“ I see my life in terms of music” a quote by Albert Einstein

5 WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF MUSIC LESSONS

Learning to play a musical instrument is a true enrichment to life. The following guidelines will help you to have a successful, rewarding experience. These are practical tips that we have discovered from teaching hundreds of students each year, since 1983.

1. Starting at the Right Age Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based on how willing an adult is to commit to practicing. We teach many beginner students in their 60’s and 70’s. For children, music lessons contribute to self discipline, increased memory, and higher scores on standardized tests, and starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons.

Piano/Keyboard At our music school, 5 years old is the youngest age that we start children in private piano lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease.

Guitar-Acoustic, Electric and Bass 8 years old is the earliest we recommend for guitar lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under 8 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally are 10 years old and older.

Voice Lessons The earliest age we begin vocal students is age 6 & we utilize a karaoke machine to make the lessons fun. However, to implement breathing techniques, the child should be about 10 years or older.

Drums The earliest age we begin drums students is 4, depending upon the child.

Flute, Clarinet & Saxophone Due to lung capacity (and in the case of the saxophone the size of the instrument), we recommend that most woodwind beginners are 9 or older.

Violin We accept violin students from the age of 5. Some teachers will start children as young as 3, but experience has shown us the most productive learning occurs when the beginner is 5 or older.

Trumpet The trumpet requires physical exertion and lungpower. 9 years and older is a good time to start the trumpet.

2. Making Music Lessons Educational, Motivational, & Fun At Big Beat Music, our goal is to instill a passion for playing music and we are committed to providing only the highest level of music instruction. Many of our teachers have music degrees as well as performance experience, and convey enthusiasm accompanied by high tech teaching equipment. This includes free videotaping upon request and recording devices which can slow up a song without changing the pitch to facilitate easier learning. We also have music games for the younger children to keep their attention span and an incentive program which offers selected gifts such as Big Beat T-shirts, necklaces, trophies & hats in exchange for merit stickers earned.

3. Band Ensemble Opportunities We believe that once a student reaches a certain level of music development, they should begin to play with other students. We offer ensemble classes to guide students in a band-like situation.

4. Performance Opportunities We believe that students of all levels should have the opportunity to perform in front of an audience to build confidence and self esteem. We offer a yearly recital/showcase.

5 Make Practicing Easier As with anything, improving in music takes practice. Here are some ways to make practicing easier:

a) Time-Set the same time every day to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. This works particularly well for children. Generally the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by parents to get the child to practice.

b) Repetition – we use this method quite often when setting practice schedules for beginners. For a young child 20-30 minutes seems like an eternity. Instead of setting a time frame, we use repetition. For example, practice this piece 4 times every day and this scale 5 times a day. The child then does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing their instrument, but knows if they are on repetition number 3 they are almost finished.

c) Rewards – This works well for both children and adult students. Some adults reward themselves with a cappuccino after successful week of practicing. Parents encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. In our school we reward young children for a successful week of practicing with stars and stickers on their work. Praise tends to be the most coveted award – there just is no substitute for a pat on the back for a job well done. Sometimes we all have a week with little practicing, in that case there is always next week.