What To Know Before Choosing A Music School
These guidelines will help you have a successful and rewarding experience learning an instrument. They are practical tips that we have discovered from years of teaching.
1. Starting at the Right Age
Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based on how willing they are to commit to practicing. We have taught many beginner students in their 20’s, all the way up to students in their 70’s.
For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. Some people will tell you “the sooner the better“, but this attitude can actually backfire and be negative. 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 to music just because they had one 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 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.
Piano Lessons
At our studio, 5 years old is the youngest age that we start children in private piano lessons. At this age they generally have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease. Children should be able to recognize their letters and numbers, and should be able to write them, as well.
Voice Lessons
9 years old is recommended as the youngest age for private vocal lessons, due to the physical nature of the lessons, including proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords, and lung capacity. For children younger than 9 years old, we recommend a trial lesson with the instructor to evaluate their readiness for private lessons. We have had many students younger that 9 years old, that have had great success in voice lessons.
Guitar - Acoustic and Electric, Bass, Mandolin
7 years old is the earliest we recommend for guitar lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under the age of 7, generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable.
2. Insist on Private Lessons when Learning a Specific Instrument
Group classes work well for pre-school music programs, however, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private lessons are far superior. This is because it is hard to miss anything in private lessons, and each student can learn at his or her own pace. This means the teacher does not have to teach a class at a middle of the road level, but has the time to focus 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 studio environment, a student cannot be distracted by television, pets, siblings, or anything else. With only half an hour to one hour of lesson time per week, a professional studio environment can produce better results, since the only focus at that time is learning music. Students in a studio environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels. In a music studio, the lessons are not just a hobby or side-line 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:
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 the 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 number 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. In our school, we reward young children for a successful week of practicing with stars and stickers on their work. 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, but no worries, there's 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, in piano there are books for very young beginners and books for adult students who have never played before. These materials have been researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning easier. They ensure that no important part of learning the instrument is inadvertently 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.
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!
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Northeast Georgia School of Music & Dance 123 Green St. Gainesville, GA 30501
