to that of choosing a physician, attorney, accountant or other professional. All these professionals provide services tailored to your individual needs; convenience and cost are not the sole deciding factors in their selection. Selecting a music teacher should be no different.

When choosing a music teacher, you should evaluate a prospective teacher’s credentials.

Make an Informed Decision

Before investing in music lessons for yourself or your children, consider the significant role music teachers play in making music study a rewarding and life-enriching experience. Making a careful and informed selection of a music teacher helps to insure that your investment in music lessons yields the highest possible returns.

 Base your selection on compatibility of goals and personalities, a feeling of trust and, most importantly, the qualifications and abilities of the professional to meet your individual needs. In your search for a qualified music teacher, this means:

  • Get recommendations, attend studio recitals and arrange to audit a lesson.
  • Set up interviews with prospective teachers to discuss studio policies, requirements for daily practice and performance opportunities.
  • Ask about short- and long-term objectives, instructional materials and if the teacher uses a particular teaching method.

Talking With Your Piano Teacher

At your initial interview with your prospective teacher, take the time to establish an open door of communication. Read carefully through all copies of the studio policy and other important written information that you may receive from the teacher. If you have any questions, take the time before lessons begin to talk to the teacher about the questions. Once you or your child have started lessons, you should feel free to bring any concerns you may have to the teacher’s attention. We think you’ll find that the overwhelming majority of teachers will be receptive to and appreciative of your concerns.

 As in any interpersonal relationship, there will be times when you may become concerned about your or your child’s progress or just want to talk with the teacher about the overall course of lessons. This is normal and healthy. As long as you approach this with the teacher in a non-confrontational, constructive manner and follow a few basic guidelines, we think you’ll find the experience to be a good one.

 Since it is difficult for both you and the teacher to find the time during a busy day of lessons to talk at any length, it is always best to call the teacher and make an appointment to discuss matters at a mutually convenient time. Think through in advance what matters you want to broach with the teacher. Bring some notes to the interview if they will help you keep on track. You may want to tell the teacher what matters you wish to discuss when you set up the appointment. The teacher can then prepare whatever materials (progress records, grades, etc.) are needed for the talk so that your time is not wasted. Whether you or your child is the student, you’ll find it much easier to communicate about lessons without a child being present.

 At your meeting with the teacher, by all means, try to maintain the conversation on a professional and, as much as possible, dispassionate level. Avoid attacks on the integrity or judgment of the teacher. You can generally trust that the years of teaching experience that your teacher has established are helpful in knowing what is best for the student. Keep in mind that each teacher teaches in his or her own unique way and in response to their perception of the individual needs of their students. A good teacher will approach each and every private student as a unique person and will tailor their lessons according to each student’s abilities, capabilities and aspirations. Try to avoid comparisons between what your child is doing relative to the progress of a friend’s child. To the extent that you have specific concerns, state them as specifically as you can, listen carefully to the teacher’s response, and continue to ask follow-up questions as necessary. Just as you should not try to intimidate the teacher, you should not let the teacher intimidate you from getting answers and/or action regarding your concerns.

 Conversely, a call from the teacher should not be seen as an indictment of you or your child. You should congratulate yourself on your wise choice of teacher when the teacher is committed enough to call you concerning a lack of progress of the student or sharing in the joy of the progress of a good student. Work with such a teacher to resolve problems and to encourage further effort on the part of a student who is doing well.

 Sometimes you or the teacher will find that a certain teaching situation is not working. For example, the parent might want their child to learn 4-5 tunes per week, without much emphasis on technique, theory, and note reading. If the teacher is not comfortable with this goal, then you should simply suggest that a different teacher might work out better for the student. Not all teachers are right for all students and good teachers know and accept this fact of life. There is no need to go through a litany of complaints, admonishments or attacks to “justify” your position. Most teachers will make a concerted effort to help you find a better teaching/learning situation for the student. Sometimes, students just lose interest. There is nothing wrong with calmly telling a teacher that a student is no longer interested in studying; it happens all the time, but communicating this properly will end the teaching relationship on a positive note, without unnecessary rancor.

 Teachers put a lot of time and energy into the student’s lessons. Both you and the teacher want the same thing: to make you or your child’s lessons a positive experience. With just a little effort, the teacher, student and parent triangle can be a very healthy and happy one.

 

( Article taken from:  http://pianoeducation.org/pnolearn.html#Choosing )

 

Leave a comment | posted in Choosing a Music Teacher, Parental Roles in Music Learning

December 31, 2010

My Kid Wants to Quit Piano!?!?

By ms-ye

 

Please note:  The following material was taken from http://pianoeducation.org/pnotchld.html#Quit%20Piano .

 

It’s very common for kids, usually about the time they reach the secondary school years, to begin to temporarily lose interest in their piano lessons. If they are allowed to quit lessons, they usually regret it in later years. It is possible to get your children through this difficult period without having them make a decision they may later wish they hadn’t made and for which their young age and limited experience ill prepares them. We firmly believe that, while kids say they know what they want at  Sec and JC School levels, they really don’t know exactly what they will be missing by quitting the study of the piano. We have had many adult students who kick themselves for having quit and now realize the folly of their choice made as teenagers.

