At New York City Music School, We Welcome Parental Guidance

Moms and Dads Rule the Roost at New York City Music School

In May and June we celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Day, respectively. Each of these occasions is dedicated – and rightly so – to all our wonderful moms and dads. But did you know that February is National Parent Leadership Month, dedicated to recognizing the important role of parents in raising physically and emotionally healthy families?

If you are a parent yourself, you know what a huge responsibility you have nurturing your children. Not only do you provide them with all the necessities of life – food, shelter and clothing – but you also teach them right from wrong, instill proper values, and generally make sure they are well prepared to face all of life’s challenges. You can never take a vacation from being a responsible and caring parent – it’s a 24/7, non-unionized job!

We are not about to give you parenting advice – after all, nobody knows your child better than you do. But we will say this: from our experience teaching music to kids of all ages, we can univocally state that parents play a key role in helping their kids develop interest in music and encourage them to keep on practicing.

Support system

We see this every day: the most dedicated and motivated students are those who receive their parents’ guidance, encouragement, and support. No, we are not referring here to Leopold Mozart, who tutored his prodigious son from an early age and helped shape Wolfgang’s musical genius. Rather, we are talking about “average” moms and dads who understand the benefits of music education and make sure their youngsters learn, practice, and make progress.

Keeping your child motivated to play an instrument is not always an easy task – some kids lose patience and /or get bored. If you left them to their own devices, many would probably give up after a few lessons. This is where parental oversight and guidance are crucial.

Of course, it’s not always easy to keep a child’s focus and motivation level up – we know that. Here are a few tips to help you along:

• Never force your kids to learn a specific instrument – just because you love the piano doesn’t mean they will. Respect their right to choose – and support their choice.
• Make sure, however, that your child’s instrument is a good fit for his or her age and size – not too large or too heavy to handle. Likewise, gently steer your child toward an instrument that matches your living conditions. For instance, if your apartment has thin walls, drums may not be the most neighbor-friendly choice.
• Getting kids to practice in between lessons is often a daunting task. But without practice there will be no progress, and this is where you can help. Set up a daily practice schedule that is manageable for both you and your child. Also, use your creativity: rather than telling the child he or she must practice 30 minutes a day, set musical goals such as playing the first eight measures of a piece without any mistakes. Next day, have the child play the next eight measures – and so on. It doesn’t matter how long it takes – it’s getting there that counts.
• Never forget to praise the child for the effort she is making and tell her how proud you are of her progress.

Remember: behind every motivated child is a parent who inspires!

Let’s work together!

There is no question that you play your parental role very well – not only in helping your son or daughter’s musical development, but also in hiring the best teacher in New York City.

Our instructors know the…score, but when they come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn or Riverdale home or office to give a music lesson in, they are counting on your support. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a great teacher and a caring parent to keep that child enthusiastic about learning.

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License