Children have a certain affinity for music. A lot of parents notice their children lip synching to familiar tunes, playing the air guitar, or even banging on the tabletop in time to the beat when their favourite songs are played. As such, a lot of parents think that it's a worthwhile investment to have their young ones learn how to play a musical instrument.
Why enroll your child in a music school
The benefits of playing a musical instrument are plenty, especially for kids. For one, music lessons have been well known to help children boost their academic performance. Learning and understanding musical concepts like beats, scales and rhythms have a crossover effect, especially in math and memory skills.
Apart from honing academic capabilities, music lessons can help little folks improve their coordination and motor skills. On top of that, participating in group lessons allows kids to fine-tune their communication and social skills.
The discipline and patience that a child learns in mastering a musical instrument can be carried over to other disciplines, including schoolwork and sports. And as any seasoned musician will tell you, there's a unique satisfaction in starting out from scratch and becoming a virtuoso. And as children are slowly gaining proficiency in playing a guitar, piano, violin, drums or any other instrument, their confidence also grows.
However, enrolling children in a music class doesn't necessarily mean they'll reap the aforementioned benefits. For them to receive these benefits, they should have a genuine interest in learning to play a musical instrument. Otherwise, they'll only view their music lessons as an added burden on top of their academic and extra-curricular activities. It's also important that the instrument they choose to learn matches their temperament.
Furthermore, you, as a parent, should have the financial capability to purchase the instrument as well as pay for your kid's lessons. And oh, you also have to consider whether you can put up with your child practising playing with an instrument every day at home.
How to choose a music school/instructor
If your child promises commitment and you're fully capable of supporting your child, the next order of business is finding a music school or instructor.
The best place to start is to get recommendations from your friends, relatives, neighbours or even other parents. It's a good idea to make a shortlist of potential instructors/schools to choose from.
In order to narrow down your shortlist, you need to interview each prospective music teacher. You'd like to learn more about his/her qualifications, teaching experience, and the fees involved. You'd also want to know about recital and practice requirements.
It's also a good idea to find a school/instructor that teaches kids various musical styles or genres. On top of that, a good school/instructor deftly blends musical theory with actual practice.
You should set aside time to sit in with the teacher to see how he/she conducts lessons. This will allow you to observe whether the teaching style matches your kid's temperament. If you can attend a recital, you should interview the parents of the teacher/school's students.
Finally, you should be aware of how the teacher/school sets learning milestones for pupils.
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