Tonight I had our semi-annual student recital. I was so proud of all the work my wonderful kiddos put in. Some days teaching feels like a job, but days like today make everything so worth it! I can't believe how fast they learn and how much they grow, as both musicians and people in just 5 short months- with the proper encouragement, of course. So, with that, here's my list of advice to parents thinking about giving their kids music lessons:
- Your child's success is directly proportional to your commitment.
- Kids do not naturally like to practice. If you don't enforce it, it won't get done.
- Quality of instruments does matter. Trust me.
- If you think they can't, they won't. If you expect them to succeed, they will hold themselves to that standard.
- They will mess up at a recital, guaranteed. And they will survive it.
- Teachers can tell if your kid hasn't practiced, and there's no way to sugar coat it.
- Your kid will cry and say it's too hard and beg you to stop at some point. If you let them, they will learn it's okay to give up when things get hard.
- It will be hard. If it's not, the music teacher is not doing their job.
- Your kid will not be a prodigy. It will be painful to listen to for quite awhile. Hate to burst the bubble.
- While your kid may not be a prodigy, studying music will teach them resilience, perseverance, and dedication. It will teach them how to handle disappointment and how to make mistakes gracefully. It will teach them to believe in their own ability to do hard things, and this effect will spill over to school, their friendships, and their family life.
Finally, and most importantly, it will all be worth it.
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