One thing that often works well in keeping kids in piano lessons is a tit-for-tat agreement to continue lessons in exchange for some privilege or reward (sometimes known as “positive reinforcement”, sometimes known as a “bribe”!). Such rewards need not be monetary or material. For example, a possible “contract” might be allowing your daughter to get her ears pierced in return for her continuing piano lessons for 3 more years. Similarly, you can reward good lessons and participation in recitals and contests, irrespective of whether your child won.

Many teachers will also help this process by rewarding students with special things.  Whatever reward system you choose, make it clear to your child that this must be a good faith agreement between you, the parents, and your child. Regular practice and attendance at lessons are every bit as important to the child’s fulfillment of the contract as your allowing the privilege. For this to work, the child has to know that if they “welch” on their end of the contract, you will not trust them in similar situations in the future and they will lose those privileges they might otherwise have gained. Such an arrangement not only helps keep your child in piano lessons, but also builds character and responsibility for their future.

Despite your best efforts, your child may refuse to cooperate. Should you force the child to continue lessons? Every situation is individual, so we can’t tell you what to do here. However, in this event, careful consultation with the child’s teacher is called for. The teacher may be able to rebuild interest by changing repertoire, using computer teaching tools, setting up opportunities for playing in groups with other children the same age, or other incentives based on the teacher’s knowledge of your child. Simply allowing the child to quit lessons is usually not the best way to handle a resolutely uncooperative child. Such a decision should only be taken as a last resort and involve extensive consultation with the teacher.

Finally, a word just for you parents: hang in there, it’s worth it! Give yourself a pat on the back that you recognize and are dealing with the issue. Chances are your children will thank you when they get a little older for encouraging them to stay in lessons.

 

( Article is taken from:  http://pianoeducation.org/pnotchld.html#Quit%20Piano )

 

Leave a comment | posted in Frequently Asked Questions, Parental Roles in Music Learning, Piano Learning

December 31, 2010

Suggested Practice Techniques

By ms-ye

 

 

Please note:  The following material was taken from –  http://pianoeducation.org/pnotchld.html#Practice%20Techniques .

 

HOW OFTEN AND HOW LONG SHOULD I PRACTICE?

Practicing needs are different for each student, but a good starting goal is 30 minutes a day. You may wish to split the time up into 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon. As you advance, you may wish to set musical goals for yourself instead of a specific time limit. For example, you might decide to practice one day until you have learned the notes of a piece at a slow tempo. Make the most of your practice time by focusing on the hardest things to play.

You can learn faster and easier if you do a few simple things. These suggestions are not time-consuming and easily carried out if you schedule time for them in your day on a regular basis. The most important thing to remember about practice is that it’s not the amount of time you spend, but how well you use the time that counts. If you practice several hours a day and simply repeat the same mistakes each time through, you have not practiced effectively.

  • Take the time to read your assignment book. The specific assignments and practice suggestions are intended to assist in practice.
  • When practicing, make sure that the environment is free from distractions and noise. Turn off the TV, put the answering machine on, and give yourself a quiet environment to work.
  • Make sure the music is legible and well-lit.
  • Set aside a specific time each day for your work at the piano and stick to the schedule. If you are a morning person, practice in the morning. Avoiding or delaying getting to the piano will just make you run out of time.
  • Unlike studying for tests or exams, piano practice cannot be crammed in at the last minute or day before the lesson. Plan the time to do practice every day.
  • Don’t try to learn a piece all at once; take it in sections and practice a section until you can do it without mistakes three times through. Then move on to the next section.
  • Remember the value of taking a section slowly, making sure that you play all the notes correctly and that you count through difficult sections. Worry about playing to tempo when you have the notes and the rhythm right.
  • A very valuable way of knowing whether you’ve learned a piece is to learn it well enough that you can play either hand independently starting at any place in the music. When you can do that, you can begin to work on being musical with the piece.
  • Learning a new piece of music is hard work. Reward yourself after a good practice session by playing a familiar and favorite work just for the fun of it. Think of this as the dessert after meal.
  • Above all, don’t simply repeat mistakes. Use practice to work out mistakes, not to reinforce them by continually repeating them. When you repeat mistakes, they are just that much more difficult to get rid of later.
  • Take the suggestions from your teacher seriously. After long years of training and teaching experience, chances are your teacher’s suggestions will prove successful, if followed.
  • If possible, participate in concerts and recitals at your teacher’s studio, even if only to audit. So much can be learned by performing yourself and listening to others perform.
  • Attend as many recitals and concerts as possible. Given the large number of musical organizations sponsoring concerts there is ample opportunity to hear music. The more music that you hear, the more of an idea of the musical concepts you can get.
  • Read biographies of composers, performing artists and conductors. Also, rent movies that are related to the lives of musicians. There are so many wonderful movies and books readily available, that really no one has the excuse not to know more about the composers, their lives and music. If you can’t find the time to read books, classical CD’s and records usually have useful and interesting information about the composer, the musical structure and ideas expressed, and the performers in the recording.
  • Obtain a musical dictionary. The dictionary will give the meaning of the Italian terms (for example, Allegro vivace or Molto espressivo) which are used in the score to indicate how the piece of music should be played and how it should sound. You’ll find your playing of the music will improve faster if you understand how the composer meant the music to sound in the first place.

