5 WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF MUSIC & ART LESSONS

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

1. How young is too Young - Starting at the Right Age

Adults can start any instrument, art or foreign language at any time. Their success is based on how willing an adult is to commit to practicing. We teach many students in their 60's and 70's.

For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of the lessons. On one hand, starting with individual lessons early gives a child that is mature enough and interested in music/art great advantage in progress over a child that started 2 years later. Also having lessons 2 times a week (as most European Schools have it as a norm) speeds up progress of a student of any age, especially younger ones. On the other hand if a child is not mature enough and is put into lessons too soon they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and may want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off music just because they had one unpleasant experience, which could have been prevented. Sometimes if the child waits a year to start individual lessons their experience could be more positive. Children who are older then 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, art & language lessons but ultimately you know your child and their interest the best.

2-4 Years Old

If a pre-schooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group preschool class (e.g. Mommy & Me or Pre-school Alternative: Music+Art+Forein Language) will give them a good foundation and basics which will be helpful in later private lessons. At this age, private lessons generally do not work as the child has not yet experienced the formal learning environment of school and learns more effectively through the game oriented preschool environment.

Piano/Keyboard

At our school 4-5 years old is youngest age that we start children in private lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease.

Guitar - Acoustic, Electric and Bass

7 years old is what we recommend for guitar lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under 7 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally start a year or two later.

Voice Lessons

5 years is youngest age for private lessons in which children learn basics of singing, note reading, proper posture, performance & work on easy well known songs (traditional, Disney,...).

10 years old is recommended as the youngest age for more advanced private lessons due to physical nature of such voice lessons including proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords & lung capacity. The younger body is generally not yet ready for the rigors of such vocal technique. We offer also Raising Stars Musical Theater classes from age 6. For children younger then 10 we will soon offer a children.s choir and a pre-school singing program.

Drums

The average age of our youngest student is 7-8. This varies greatly depending on the size of a childe. They should be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals.

Flute, Clarinet & Saxophone

Due to lung capacity (in the case of the saxophone the size of the instrument), we recommend that woodwind beginners are about 8 or older. Recorder lessons are great introduction to woodwind lessons and student can start as young as 5.

Violin

We accept violin students from the age of 4 or 5 depending on maturity of a child.

Trumpet, Trombone

The trumpet requires physical exertion and lung power. About 8-9 is a good time to start the trumpet.

Art Lessons & Foreign Language (Italian, French and soon Spanish)

4 years old and older. Children are naturally inclined to drawing, painting and art projects & easily learn new language.

2. Insist on Private Lessons when Learning a Specific Instrument

Group classes work well for preschool music programs and theory lessons. However, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private lessons are far superior since in private lessons it is hard to miss anything, and each student can learn at their own pace. This means the teacher does not have to teach a class at a middle of the road level, but has the time and focus to work on the individual student.s strengths and weaknesses. For that lesson period, the student is the primary focus of the teacher. The teachers also enjoy this as they do not have to divide their attention between 5 . 10 students at a time and can help the student be the best they can be.

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 is not distracted. With only ½ to one hour 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 environmental 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 side-line for the teacher but a responsibility which is take very seriously. For home lessons please provide quiet environment without any distructions.

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:

a) 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 a day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by parents to get the child to practice.

b) Repetition - We use this method quite often when setting practice schedules for beginners. For a young child 20 or 30 minutes seems like an eternity. Instead of setting a time frame, we 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 their instrument, but knows if they are on repetition 3 they are almost finished.

c) 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. Praise tends to be most coveted award . there just is no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done. Some times we all have a week with little practicing, in that case there is always next week.

5. Use recognized Teaching Materials

There are some excellent materials developed by professional music educators that are made for students in a variety of situations. For example for piano, there are books for very young beginners, 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 a country, qualified teachers and institutions will recognize the materials and be able to smoothly continue from where the previous teacher left off.

Have Fun!!

Music & Arts should be something that you enjoy for 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.