Inspire with Music!
by Jen Hickle
Summer is here! Now is a great time for reflecting on the past school year and planning how we will spend our summer days.Here are a few thoughts on getting the most from your music lessons.
1.Inspire
Lessons with a music teacher is participating in the art of mentoring. When you or your child have a weekly lesson, that time is spent transferring skills and the love of learning from the mentor to the student. Outside of lessons, the most effective way of spurring on learning isnotnagging to practice. Instead, it is deliberately planning ways to inspire the student. In the car, discuss different musical styles. (Listen to all different kinds!) This summer, plan on attending the outdoor concerts in Maple Grove, on theTown Greenor hear the Minnesota Orchestra perform free onLake Harriet.Try attending a music festival!
2. Model
Recently I decided to do an experiment with my own kids. Instead of even mentioning, “You should practice,” I began playing piano more often myself. Immediately, the younger kids were drawn to the piano. They watched and listened, and then they wanted to play after me. The older ones started asking questions. We discussed the basics of songwriting, and my son started jotting down chord progressions and composing music. Modeling my love of music has spurred on my kids to play and sing more themselves and ask more questions at their lessons.
What if you aren't musical or don’t play an instrument? How about taking lessons yourself? Have you always wanted to play or sing? There is nothing greater that you can do for your own child’s music education than modeling it yourself. When my husband Chris started guitar lessons, he struggled to learn simple songs and switch between chords, but that inspired my son and made him realize that the struggle is a normal part of the process of learning! They loved practicing together, and figuring out new chords together.
Education expert Oliver DeMille says “Youth very naturally long for the passion of being inspired, although many would probably not say so or even admit it explicitly.”
3. Make space for learning
Too much clutter in any student’s life, in their room or in their schedule, can derail the love of learning. As you change over the winter clothing into the summer apparel, consider boxing up most of the toys, books, Legos, and “stuff” cluttering your child’s space. Take out those items again when the snow flies—your kids will love the clean space to think and dream (and the toys will feel new again in a few months!) Or, just donate it!
With school out, you may naturally find your kids (or yourself!) wandering over to their instrument or to sing more often. Let practice happen organically—it doesn't have to be a set time and place. You may find yourself playing for hours one day, and then have a stretch when you are traveling and it’s hard to get any practice in. Just remember to create space in your schedule where lazy summer days can turn into strumming the guitar or playing a new piece on the piano.
Let this be an encouragement to you:Learning music starts with loving music.If you turn your head and heart in the direction that you want your arrow to fly, you will hit your mark.
Don’t underestimate the power of deliberately exposing your children to the things you want them to pursue. If you guide them in the right direction, you won’t have to “force” them to do anything at all. Their own inspiration will guide them into depths of learning that you didn't even know were possible!
Everyone Needs a Break Sometimes!
Last January through April, my 3 kids took a break from music lessons. That’s right, even the Director’s kids need a break! They have each taken lessons since about age 5 and for my oldest, that’s 6 years of piano. We had 3 trips planned for those months, in addition to schoolwork, and we decided to just step back for awhile from other activities.
When the kids started lessons again in May, they were ecstatic! My 7 year old daughter said, “I want to come to lessons twice a week!” My 9 year old son said, “I FORGOT that piano is so much FUN!” They began practicing without any prompting and were truly excited about their music. My 11 year old son decided he wants to learn to play more chords and by ear and also start drum lessons. The summer is a GREAT time for him to explore these interests (in addition to theatre class and baseball)!
My point is this: Just because your student has taken a break from music lessons doesn’t mean they can’t come back. With a little prompting, my kids remembered everything they had learned. And they came back with much MORE enthusiasm and passion for learning!
If you’ve decided to take a break, we understand! And when you’re ready to come back, we’ll welcome you with open arms!
Summer Lessons = FUN!
Did you know that we are different than other music schools? We teach the music YOU want to learn, without compromising the important foundations that are so important in succeeding in music!
Here’s how it works: Simply bring to your lessons a song or guitar riff that YOU want to learn. You can bring a CD, ipod, or sheet music. Your instructor will be happy to work on it with you! We incorporate these songs into your lessons, while still ensuring that students receive proper technique and theory instruction! In fact, students often learn the most foundational skills WHILE learning their favorite song. Nothing is more motivating than working on what really grabs the student’s attention and excitement!