      

Article taken from:

–  http://pianoeducation.org/pnotchld.html#Practice%20Techniques

 

Leave a comment | posted in Adult Piano Learning, Frequently Asked Questions, How to Practise, Parental Roles in Music Learning, Piano Learning

December 31, 2010

How to Help Your Child Practice at Home

By ms-ye

 

Please note:  The following material was written by Martha Beth Lewis, Ph.D.

 

The most important part of music study takes place at home, not at the lesson. At home, the student tries out new ideas, plays his assignment as specified, and has fun experimenting.

Note: I am going to use practice here because it’s a more efficient way to write, but at home you’ll be very well served if you call it play piano. Practice is has such an ominous sound!

What Practice Is

Knowing what practice is and why it’s valuable will assist you in helping your child make the most of his time at the instrument. It also will guide you in dealing with the resistance that will happen on occasion, even with the most dedicated child.

Research shows that maximum retention occurs if repetition–that is, practice–takes place within 24 hours or less. The retention rate is approximately 90%. If repetition does not occur until 48 hours later (skip a day of practice), the retention drops off drastically, as the graph is a curve rather than a straight line. By 72 hours (skip two days), retention is virtually zero. (Material that is already learned is retained longer, of course. I speak here of new material, such as a new piece or a new section of piece begun previously.)

Your child will be very frustrated with his inability to carry out the lesson assignment at home the longer he waits between practice sessions. Therefore, daily practice will net your child the most progress for his effort and will keep frustration to a minimum.

Practicing seven days a week is not realistic for every student or every family, however. The student might like “a day off.” If he practices six days a week, his tasks will be well-reinforced and one 48-hour gap will not affect his overall retention significantly. (The day after or before the lesson is never a good choice for the vacation day.)

Home practice is also a time to experiment. After he completes his assignment, encourage your child to explore. Perhaps he can pick out a tune by ear, play a song he already knows but in a different way, or make up his own song. Playing an old song or two is fun; this is also a good way to reinforce your child’s progress and point out that his efforts are bearing fruit: “Do you remember back at Christmas when this song was so hard for you?” Looking ahead in his materials is another productive activity: your child can see how much of the upcoming material he already knows and can challenge himself to figure out some of the rest.

Finally, home practice is a time for the family to participate in the child’s music study. This can take the form of “family concerts” after dinner, playing duets with another family member, or participating in the games the teacher assigns (to drill on note-reading or counting).

Your child’s teacher will have recommendations to make home practice successful, so be sure to follow them. Here are some other ideas you might want to try.

The Secret Weapon

Important: The main reason children want to quit piano study is that the parent assumes the child can carry out the assignment by herself and she can’t. Frustration, confusion, and despair set in. Who’d want to prolong a situation like this? Certainly not a child! A child has virtually no inkling of what will happen a long time from now, much less deferred gratification! All he knows is that right this moment he’s unhappy!

Don’t expect the child to practice her own! (Learning how to practice is a different skill altogether from actually playing the instrument.) Be directly involved. On the bench, if the child is young.

You will never regret this investment of time you make. No parent ever sent his child off to college thinking, “I wish I had spent less time with my son.”

The secret weapon is you and your direct involvement in your child’s home practice!

Help with the Lesson Assignment

Your child’s teacher will let you know exactly what you need to do to assist actively in home practice. The teacher may ask you to watch the student’s hand position as he plays to make sure he maintains the correct one or he may ask you to count out loud for your child. A youngster may have card games or board games or other fun activities to carry out at home with a partner.

Children respond best to a lesson assignment that is very specific (“play lines 3 and 4, hands together, 4 times) rather than general (“work on this). Your child will then pay attention to carrying out the assignment rather than focusing on a specified number of minutes spent at the piano (“clock-watching”). This kind of practice plan allows you to divide home practice into several segments, if necessary. The child also sees precisely what he still has to accomplish and will know when he is finished.

With young children, you may have to be involved directly for the entire practice session at first. Even after some months of study, your help may be needed for most of the practice time. Do not expect your child to carry out his practice entirely by himself until he is about 10 years old. (Yes, piano study is a significant commitment for the family!) With children under that age, plan to sit in the room with the child, even if you are not on the bench with him.

