Our music education
Blog
for parents and students.
A lot of students have a hard time reading and understanding rhythms. We're talking quarter notes, eighth notes, whole notes, etc. All that stuff is so crucial to a music student's success, but it can be tricky to grasp when they're first learning what it all means.
I used to struggle to try to have my students memorize all these note names and their beat duration, until one day - out of thin air - I thought of a little visual explanation...
It's crucial for a new student to connect with the music they play. This is unfortunately glossed over in too many music teachers' pedagogical approaches, but it's so important! When students connect with music, they learn to relate music to their lives, form opinions about music, appreciate and value all kinds music, and become self-motivated in their practicing efforts. All of these components work together to eventually help students to see themselves not just as "music students" but as "musicians."
Parents play a huge role in encouraging that connection to music in their student. That's why today I'm going to lay out for you 5 key ways for you to help your student connect with music.
I am primarily a drum set player, and I remember when I started noticing a decent amount of lower back pain after a season of lots of practicing and not a lot of exercising. So, I started exercising and focusing on my posture and core strength, and over time, the tension in my lower back from playing the drums diminished to the point of non-existence.
There is a fantastic infographic, created by our friends at TakeLessons, that highlights 10 of the best fitness exercises and stretches for musicians. Check it out and take some notes...
When I first started teaching music, I required my students to write down the number of minutes they practiced each day and to have a parent sign it every week.
The problem was that I was trying to quantify my students' musical progress in to numbers of minutes. So, I decided to move away from my time-based system and shift to a more freeing, results-based practicing system with students that - coupled with a motivational approach to teaching - encourages autonomy, efficiency, and continual musical progress. It's a simple system that has been a dramatic success with my students. Here it is...
"So," you ask me, "Can you tell me the best schedule of music lessons for my student?" ...to which my answer would be, "Nope." But, I can tell you about real students that I've had over the years that have taught me huge lessons in this area. Hopefully you can learn from these experiences, too, and better decide what's best for your student.
Is it a good or bad decision to let a young music student switch instruments?
Pretty huge decision, right? Here's why it's so tricky: the answer completely depends on your student's specific circumstances. So, to help you decide what's best for your young music student, let's consider some of the factors...