Aren’t sure what style is your favorite? We have music available to purchase and lots of options, especially for beginner students. Summer is a perfect time to check out these books and try jazz, popular, classical, or rock! In addition, we can order ANYTHING you may be looking for. We’ll save you the time and hassle of hunting down that cool song or sheet music. Just talk to your instructor and we can have the music as soon as your next lesson!
It’s Showtime!
Can it be? December performances are just around the corner! Students are busily learning and perfecting every song you can think of. You name it, it’s in our recitals! From traditional hymns to jazzy new arrangements, students have carefully picked a recital song just for them!
“But it’s too hard!” Are you hearing this at home? Remind the student that they still have time to learn and master their new song. Recital pieces are not like lesson pieces—they take a little more time to learn. Be sure to discuss any questions or concerns with your teacher if this question arises.
“This is so easy!” Yes, this exclamation is surely resounding in homes as well. Remember that the longer a student plays a song, the easier it becomes. However, we want to avoid hearing “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “O, Come All Ye Faithful” at turbo speed during the recital. Remind your child to slow down and play steadily during their practice sessions. Students generally perform like little angels during their weekly lessons and we teachers have no idea what is actually happening at home! Parents, you are our spies! Just be listening… Is that Christmas song still recognizable?
Be a good listener… and a wonderful encourager. Parents, your child is just waiting to hear your praise. Even if you think you’ll go crazy if you hear “Jingle Bells,” one more time, it will be SO worth it to see the students SHINE at the Recitals!
Taking a Customized Path of Learning
By Jennifer Hickle, Director
My ten year old son has never done anything the traditional way. I don’t know why I expected piano to be any different for him.
When Ethan was 2 years old, he could barely say 5 words, but he could balance on a skateboard and never fall off. When other kids were learning to write their name in Kindergarten, he would rather be clamoring up the giant oak tree in our front yard. Ethan hated books like “Go, Dog, Go.” He thought they were pointless. It was like pulling teeth to teach him to read. Now he’s in an advanced writing program and reads at grade level. Ethan has never liked balloons or kid tattoos or stickers. He’d rather come up with an entrepreneurial business plan for his future.
When Ethan was 7, I started him in piano lessons at our Studio. I was shocked. Despite his struggles with dyslexia (he sees letters and symbols backwards and in 3D), he excelled at reading music. In fact, I believe it helped his reading and attention span. Ethan did great in his lessons for 3 years. Then, this year, he started pushing back and resisting his assignments and was even resisting going to lessons. I realized that his true love is composing original music and had a great talk with his teacher about this. We both agreed that he needed more “tools” to write music: understanding the relationship between scales and chords and the structure of writing music. She even threw in some crazy 7th, 9th, and 11th chords. Ethan was hooked. Instead of fighting me, he now sits down at the piano 4-5 times a day. He is composing original music, recording it on our Flip recorder, and even uploading songs onto Facebook and Vimeo. He wants the world to know about his music. He says, “My music expresses the mood I’m in. Playing piano is one of my favorite things to do.” Now THAT made my day!
Do you or your child need to take a different route? We all need tailored, personalized music lessons. Don’t hesitate to talk to your teacher about customizing your lessons to what YOU want to play!
WHY Study Music?
From
Music is Science.
It is exact, specific; and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor's full score is a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time. It embodies many levels of physics from acoustics to architecture.
Music is Mathematical.
It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously, not worked out on paper, in a highly specific form with regard to exact placement and symmetry.
Music is a World Language.
Most of the terms are in Italian, German or French; and the notation is certainly not English. It is a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language.
Music is History.
Music usually reflects the environment and times of its creation, taking on the emotion of a nation, region or a people. It is the only Art form we can hear as people hundreds of years ago had. Unlike paint, whose image is always there once created, Music is perpetually "repainted" each time it is performed. The feelings and thoughts of countless generations are forever cast in Sound.
Music is Physical Education.