Many children (up through pri 6) like to have a parent keep them company while they practice. Even if the child doesn’t need your sustained participation, he may crave your presence because he’s lonely in the piano room all by himself. Don’t imply by words or body language that you’d rather be (or “should be”) somewhere else. That attitude is an eloquent negative. Use your “keeping company time” to read for pleasure, catch up on professional reading, balance the checkbook, or simply relax and enjoy your child’s accomplishments. Keep suggestions or criticism to yourself, however, unless the child asks for your help. The teacher will work with your child to correct errors. After your child has left home, I promise you will look back on any time you invest in this way and feel that it was more than amply rewarded. Your child will have fond memories, too. And remember that parental involvement and commitment are vital to the child’s continued interest.

Note: At some point, your child will inform you that you are no longer needed. Ask if your daughter would like you to sit in the room while she practices. Even if she answers yes initially, soon she will inform you that she’d rather be by herself. This change is almost instantaeous when the child enters sec sch and finds that she childish ways are not cool – – peers are great agents of change – – and, as you know, sometimes not to the good – – but that’s another topic!

At any rate, the child will let you when you should scale back the amount of direct involvement in home study.

Divide Practice Time

With today’s busy families, it often works well to divide practice session into two or more segments, particularly with a young child who is still developing his attention span. Two 15-minute practices–or even three 10-minute sessions–can be more productive than one 30-minute sitting. Divide the material for variety, too. For example, if there are two songs, two games, and a technique exercise, work at one song the first time and the other song at the second practice time, playing a game each session and working on half the technical material.

At Home Immediately After the Lessons

If students (adults as well as children!) did the following after each lesson, they would find their progress really accelerating.

After you return home, sit down with your child and play through his lesson assignment one time. This should consume 10 minutes at most. For each part of the assignment, ask your child to describe what he is supposed to do and why and then have him play it for you. This will acquaint you with what you should be hearing and how you should be hearing it, and your child will know that you are aware of precisely what the teacher has requested Should there be questions, call the teacher right away for clarification rather than let the child ignore an element of his assignment all week (or worse: do it incorrectly and later have to un-learn!).

Your child reaps several things from this post-lesson review. It is a tangible reminder that you support his efforts and are vitally interested in the content of what he is doing. Another benefit is that the immediate repetition of the assigned material ensures almost 100% retention of what the teacher said at the lesson.

If you like, count this session as a day’s practice, so your child may have “a day off” another time later in the week.

Ideally, both Mother and Father sit down with the child to preview the upcoming week’s activities, but in the real world a consistent commitment from one parent is sufficient. It doesn’t have to be the same parent each time, either.

But remember: you need to be directly involved on the bench with your child. (Until the child tells you with no prompting that he prefers to do it himself.)

A Consistent Practice Time

Most students benefit from a consistent piano practice time. Adults find a routine helps them shoehorn in all they must do; children draw security from routine.

I tell all my students that schoolwork is first priority. If there is a large assignment that evening, there may be no time for practice because schoolwork is most important. After schoolwork comes piano playing, however. When that is complete, then there’s time to play outside, use the telephone, watch TV, or whatever else they’d like to do. It’s important that children know that piano study falls right under schoolwork in the day’s hierarchy. They should understand that some days their homework load and their piano time may preclude most or all of their playtime. Not every day, surely, but sometimes. They should understand and accept this before study begins.

Of course, children may “unwind” by having a snack or changing clothes, but right after that, it’s time to hit the books. No getting sidetracked with a magazine or playing with a friend.

Discuss with your child’s teacher whether this might be a useful philosophy for your family.

At-Home Quiet Zone

It goes without saying that other family members should not be in the piano room during practice time. Nor should they be causing a racket elsewhere in the house. Not only is the noise itself distracting, but your child’s curiosity will be piqued by the possibility that something interesting is going on elsewhere and he will be distracted and restless. Most families find that practice time for one child is a perfect homework time (or story time) for another.

Reminders

Occasionally you may have to remind your child to practice. No matter his level of interest in music study, he is only human and some days he will want to do something else first or skip practice altogether. A regular practice time and at-home quiet zone helps, as does an obvious interest and commitment from the parent(s). Remember that young children can’t be expected to practice on their own.

If you constantly experience trouble inducing your child to practice (tantrums, tears, shouting), something is wrong. Your child may not have thought out the time and effort necessary for learning to play a musical instrument. Or he may have changed his mind when he discovered it’s not like TV: with piano study he is a participant; with TV he is only a spectator. Another possibility is that he has some other problem which is preventing him from feeling his effort is producing a worthwhile result (a sibling is being a pest during practice time, the other parent is making disparaging remarks about piano study). Consult the teacher. If this does not ameliorate the problem, consider changing teachers, changing instruments, or looking to another of the fine arts (dance, theater, painting, etc.).

Piano study isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it. But it is so satisfying!

Everybody–including children–needs to practice efficiently. When you do this, you feel doubly proud of your effort expended.

First and foremost, -have a goal- for each piece of your assignment for each session. If you have a goal you can evaluate whether or not you reached it. If you don’t reach it, your goal was too large. Your goal wouldn’t be “play the Beethoven sonata better,” it would be “fix fingering in measure 18.”

