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Learning to sing or play an instrument is a lot of fun, but it’s also a discipline. This means that as your child learns new concepts and develops their inherent abilities, a commitment is necessary to progress. If you’ve been with Let’s Play Music a while, you’ve no doubt heard your teacher say that investing 15 to 20 minutes a day, 5 or 6 days a week is better than hour of sporadic practice. This is because long term memory and skill development advance with consistent effort. Remember all that information in school you crammed before a test? I didn’t think so! Once the novelty of taking music lessons wanes a bit, it’s pretty natural for students to resist practice time. This is because it requires them to focus, and let’s face it: it’s work! Here are some tips we’ve found effective over the years with our own children and students:

TIP #1

Practice space should be located where family activity occurs. It helps if you’re within ear- shot of your child as she practices only to give encouragement, but also because this prevents the child from feeling isolated. If your piano is in the basement, consider this a good time to fold that basket of laundry while she does her scales.

TIP #2

Make a routine out of practice time. Families who are most successful with practicing are those who choose a practice time and stick with it. Many parents find that 15 or 20 minutes before their child gets on the bus works great, others like the after dinner time. We have found this to be true also. If we’re all over the place with enforcing practice, we’re likely to encounter a lot of resistance.

TIP #3

Lastly, have fun with music! Make a game out of it. Little ones like to play teacher and have their parents learn under their direction. This can really fuel interest. Hold regular family concerts; invite grandparents and other extended family or friends over for an evening of music with your child as the featured act. Serve some refreshments and enjoy! Their music shouldn’t exist in a vacuum; it should expand beyond the weekly lesson and the practice regimen. The more opportunity for genuine appreciation students have, the more successful they’ll be on their journey.

1. Place the focus on a fun, encouraging and positive experience with your music lessons.
2.  Make music with others! Group programming brings a fun and social aspect to lessons and greatly enhances skill level.
3. Play styles and genres that interest you. Learning material that you are not passionate about can be boring and discouraging. Be sure to communicate your preferences to your instructor.
4. Set goals. Having a goal to work towards, such as, performing in a recital, learning a catchy riff, or participating in a competition greatly increases playing level.
5. Work with your instructor for tips on how to make practicing fun and productive.

Celebrate your musical progress and wear your accomplishments proudly with our Music Mastery Levels! During the first two years of lessons, students can earn wrist bands when they reach music goals on their instrument or voice. Students have opportunities to earn multiple promotions as they move through the levels until they achieve Gold Level status.