It requires fantastic coordination of the fingers, hands, arms, lips and facial muscles, and control of diaphragmatic, back, stomach and chest muscles, which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets. There are as many calories burned by a symphony trumpet player in one performance as there are by a quarterback in a professional football game.
Music is Art.
It allows a human being to take technical and sometimes difficult areas of learning and translate them into human emotion. It helps every person to recognize and understand beauty, and to understand love, compassion and how to live more fully within this world.
This is Why We Study Music.
Not because we expect you to major in music. Not because we expect people to play music all their lives. Not so you can relax. Not so you can have fun. BUT: So you will be human, so you will recognize beauty, so you will be more sensitive, especially to all the thoughts and feelings put into sound throughout the ages, so you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world, so you will have something to cling to, so you will have more love, more compassion, more gentleness, more good - in short, more life!
Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living
unless you know how to live?
Your Role in Music Lessons
Your kids have a once-a-week lesson. They come home with songs to practice. Sometimes they are brand new songs, sometimes they are songs to review from the previous week. So what on earth is the teacher doing anyway? What are we looking for after a week with these songs?
When we assign your child a song to practice, we are looking for a few important things to happen:
Concepts Mastered. Each week, students are introduced to new terms or concepts. The assigned songs help reinforce and teach these concepts during the week, and then the next lesson will build upon what has been learned.
Attaining Confidence. It takes a lot of confidence to play in front of your teacher and not be so nervous that it affects how you perform. We are teaching our students to relax and do the best that they can. Because learning music is about sharing the gift of music. . .and you can’t do that if you never perform.
Reach High. We place a high standard on our students. Our philosophy is that even if they don’t reach that mark, they’ve still come further than if we would have settled for less. However, perfection is not our ultimate goal. Is the music beautiful? Filled with emotion? Up to tempo? Expressing what the composer intended?
Gaining Discipline. We think that practicing regularly is the only way to truly progress in the music world. . .and to slowly learn how to be a responsible, disciplined adult someday.
As the parent, you may be wondering about your role as a parent in this whole piano lessons thing. How much do you get involved? When do you back off? Here are a few suggestions from a veteran teacher and mother of three piano students:
Frazzled parents, don’t worry! The answer to “how involved should I get in my child’s practice?” is “not very much.” But, there are a few simple things you can do to make sure that your child is getting the most from his or her practice time.
Encourage your child to work on all the components of their piece, especially their tempo and dynamics. It’s not okay just to get the notes right. Their music should be expressive. Each piece has a marking such as “lively,” “with zip,” or “peacefully.” Your child should try to create a feeling using these markings, as well as the title of the piece, as their guide. Ask them how they want you to feel when you hear their piece.
Dynamics!Each piece is filled with them, and a child should be practicing their dynamics all week long. It’s easy for a teacher to tell when a child tries to “add them in” on lesson day. . .it doesn’t work. If every piece sounds like it’s being played at the same volume, then your child probably isn’t practicing their dynamics.
Most of these suggestions do not require much time on your part. It can be as simple as listening from another room and calling out a comment or question every so often. Most importantly, your child needs to know that you care and that you support them.
What about those New Year’s Resolutions?
Do you make a resolution each year, only to fall apart by the third week? We would all probably agree on one thing: we’d like to be healthier and happier in 2016.There’s a simple answer: play more music! Did you know that playing music relieves stress, gives you a healthy creative outlet, and exercises all the different parts of your brain? And it’s fun at the same time!
Studying music sets you up for success in life:
A student involved in the arts is 4x more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.
Students who take 4 years of arts and music classes average almost 100 points better on their SAT scores than students who take only one-half year or less.
72% of business leaders say that creativity is the #1 skill they are seeking when hiring.
Students involved in the arts are:
4x more likely to participate in a math and science fair
3x more likely to win an award for school attendance
4x more likely to be recognized for academic achievement
3x more likely to be elected to class office
So what are you waiting for?
Take a step toward a healthier, happier YOU!
Call us today at 763-670-8882to book your lessons. We offer piano, guitar, ukulele, bass, mandolin, violin, voice, and drum lessons in one location. We teach both kids and adults, and you’re never too old to start something new!
References:Conn-Selmer Division of Education, Touchpoint newsletter #488