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Beyond the Private Lesson…Private lessons are only one component of becoming a musician. There are many things you can do as a parent to help your student stay inspired and develop their musical interests and skills. |
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| Listen | ||
Listening to recordings is one of the most important components to learning to play an instrument well. There are two categories here. First, students should routinely listen to the piece they are learning to play and to the next piece (or pieces) they will be learning. When a student already knows how a song goes or is able to hum it, they learn how to play it on their instrument with much more ease. This allows for more lesson time to be spent on musicality and technique building and creates less frustration during home practice. Furthermore, if a student participates in an orchestra or chamber group, it is imperative they listen to the ensemble repertoire because their individual part is only one fraction of a whole. Listening helps them understand how their part fits and better prepares them for playing their role in the ensemble. The second listening category is listening for pleasure. Any routine listening, even if it’s just the radio on in the background, will help students develop good intonation and rhythmic skills. Listening also helps students set long term goals. There is nothing more inspiring than hearing something you really want to learn to play and knowing that, if you keep practicing, you’ll get there someday. Where to get recordings?The Internet:iTunesYouTube Local:Spend an afternoon browsing your local used record shop. Our local shop, Amoeba Music, offers a huge selection of new and used CDs, cassettes, plus tons of records. Used records are often only a dollar. If you can get a record player, dollar records allows you to try out a lot of different music at a low cost. It’s a fun thing for kids to spend their allowance on or use it as a reward for practicing. Public Library: Most libraries, even small branches, offer a big selection of CDs. You can explore all kinds of music for free. What my Students are Listening to:Lesson Repertoire:
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Pleasure Listening: Coming Soon... Want to make a suggestion for this list? Contact me: SarahJo(at)SarahJoZaharako.com |
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| Hear Live Music | ||
| Do your kids occasionally need extra motivation for practicing? Take them to a concert! Hearing live music is one of the best ways to inspire students to practice. It is also a vital component to a complete musical education and something they won’t receive through lessons alone. When searching for live music in your area, don’t limit yourself to “family” events or children’s concerts. If your child is mature enough to behave in a restaurant, he or she can probably make it through at least one set of music. As long as it’s an all ages venue and the concert starts before bedtime, it’s worth the excursion. Provided children don’t make a scene, most performers are excited to see young faces in the audience and enjoy meeting them after the set. Just remember to never ever touch a performer’s instrument unless they invite you to. |
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Bay Area Live MusicBerkeleySubterranean Arthouse San FranciscoClassical Revolution |
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| Join a Youth Orchestra | ||
Music students thrive by playing with other musicians. The camaraderie students experience by participating in an ensemble helps them stay motivated and challenges them to improve skills like note reading and rhythm. Being part of a youth orchestra provides a team experience. As a less-athletic child myself, I can attest to how important my youth orchestra experience was to me. Joining a youth orchestra is often the experience that gives a student an “identity”as a musician. Bay Area Youth OrchestrasYoung People’s Chamber Orchestra |
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| Keep a Practice Sheet | ||
Young students often need a little extra motivation for consistent practice. A practice chart can help young musicians achieve long term goals by rewarding short-term tasks. When I was learning to play violin, I recieved a sticker each day I completed my practice list. If I completed seven days in a row, I earned my allowance for the week. Many parents express concern that a desire to play music should be the only motivation and that we shouldn't have to "bribe" with rewards. Learning even the basic muscle memory for playing an instrument can take months. Keeping a chart and rewarding consistent practicing helps students see their progress before they can "hear" it, and helps them develop good practice habits. No matter how much a child wishes to play an instrument, they will not always wish to practice. Anything we as teachers and parents can do to make this process more fun is well worth the effort. |
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| Recommended Reading | ||
Nurtured by Love by Shinichi Suzuki Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey Mole Music by David McPhail To Learn With Love: A Companion for Suzuki Parents by Constance and William Starr |
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| Copyright © 2006-2011 Sarah Jo Zaharako, All Rights Reserved | ||