What are some things my child can do to achieve their full potential at playing music?

It is all about consistency. Regular practice at home makes a real difference. Just like students need to set goals to work towards throughout the year, each practice session should be planned to achieve a goal. For beginners, the goal may be to play the piece of music through, but as students become advanced, more specific and measurable goals can make a difference.

My child dislikes reading music - is it necessary?

Reading music is a great skill to learn. Adding a visual reference allows learning styles to be better integrated, and having the material notated means a student knows exactly what to play. Some students may take a little longer to become confident music readers than others. This doesn't matter. So long as a student is progressing overall in music and aware of some of the basics of reading, fluency will come eventually.

My child gets nervous playing in front of people.

Start small. Get your budding student to play in front of Mum or Dad, then Mum and Dad, then the family, then grandparents slowly building confidence. Also, encourage the performance of pieces that they have been playing for a long time. An easy piece played well will always sound better than a harder piece played hesitantly. Try to encourage performance as much as possible, and the more a student does it, the easier it will become.

My child finds it difficult to play an instrument, should it be easier?

Learning any new skills can have it's challenges. Learning to drive a car for the first time is hard! (Think about how often you used to stall or "bunnyhop" when you first tried to drive!). To make it as easy as possible, make sure that you have a reasonable quality instrument, that sounds good and is the appropriate size for the student.

My child doesn't always like the songs the teacher gives him/her.

Learning music is about the gradual acquisition of skills. Often teachers will use a certain piece of music because it is the best for teaching a particular skill or technique. If a student has mastered skills, then they can play any music of their choice. Encourage your child to play music they like as well as that set by their teacher. Let hem try to work out songs by ear, or buy supplementary books that they can use at home. Generally if a student plays a song well, they will end up liking it anyway. Make sure you encourage them when they practice.

My child seems to think they are no good at playing their instrument.

Children need encouragement. Parents sometimes unknowingly send the wrong message to students, especially when trying to get practice happening. Making music at home should be fun. Celebrate success. Make a fuss when challenges have been overcome and tell your child you are really proud of their effort. Sending a child away to practice, telling them that you are wasting your money on lessons because they don't practice and this type of negative reinforcement MUST be avoided!

Does my child have the time to play an Instrument?

If you have time for a regular lesson, then it is worthwhile. Daily practice usually means better progress but the learning of new skills happens in lessons. Busy children usually end up the best with playing instruments because they are often better organised, plan goals better and at the end of the day are the most successful later in life!

Is my child suitable for exams?

It depends... this is something to discuss with your teacher. Exams are a great goal to work towards and with a number of different syllabuses and organisations offering external examinations, there will generally be something suitable for your child to work towards. It may need to be a longer term goal (years or months rather than weeks), most students have the potential to achieve really well.

How do I get my child to practice more?

A regular routine, and practice incentives help. Above all, take a positive interest in your childs progress. Replace "go and practice" with "come and play to me". Practice is just one of many ingredients that contribute to musical success. If motivation is low, don't make an issue of it. Encourage practice and make sure that making music is a positive experience!

How do I get my child to play from the heart?

Music lessons often focus on the development of theory and technique. This gives students the skills they need to physically play their instrument, as we've mentioned here elsewhere - music is more than just the right note, in the right place at the right time. The greatest musicians can caress the sound and put huge emotion into their playing. This “playing from the heart” often comes from understanding and the best way to gain understanding is to listen and discover. Also, this develops with age and emotional maturity. Use visualisation and encourage creativity. Above all - be patient. Over time, interpretation will come!