Getting in the Game: How to get your child to practice more

Parents make a significant investment in lessons (and instruments) for their kids, and they want to see that investment pay off.  But the one-on-one lesson dynamic often leaves parents unsure of what their kids are supposed to be practicing.  Moreover, in the absence of their instructor, the students are responsible for motivating themselves outside of their weekly lessons.  In this scenario it is easy for kids to fall into a rut and lose interest in their instrument.  The comparison I use often is if your child was on a soccer team that practiced every week, but never played a game, they’d likely lose interest in soccer.  If there’s no sense of accomplishment, or payoff, then what is the practice for?

Getting students “in the game” with their instrument means setting regular goals and providing them opportunities for success.  We recently added new posters in our waiting area and all of the lesson rooms promoting our special programs, All-Access, Masters Program, and Studio Sessions.  While none of these programs are new, we still get questions about them regularly, and we’re happy to answer them.  These programs, along with the many performance opportunities we make available to students are our way of getting students “in the game”.  They all add structure to lessons, help establish goals, and provide a sense of accomplishment.  We’ve also seen a direct correlation between student longevity and their participation in these programs and performances.

If any of this sounds familiar, or if your student has not yet participated in one of these programs or performances, I encourage you to learn more from our website or contact me directly.  Learning an instrument can be a lot of fun, but again, applying that knowledge is where students will find true fulfillment, and experience the long term benefits.