5 Effective Ways to Encourage Your Children to Love Music

There’s a lot of talk about how music can change your life, and there’s no doubt that it has made a big difference to mine. But what about your children? What if they don’t have the same musical interests as you do? This article will give you some ideas suggested by Firebird School of Music which offers piano lessons in Brunswick, to encourage your children to love music and get them started on their journey.

1. Let them choose their instrument

If your child is interested in learning to play an instrument, but you’re concerned about the cost of buying one, it’s worth letting him or her choose the instrument that he or she will practice with. It may be tempting to buy a cheap violin so that your kid can get started right away and get good enough so that you don’t regret buying the cheap violin later. However, if he or she doesn’t like playing music on his chosen instrument (because it sounds bad), then there’s going to be no motivation for him or her to continue practicing and improving their skills. Rather than forcing them into something they don’t want, encourage them by letting them invest time exploring what kind of instruments are available at local music stores and allowing them to try out different ones until they find one they like.

Once your child has picked out an instrument that they like playing well enough that he/she wants nothing more than spend as much time as possible practicing it—and you’ve gotten used to regularly hearing him/her play—then go ahead and purchase something nice.

2. Make learning music fun

Learning to play a musical instrument is not easy, but it’s also not impossible. In fact, music is a lifelong activity and can be learned in many ways. You can learn about music by playing with friends or family members. You can learn about music by playing with technology (like your iPad). And you can even learn about music by playing with nature (by listening to birdsong).

You should encourage your child to try all these different approaches if they have an interest in learning how to play an instrument or sing.

3. Think about a teacher or tutor

It’s important for parents to help their children learn about music. If your child is interested in learning how to play an instrument or has already begun learning, you may want to consider hiring a music teacher or tutor for the child. Teachers can help with the progress of their students and provide them with guidance as they pursue their interests in music. Tutors can also be helpful if you live far from a music school or university where lessons are offered on campus. A tutor can help with homework that relates back to learning an instrument, as well as practicing exercises at home so that your child can progress faster than if they had no assistance whatsoever.

4. Be a good example

One of the most effective ways to encourage your children to love music is by being a good example. Children will learn through imitation—they want to be like their parents and siblings. If your child sees you listening to music, they’re more likely to want to listen as well. You can listen to old classics to give them a good knowledge of historical artists, but you can also pre-order new music here to give them the opportunity to hear new artists. You can even show them how you play an instrument or sing. This way, they’ll understand that music is fun and not just another boring thing adults do in their free time.

5. Take things slowly at first

It’s important to start with a few notes and build up from there, rather than overwhelming them with too much information at once. It’s okay if they don’t pick things up quickly; just take it slow and steady until they’re comfortable with what they’ve learned, then move on to something else.

Conclusion

The most important thing you can do for your child is to encourage them. Whether that means listening to their favorite songs with them or joining in on their instruments at home, it’s important that they feel supported and loved as they explore music. It might take some time before they find the right instrument or teacher, but just keep on encouraging them along the way.

Photo by Siniz Kim on Unsplash