Second, go to the piano -ready- to practice. Don’t go when you’ve just had a disagreement with your spouse/parents and are still physically/emotionally upset about the altercation. Go when you’re prepared to pay attention to what you’re doing. Don’t go when you’re absolutely brain-dead or physically exhausted. Bring some energy to the piano–or simply go and dabble with something not on your assignment list: something that relaxes you. Your goal for such a session is not meeting a goal!

Third, work in an organized fashion. The rocket scientist says, “Plan the work and work the plan.” Here’s the plan I often suggest to my students: devote 10% of the practice time to technique (Hanon, Czerny), 10% to keyboard harmony (scales, arpeggios), 10% to sight-reading, 60% to literature, and 10% to fun (playing by ear, playing old stuff, poking around for new stuff). Of course, this division is flexible. You may need to spend extra time learning a new scale or more time on literature if a performance is on the horizon. But don’t leave out the fun! That’s the main reason you’re doing this!!

Fourth, if you have an inefficient day, don’t sweat it. Re-focus and try again tomorrow!

 

( Article taken from:  http://www.serve.com/marbeth/helping_kids_practice.html )

 

Copyright 2011, Martha Beth Lewis, Ph.D.  Used with permission.   marthabeth.com  Please contact her for permission to reproduce this material for your students or your site.  This material is   her property and may not be used without permission.  Thank you for honoring copyright.

Leave a comment | posted in Frequently Asked Questions, How to Practise, Parental Roles in Music Learning, Piano Learning

December 31, 2010

How Parents Can Help the Teacher

By ms-ye

 

Please note:  The following material was written by Martha Beth Lewis, Ph.D.

 

When your child begins lessons, the child does the piano-playing, but -you- make a commitment of time, energy, and money. Here are some tips which will help you realize the greatest reward from your investment.

Find the Best Teacher You Can

Obviously, this is the first step!

Don’t forget the lesson!

Your child needs contact with and input from the teacher on a regular basis. Put the lesson on your calendar every week. If a holiday or something else intervenes that makes it “feel like today’s not Tuesday,” your calendar will remind you that it is. If your child has a calendar, help him enter lesson

Have a piano.

Unless the teacher says it’s perfectly ok for the child to have a digital piano or an electronic keyboard at home indefinitely, make a real piano available to your child as soon as possible. You want your child to play the piano, yes? A digital piano and an electronic keyboard are different animals. True, all have keyboards (accordions and carillons also have keyboards!), but the touch is very different and the ability to do certain pianists techniques is different on them all (and not possible on some!).

A digital piano is expensive, so it should -not- be considered a half-way stop. An electronic keyboard (usually with 66 keys instead of 88), also called a synthesizer or synth, is far less expensive, and most teachers will say it’s ok for starting lessons. (To my beginners, I say 6 months, maximum. The synth is great to take to the mountain cabin or to Grandma’s house, whether you go over the river and through the woods or not!)

If you aren’t ready to buy an instrument, rent one.

Maintain the piano.

Twice a year, your piano should be “given a tune up.” Literally. Your piano will need tuning twice a year. Actually it will need tuning more than that – – usually at each season change – – but most parents cannot afford piano service this often!

You may not think that your piano needs tuning, but it does. You’re just “used to” how it sounds.

Your piano may need other maintenance, too. You wouldn’t drive a car 100,000 miles without a tune-up, but some people think nothing of letting a piano go 5 years without service! The longer you let a piano go, the harder it is to get it “running correctly,” and thus the more expensive it is to bring it back to proper working order.

Likewise, you wouldn’t ignore it if your child’s computer produced a K every time she pressed the E key!

Don’t make your child “fight” the instrument in addition to learning how to play it!

Make practice a regular activity.

Your child will need your assistance with time management, especially a young child or a beginner (or both!). Help him make piano playing (I prefer this term to “piano practice,” which smacks of drudgery) a regular part of every day. Choose a time of day and make it a routine activity; select a time for weekend days, too. Split piano time in two part if needed (before school and after), which is particularly good for young ones (pre-school through pri 2).

Make sure the home is conducive to piano playing when the time comes. This is a great time for siblings to do homework. This way, the musician is assured that “something cool” isn’t going on elsewhere in the house and he is missing out while at the piano.

Carry out the assignment the teacher has given you.

This may be on-the-bench time with your child, or it may be playing music games, listening to weekly “recitals,” and so on. It also may be keeping-company time while your child plays; you read, balance the checkbook, etc. (Don’t offer suggestions or point out errors unless your child asks for your input. These activities are the teacher’s domain and why you hired him!)

Check in with your child after the lesson. What did the teacher say? What went well? What needs more work (rather than “did not go well”)? Celebrate successes with “family parties.” Did the lesson go especially well? Let the child choose the dinner menu for the next night or get two servings of dessert on lesson night.

Ask the teacher what else you can do.

