Parent's Corner
Common Questions and Answers
Question: Are your teachers qualified?
Answer: Yes. All of our teachers must have a degree or a certification in music to teach here. This can include Universities, colleges, conservatoires or professional music programs. Our teachers are experienced teachers and are chosen not only for their qualifications, but also for their ability to relate to the students. They must be able to teach children and beginners.
Question: When can I start Lessons?
Answer: Private Lessons and classes are ongoing and can be started at anytime.
Question: Can I sit in on my child's private music lesson?
Answer: Yes, we have an open door policy. It is your choice when to sit in. Some students find it distracting and some work better with Mom or Dad in the room. The teacher will give you some advice on this after they get to know your child.
Question: Can my two children have a music lesson together, or both myself and my child?
Answer: Yes - shared lessons are designed for 2 or 3 people of the same level. It is great for people who have the same goals and interests. It is perfect for bands. Popular combinations include: siblings who are close in age, parent-child, couples, and best friends.
Question: Can both my children be in lessons with different teachers at the same time?
Answer: Yes, we make every effort to accommodate family schedules. Because we have more than one teacher for most instruments parents usually have several days and times to choose from.
Question: How long will it take me to be able to play?
Answer: That varies from student to student and depends on the individual. The main factors are your age and how much practicing you do. Playing is a physical skill so it does take repetition to improve. Typically, if you start piano lessons in September by December you will be able to play a recognizable Christmas carol. An adult or a teen learning guitar can improve dramatically in a few months. Most students take lessons for the minimum of one year.
Question: Do I need a piano at home to take piano lessons?
Answer: It is ideal if you do have a piano at home, but you can start lessons by using an electric keyboard to practice on. Most of our students rent or buy small electric keyboards practice on at home. The most important thing to know when renting or purchasing a keyboard, is that it must have full sized keys (each individual key should be the same size as an individual piano key) and it must be touch sensitive. We recommend a keyboard that has regular sized keys and a touch sensitive response. A touch sensitive keyboard means if you press a key harder it will play louder and if you press a key softer it will play quieter.
Practicing:
Question: How much practice should my child do each week?
Answer: We recommend a minimum of 5 days a week. For beginning students, the teacher usually gives a number of repetitions instead of an amount of time. For example, do this scale 2x a day, this song 5x a day, etc. The younger children find repetitions easier than a set time amount. Typically though a beginning student practices 20 to 30 minutes a day. The practicing goes much better if the parent supervises.
Question: My daughter enjoys playing in the band, but she is easily distracted and has difficulty making herself practice. What can I do to help?
Answer: The best thing to do for your child is to create an environment where practicing is easy to arrange:
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TV is definitely out if effective practicing is to be accomplished. Control the TV so it does not tempt your daughter to neglect her music.
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Practice should be done at a regularly scheduled time. Try to keep it at the same time every day. It is best to choose a time of day when things are relatively quiet and when there is not a lot of other activity going on.
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Encourage your child to practice. No need to nag; however, friendly but persistent reminders can actually be quite supportive. Set up an attitude where your daughter can feel free to practice even when you might prefer "peace and quiet".
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Make it your responsibility to see that your child practices.
Question: I don't have any musical background or ability; can I still help my child practice?
Answer: Yes. Even if you don't have a musical background you can ask the teacher for advice on how to help your child practice. By simply monitoring that they are doing exercises a certain number of times per day the student will progress. Many parents occasionally sit in on their child's music lesson to get an idea of the proper way a song should sound or how the student should be positioning their hands.
How young is too young - What is the right age to start?
Teenagers and adults can start at any time. Their success is based on how willing they are to commit to practicing each day. For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. Some people will tell you the sooner the better. This attitude can actually backfire and be a negative. If children are put in lessons too soon they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated. They may want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off of music just because he or she had one unpleasant experience, which could have been prevented. Sometimes if a child waits 1 year to start lessons his or her progress can be much faster. Children who are older than the suggested earliest starting age usually do very well. The following are guidelines we have found to be successful in determining how young a child should start.
Piano/Keyboard: At our school 4 is the youngest age that we start children in private lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease.
Guitar- Electric, Acoustic, Classical and Bass: 5 years old is the youngest we recommend for guitar lessons. We recommend a ¾ size classical guitar for students 5 to 7 years old. Classical guitars have nylon strings, which require less pressure on the fingertips. The ¾ size seems to fit the student better than a full size guitar. In general, electric guitar is easier than acoustic guitar. Electric guitar has lighter strings and a smaller size body that students tend to find more comfortable. An electric guitar is also much quieter because it has a volume control.
Drums: The average youngest starting age is 8. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. He or she has to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals.
Voice Lessons: 6 years old is recommended as the youngest age for voice lessons.
Music will increase your child's intelligence!
A Canadian study established that children who take music lessons tend to be more intelligent than their peers.
In 2003 Hong Kong scientists asserted that children who took music lessons possessed superior verbal memory skills.
Previous studies have linked musical aptitude to literacy and music lessons to mathematics achievement
The University of Toronto found that the IQ scores of six-year-olds who had taken keyboard or voice lessons were, on average, three points higher than normal.
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