Your son or daughter came home from school declaring they want to be a rock star. Making music is a fun, creative hobby that’s rewarding in its own right or could even lead to a fulfilling career. How do you help your child succeed? Here are some tips for when your kid wants to play an instrument.
1. Let Your Child Choose
Let your child decide which instrument they’d like to play if it’s feasible. Sometimes there might be hurdles that make a certain kind impractical, but you can usually compromise.
If your child wants their own piano but you’re short on space, why not try a keyboard? If they want to play a full-sized pedal harp that costs tens of thousands of dollars, see if you can find a beginner instrument at a cheaper price.
Are they unsure what to play? Visit a music store together to get ideas. You can often rent an instrument or buy one at a discount from a music store. You might even have a friend who’ll let you borrow one if you assure them your child will take care of it.
2. Set a Schedule
Work with your child to set a schedule for when they will play. Don’t make it an obligation — music shouldn’t be framed as yet another homework assignment — but do set aside a certain time daily or weekly for your child to practice. When they’re done, reward them with another fun activity, such as video games.
3. Create Specific Goals
Brainstorm some ideas with your child regarding their goals. You can create long- and short-term objectives such as:
- Practising for 30 minutes a day
- Learning new chords or notes
- Trying a simple song
- Playing in the school band
- Becoming a professional drummer
Let your child set at least some of their own goals to foster a sense of responsibility and independence.
4. Sign Your Child up for Lessons
Try to find lessons in your area or let your child join the school band. Look for a good teacher who’s patient with kids. There are group or solo classes, instructors who come to you, or those who give lessons in their own homes.
You may have to take classes outside the home for some instruments. For example, if you don’t own a piano, it’s not so simple to borrow one from school.
5. Listen to Your Child Play
Your child looks up to you. They’ll likely want to share their new hobby with you, so make time to listen to them and be their cheerleader. This can be a great time to bond.
Your child might share their frustrations with you, such as if they’re having a hard time with certain aspects of playing or can’t play a song right. Remind them that when first learning an instrument, nobody is good at it. However, having fun and practising consistently is more important than hitting the right notes.
Reassure them that certain instruments also get physically easier to play over time. Remind them that learning the guitar hurts quite a bit initially and can even cause blisters, but it will pass as their fingers get tougher.
You can even sit down and write a song together — if this doesn’t totally embarrass them! Show a genuine interest in your child’s hobby. You never know — it might just turn into a career.
The most important thing is to encourage your child to keep playing music. It’s a wonderful pastime, gives them something to do and provides a sense of accomplishment.
6. Learn Instrument Care
Most instruments need tune-ups regularly. Ensure your child keeps up with routine maintenance and cleaning. Teach them how to properly care for it so it will last for years to come, especially if they borrowed or rented it.
7. Let Your Child Play What They Like
Whether they enjoy classical Mozart or want to scream their lungs out while banging the drums, music is an outlet for your child’s personality and emotions, not a professional performance. You may have different tastes, and that’s OK. Your child isn’t playing gigs at weddings. They’re having fun and being themselves.
Letting your child choose their preferred genre of music also encourages them to practice more.
It’s fine to set limits, though. If your child wants to play the electric bass, maybe midnight isn’t the best time for it. Schedule their practice time during daylight hours to ensure no one gets woken up.
8. Reward Your Child
Praise your child for practising a new skill. Reward them based on how hard they try and how passionate they are rather than what they accomplish. Is their flute-playing a little rusty despite months of hard work? Maybe so. However, if they’re having a good time and genuinely making an effort, that’s grounds for a reward.
There are many ways to let your child know you’re proud of them. Go out for ice cream, record a video of them playing music or write them a surprise note in their lunchbox.
A Worthwhile Hobby
Learning an instrument takes time, dedication and passion. If your child wants to play an instrument, you can encourage and help them along the way. Who knows? Years later, they just might play something good.
*This is a collaborative post