Teachers will be delighted to know your interest in the child’s musical education extends so far that you want to know what else you can do to further it! There may be nothing, but if you ask there may be something more than you are currently doing.

Note: The teacher also may ask you to distance yourself, especially from a student of several years’ study. Be prepared for this, too. For example, as noted above, if you are calling out corrections from your home office as the child practices in the living room, this is probably detrimental, even though you mean it to be useful and are doing it out of love.

Note:  Lessons are at 45 min or an hr a week, parental roles are very important!!

 

( Article taken from:  http://www.serve.com/marbeth/help_teacher.html )

 

Copyright 2011, Martha Beth Lewis, Ph.D.  Used with permission.   marthabeth.com  Please contact her for permission to reproduce this material for your students or your site.  This material is   her property and may not be used without permission.  Thank you for honoring copyright.

Leave a comment | posted in Frequently Asked Questions, Parental Roles in Music Learning, Piano Learning

December 31, 2010

Parental Roles

By ms-ye

 

Please note:  The following material was taken from –      http://pianoeducation.org/pnotchld.html#Parent .

 

Many successful musicians regard their parents’ influence and inspiration as the most important in sparking their own interest in serious music. Whether or not your child makes a career of music, your efforts in bringing the world of music to your child will make his or her life fuller and happier. You can help your child learn faster and enjoy lessons more by doing a few simple things:

  • Become Involved With Your Child’s Piano Training. Discuss with your teacher the kind and degree of involvement which makes the best sense for your child. Should you attend lessons and, if so, how often? Should you supervise or coach practice sessions and, if so, how should you go about that? Communicate often with your child’s teacher to monitor progress and learn what you can do to be helpful to the learning process.
  • Encourage Your Child As Much As Possible. Be sure to praise effort as well as accomplishment. Even if your child does not learn as fast as another, in the long run, hard work will determine the final result. There is no better way to bring about the hard work than to reward the effort. Try to express interest in what your child is doing, even if you are getting tired of hearing “Chopsticks”. Encourage your child in every way possible to perform for family and friends in relaxed settings.
  • Avoid Negative Criticism. Most of us respond better to thoughtful, loving help than undirected criticism. If your child seems uncooperative, it may mean that they need more help, encouragement, and support. Punishment is usually not a long-term solution.
  • Make Sure Your Child Knows That You Consider Music a Serious Commitment. Schedule piano practice time for your child just as regularly as you do Little League or soccer practice. See to it that practice sessions are as free as possible from distractions. If the piano is in the living room, try to limit access to the living room during your child’s allotted practice time. If your child has not practiced for some reason, do not cancel lessons. If you find the child’s interest in lessons waning, the best thing to do it to discuss the problem with your child’s teacher; often, this can be solved with proper stimulation and supervision by you and the teacher working together.
  • Provide As Much Cultural Enrichment As Possible. The experience of listening to music without the pressure of having to play the notes correctly can add greatly to your child’s appreciation for music generally and lessons in particular. Go to concerts with your children whenever possible. Introduce your children to the works of the masters by playing the music in your home. These days, computer technology, especially the advent of CD-ROM disks, has made it possible to explore great music in a way that is fun for the entire family. If you have a CD-ROM drive equipped computer, try any of several different CD-ROM’s of this type.

Taking an Active Role in Your Child’s Piano Training

It is important to choose a teacher who can not only teach your child how to play the piano, but provide musical enrichment experiences like performance opportunities (home concerts, recitals, and competitions), encourage access to professional music concerts, and develop an overall appreciation of and interest in serious music. What may not be so apparent to parents and students is that these extra activities represent a major commitment of largely unreimbursed and uncompensated time and money for the teachers who make them possible. This fact of life is especially noteworthy in light of the fact that only a small fraction of teachers make them available at all, precisely because of the time and financial burdens required to bring them about. Thus, the task of bringing these activities into being falls disproportionately on a few active and committed teachers. Even if your child’s teacher doesn’t actively support such enrichment experiences, your child benefits from the efforts of other teachers and volunteers who do the extra work to put on a competition or recital.

You can have a major impact on the quality of the music education your child and other children receive by volunteering your time and/or contributing money or goods to support such enrichment activities. Volunteering can take only a few hours of your time a year, but can be of tremendous help to already overburdened teachers who run such events. Such volunteer service generally requires no special training, but can be critical in producing the best possible experience for your child. It can also be a lot of fun for you!

For example, by volunteering to provide and handle refreshments offered to students at competitions, you can not only make the competition more fun and enjoyable for your child and other children, but take some of the load from the teachers who must run the competition itself. You can also serve as a monitor, receptionist, or usher for the competition. When your or another teacher mounts a studio outing to the symphony or other performance, offer to drive and chaperone a car full of kids. You’ll get to see the glow in the kids’ eyes as they experience their first professional performance. If your teacher does recitals or home concerts, you can lift a major burden from the teacher by offering to organize refreshments or a bring-a-dish dinner after the recital. If your time is limited, we can say without fear of contradiction that monetary contributions to your local music teachers organization will be greatly appreciated and well-used to enrich your child’s musical training.

