Helping a Child Embrace Music

As an adult you know how important it is for a child to appreciate music. If you played an instrument as a child, you likely know it can be challenging and frustrating, but it is well worth the time and you appreciate it now that you are older. Convincing a child of this is no easy task, though. You can tell them all the stories you want about how you practiced when you were a child and how happy you are now that you have a particular musical skill, but it is unlikely they will appreciate the lesson all that much. The key to getting them to love music and to commit to learning to play an instrument is to make things fun and give them some of the control. Children like to feel as if they have some control over their lives, so while you ultimately make the decisions about things, you can still give them a say and let them contribute to decisions about their life. Start a music endeavor with a space dedicated to learning. In addition to the piano bench, sheet music cabinet and other furniture; let your child add a few trinkets of their own. This makes things personal and they are happier spending time in a space they can claim ownership of. Piano benches are just the start of a great, child-friendly music room.

In addition to adding personal items to the room, let them make a few major decisions about the practice space or practice in general. For instance, if you are completely remodeling a room to dedicate to practice, let your child choose the color of the paint or the type of flooring they want. It might seem like a major decision, but if it motivates them to practice, it will be worth it. They could also decide when to practice or what rewards occur after practice. If your child needs to practice five hours per week, let them choose when these five hours will occur, as long as they are complete by the end of the week. You can also let them choose dinner on the nights they practice or treat them to a bedtime fifteen minutes later than usual on practice days.

One of the best ways to help your child appreciate music is to keep the lessons fun. Instead of sending your child off to practice alone, use the time to share with them. Read a book in the music room while they practice. Find things to laugh about during practice and make it an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Though it might be challenging, try not to push too hard. You want your child to succeed and do well, but if you push too hard, you will end up discouraging them. Try not to let them quit, even when they get discouraged, but recognize when a break might be needed. If things are not going well, let them take a week away from the instrument and see how enthusiastic they are to return.

Finally, let them be free to cultivate an interest in music on their own. Try as you might, it might not be in the cards for your child to play an instrument. If they find a love of music somewhere else, let your original goals go. The important thing is for music to be a part of their life, no matter what form it takes.

Author Bio: Ellie Lewis researched purchasing piano benches online. She ordered a piano bench online for her music room.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: piano benches,piano bench,sheet music cabinet

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