Your decision to provide your child with a quality musical instrument is an investment in your child’s future.  In making it possible for your child to play a musical instrument, you are providing the opportunity for self-expression, creativity, and achievement.  Numerous studies indicate that parental attitude, support, and involvement are important factors in a child’s ability to successfully learn to play and to enjoy music.  These guidelines are designed to assist you in giving your child the best support possible for his or her musical endeavors.  Like any skill, interest counts far more than talent.  With strong support from you, playing music will become a natural part of your child’s life.

HOW YOU FIT IN

Always keep in mind that your support is an essential element in your child’s success with music study.

Schedule Practice Times

Music achievement requires effort over a period of time.  The time in strings lessons is limited.  New concepts learned at school need daily personal practice time by your child at home in order for these new skills to be developed.  You can help your child by:

What to Do

To give your child the best possible support, you should:

• Remind your child to bring their instruments and music to school on lesson days
• Encourage your child to play for family and friends
• Offer compliments and encouragement regularly
• Expose your child to a wide variety of music, including concerts and recitals
• Encourage your child to talk with you about classes
• Make sure your child’s instrument is always maintained well
• Listen to your child practice, and acknowledge improvement
• Help your child build a personal music library
• Encourage your child to make a commitment to his or her music studies
• Think of orchestra like any other class.  A student can’t quit any other academic class just because it gets hard and a parent should never “take away” a class a student enjoys as a punishment.

• Using practice or threatening removal from orchestra as a punishment
• Insisting that your child play for others when he/she doesn’t want to
• Ridiculing or making fun of mistakes of less-than-perfect playing
• Apologizing to others for your child’s weak performance

• Talk with your child if his/her interest begins to decline
• Discuss with your child’s teacher ways to maintain your child’s enthusiasm for playing
• Increase your enthusiasm and involvement in your child’s playing

This message has been adapted from publications by the following organizations in the interest of making music study and participation an enjoyable and richly rewarding experience for children and their families.  Hal Leonard Corporation appreciates the cooperation of these organizations for graciously allowing us to reprint this important message