These are just a few of the ways you can help. Getting involved is easy. Just talk with your teacher about how you can help in the studio’s activities or call the local music teachers organization to volunteer. Your piano teacher should be able to give you the phone number of a contact person there, as well. If these kinds of activities aren’t readily available locally, talk with your teacher about the possibility of starting them with your help. If they are available and your teacher doesn’t participate in them, encourage the teacher to participate and to volunteer as well. We think you’ll find that you’ll enjoy helping to better music education for all the students in your area.

 

Article taken from:

–      http://pianoeducation.org/pnotchld.html#Parent         

 

Leave a comment | posted in Parental Roles in Music Learning, Piano Learning

December 31, 2010

Some Common Misconceptions About Piano Lessons

By ms-ye

 

Please note:  The following material was taken from  http://pianoeducation.org/pnolsmis.html .

 

Starting Lessons

“You only need lessons if you want to play the classics.”

Learning piano is a lot more than just being able to “plunk out” a few tunes. If you’re going to carry any skills over to other music, no matter the type, you’ll need to learn how to:  read music, adopt basic posture and technique, follow melodic and harmonic lines in each hand simultaneously, finger chords, practice properly and much, much more. Most people take lessons to help them learn to play most anything that might come along, not because they are interested in a particular genre. Would you be happy if, after taking lessons, you could only play a few tunes from a given type of music?

“I’m too old (young) to take lessons.”

While it is possible to start children on piano too young to gain maximum benefit from lessons, most children can benefit from lessons at early ages. On one of our Tips for Parents and Students pages, you’ll find some helpful hints about how to measure your child’s physical and mental development to determine if they are ready for lessons. The requirements are very easy to meet for most kids. Older students have some considerable advantages over children in terms of both focus and motivation, even if they have lost some of the flexibility that characterized their younger years. So long as an older student has the time and desire to learn, he can start at just about any age.

“It’s okay to start lessons without making a commitment to them.”

Many people don’t realize that lessons undertaken without commitment almost always lead to failure. Lessons take real time and involvement on the part of teachers, students and parents. A new student should assume that, to be successful, he will have to devote just as much time to practice and lessons as he would give to a school team sport. Just as with a sport, playing piano requires both knowledge and skill. You can get the knowledge by study, but can get the skill only by practice.

“Somehow my children will find time for lessons and practice, even though they are scheduled with activities every day of the week.”

Given the amount of time (not to mention psychological) commitment needed to be successful in learning to play the piano (see above), an overly scheduled child or adult student will find it difficult to be successful learning piano for sheer lack of time. Consider if you really have the time to commit at least an hour per day to effective practice.

Parental Role

“Paying for the lessons is all the piano parent must do.”

Just as parental involvement is important to a child’s success in school, his/her success in piano lessons will require support from the parents. The teacher will provide information, technique and encouragement. However, remember that the teacher only sees the student for 30 to 60 minutes per week, while the parents spend most of the non-school hours with him. If the parents don’t see to it that their children practice and attend lessons regularly, the teacher’s effort will likely be for naught, no matter what her skills as a teacher. Even more helpful to lesson success is regular interest and encouragement of their children from parents. For more specific tips about how you can help your child succeed in lessons, see our Being a Supportive Parent of a Piano Student section of our Tips for Parents and Students pages.

“The teacher must be failing if the child isn’t making progress at an acceptable rate.”

In rare cases, it may be the teacher’s “fault” if your child isn’t progressing. Before you conclude that you need to change teachers though, take a look at whether you and your child have been serious about lessons. Are you practicing correctly and frequently enough? Are you attending all scheduled lessons? Are you rewarding accomplishment at the piano with as much praise as you would accomplishment on the athletic field? Is learning piano a priority or just another part of a busy day?

Taking Lessons

“Playing piano is all about “talent”; you have it or you don’t.”

“Talent” at the piano is real, but, as in so many other areas of human endeavor, greatly overrated. If you are committed to learning piano and are willing to do the regular (i.e. daily) practice that building skill requires, you will learn to play to a considerable degree, irrespective of the level of your “native” talent. As with so many other skills, playing the piano requires hard work and inspiration in about a ten to one (or higher) ratio, respectively.

“My kid should have excellent piano skills in 6 months of lessons.”

Sometimes, parents come into a piano studio having heard the many “play in a day” claims out there. Some can’t understand why their child isn’t ready for a concert tour after 6 months of lessons. Unfortunately, you can’t really learn to play piano using any “play in a day” approach. Often, this approach does more harm than good. You might be able to master a single tune to a small degree, but you won’t have learned much to carry over to the next one.

