Take a Seat ... During Your Child's Practice
From a young child’s perspective, music practice can be a pretty lonely affair. As other family members go about their business, little musicians can feel like they are missing out. But with your presence and attention, solitary confinement can be transformed into parent/child bonding time.
A study by Davidson, Sloboda, Moore and Howe found that “in all cases, successful young musicians reported that they would not have maintained a routine of regular and frequent practice were it not for the fact that their parents strongly encouraged this and at times insisted on it in the early years of learning." [1] In fact, research shows that parents have more influence on whether or not children are successful with their music lessons than the teacher does. Surprising, isn’t it?
The same study found that the most successful music learners have parents who are highly involved and who either attend lessons with the child or communicate with the teacher regularly. By attending lessons, parents learn what and how their child should be practicing at home. (Check back soon for new blog article on practice). Researchers Andrea Creech and Susan Hallam say when parents provide motivation, supervise practice, instill focus and discipline, attend lessons, and communicate with the teacher, students have higher levels of musical achievement. [2] And greater success leads to greater enjoyment.
It’s a little deflating for a music teacher to find out that their efforts play second fiddle to the parent’s efforts at home! Even parents who have never studied music have greater power than the teacher to see that students succeed musically. What gives? Well, the music teacher may only spend 30 to 60 minutes with your child while most of the learning takes place at home. One of the hurdles for children in studying music is learning to be goal-oriented, self-regulated and strategic about practice — which is where you, the parents, come in. Left to their own devices, children are likely to flounder, opening up a minefield of bad habits which the music teacher will have to take time to undo, at the next lesson. For specific ways you can help your child with home practice, see Blog article "Non-musical Ways to Help with Practice." Leave a comment to let us know what works for you and your child.
Join in the musical journey with your child. But don’t just listen; interact with your child during practice and be a life coach, even if just for a few minutes at a time. Your child will thank you for it … although that might take a decade or two!
References
[1] p. 142 in Davidson, J., Howe, M., Moore, D., & Sloboda, J. (1998). Characteristics of music teachers and the progress of young instrumentalists. Journal of Research in Music Education, 46(1), 141-160. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org.qe2a-proxy.mun.ca/stable/pdf/3345766.pdf
[2] p. 34 in Creech, A. & Hallam, S. (Mar. 2003) Parent–teacher–pupil interactions in instrumental music tuition: a literature review. British Journal of Music Education, 20(1), 29-44.