One of the most asked questions over the last 20 years that I have been in the "music instrument" business is:
What if my child gives up? Learning a musical instrument while being fun, does take a lot of effort and dedication from both the child & their parents. It is an interesting conundrum. Children are fickle creatures. They (children) are prone to whims and fantastical ideas. Choices are made at a moments notice or because of peer pressure or envy. It should be a concern to parents because music education does cost a lot of money, although I do believe the benefits far out way the costs. Every time I get asked this question it reminds me vividly of my learning experience where I had thoughts of wanting to "give up" playing a musical instrument. It was probably at one of those "plateau" points most musicians hit periodically during their learning and progression where things were getting tough that I had theses thoughts of stopping lessons & stopping playing. I had this internal debate in my mind how I would present this argument to my parents of how I didn't want to play any more & didn't want to go to lessons. I thought of every which way I could of what would be the best way a 10 years old could announce their retirement or how I would quit. The funny thing is I knew in my heart that I would Lose this argument with my parents, that I wouldn't be allowed to stop playing and next week I would be heading of to music lessons as per normal. That was over 30 years ago. Music and Band situations are one of the last bastions of discipline, in terms of a required or needed amount of dedication to practice as well as having to follow instructions from your Conductor or Musical Director. A few good tips to helping your children commit and stick to playing a musical instrument Please Buy a decent quality instrument & Keep it well maintained A $150 ebay special isn't a good investment in your children's education and isn't going to help them succeed. One of the biggest reasons children give up is because the instrument they are playing is of poor quality and it gets increasingly frustrating for them to play an instrument that doesn't respond properly or doesn't play in tune. The second reason is once you have a "decent" quality instrument is to keep it in proper playing condition so once again it doesn't get frustrating to play. Lastly, they (your children), will need your support & encouragement to get them through those tough times, over the humps until music becomes part of their lives and passions. Glenn Clark
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AuthorGlenn Clark Archives
July 2022
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