“It’s my second lesson. I want to play the Maple Leaf Rag”

Many people take lessons because they would like to be able to play some particular work or genre of music. It’s not surprising that they might want to play works that are well beyond their level of training and capability. Keep in mind the fact that you are taking lessons from a teacher because he or she knows more about piano than you do. The teacher probably knows what’s best for your training, especially in the first year. It’s perfectly fine to tell your teacher that you have an interest in some work or works and ask if they could be worked into your lesson program, as feasible. In the end, though, you’re probably best served by following the teacher’s program of training and repertoire.

“I couldn’t come to the lesson (or practice the piano), because I had a (football, baseball, basketball, soccer, track, hockey, lacrosse, etc.) (practice, game)”

Piano teachers hear these statements so often that it’s practically impossible to list all the variations. In the end, they all come down to students and parents placing a higher priority on these alternative activities than on piano. All of us must make decisions everyday about how we will use our time. However, we can hardly hold a school teacher responsible for our failure to learn (and the resulting F grade) if we don’t attend class regularly or do any of the homework. The same is true for piano. The difference is that you’re wasting your own money, not just that of the taxpayers, if you take that view with regard to piano lessons.

“My child has a digital keyboard, so he doesn’t need an acoustic piano.”

Digital keyboards, especially top-of-the-line ones, have become remarkably good at reproducing much of the sound and some of the feel of the acoustic piano. Although individual teachers have their own, often strong, feelings on this subject, it’s fair to say that most feel that a good digital keyboard is fine to start lessons on. Indeed, digital keyboards now outsell acoustic pianos by a substantial margin worldwide and especially in the U.S. That said, no knowledgeable pianist would argue that a digital keyboard is the best way of learning to play the acoustic piano. Probably no later than the end of the first year of lessons, you should plan on getting an acoustic piano. As I have discussed numerous times all over The Piano Education Page, the digital keyboard is best seen as a separate instrument with different capabilities, which, by good fortune, can serve as a stand-in for a short period of time for an acoustic piano. Students should learn how to play both instruments for their own separate qualities and attributes.

Practicing

“”An hour of practice a day” is just a suggestion.”

You can either “practice” or you can practice. Too many people think that, if an hour of practice is required, that a half hour is almost as good and that half hour can be spent watching TV while “practicing.” Real practice requires both mental and physical devotion, in which you don’t simply repeat mistakes, but correct them before proceeding on. One expert pianist I know says that you should practice a problem area until you can do right ten times for every time you do it wrong. It’s not the amount of time you spend, but how well you use the time that counts. If you practice several hours a day and simply repeat the same mistakes each time through, you have not practiced effectively. For some good tips about how to practice effectively, see our article, Suggested Practice Techniques. In passing, allow me to note that failure of the student to practice properly and adequately is the single biggest item that piano teachers note as contributing to the failure of lessons.
 

“I’ll wait to practice until just before the next lesson.”

Piano teachers hear this one often. Imagine what a sports coach would say if his teams took this view. Playing piano is a skill and, as such, must be constantly refined and developed. You simply can’t learn by only practicing just before the lesson.


The Teacher

“Since lessons are paid for, the teacher should give any amount of unpaid time for free.”

Although they wouldn’t work for free themselves, many parents, in particular, think that extra time spent preparing a child for a contest or concert should be given free by the teacher. The average piano teacher probably has in excess of thirty students and each one deserves the best the teacher can give. If you need or want extra time from your teacher, expect to pay for the time.

“The teacher has plenty of free time to give me or my child.”

Some people feel it’s okay not to show up for a lesson and not to give notice, but expect immediate scheduling of a free makeup lesson. Others think that they can use their piano teacher as an unpaid baby sitter by leaving their child unsupervised at the piano studio for an hour or two after the scheduled end of the lesson. People should remember that the teacher teaches more students than just their children. If he/she has to watch over students left past lesson times or has to wait for a student who never arrives, he can’t give full attention to other students. In effect, those who leave their children at the studio past the scheduled end of the lesson are stealing the teacher’s time and attention from the next student.

“My piano teacher must be getting rich, because the hourly lesson rate is higher than my hourly rate.”

Most people don’t consider that they get benefits (health insurance, paid vacation, retirement plan, etc.) for “free” as a part of their compensation package, while most piano teachers must pay for those same benefits out of their hourly fee. Since typical company benefits run anywhere from half the nominal salary to equal the salary (or more), the real (“fully-loaded”) compensation is much higher than the amount people think of as salary. Considered in that light, most teacher’s fees are quite low, especially when you consider that the majority of teachers have degrees and/or other advanced training.
 

It’s Up to You!

I hope that understanding some of the common misconceptions about piano and lessons will help parents and students make the most of their lesson experience, without being burdened by misconceptions and misapprehensions which hold back their progress as pianists. This listing is not all-inclusive. You or your child can be a pianist, if you’re willing to devote time and work to it.

 

( Article taken from: http://pianoeducation.org/pnolsmis.html )

 

Leave a comment | posted in Adult Piano Learning, Frequently Asked Questions, Parental Roles in Music Learning, Piano Learning, Piano Lessons