If you have young kids at home, you’ve probably thought about what kind of extracurriculars you want to involve them in. And if you’re like most Americans, this means you’ve at least considered the possibility of music lessons. Music is not only an enjoyable pursuit in its own right, it has also been shown to correlate with academic success across the board.
But if you want your child to get a music education that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives, there are a few things you need to consider.
Find the Right Music School and Instructor
Music education, especially for young children, is all about getting the right teacher. While there are a lot of things to consider before making a final decision, there are a few general things you should look for from the beginning:
⦁ Style: Do they play the same style of music your child wants to learn?
⦁ Credentials: What level of formal music education have they achieved?
⦁ Experience: How long have they been teaching?
⦁ Age-Appropriate Instruction: Can they teach kids of your child’s age group?
Fortunately, music instruction is still widely available across North America, and you will likely have options when it comes to schools and instructors.
The range of choice will have a lot to do with where you live, however: for parents looking for jazz guitar lessons Toronto and cities like it offer a dizzying array of options, from the Toronto Arts Academy to public schools that focus heavily on music education, but people in smaller communities may not have the same access to a variety of instructors for every instrument and style.
If you do live in a large city, however, it is important not to settle for the first school or teacher you find. Do your research and make sure you go with an award-winning school that can offer top-shelf instruction.
Provide them with a Safe, Supportive Environment for Learning
Like all of the arts, music requires discipline and sensitivity. Children who are setting out to master an instrument like the piano or the guitar (or who just want to be able to entertain themselves and their friends) will need a supportive and safe environment in which to improve their skills.
It is natural to have concerns about the learning environment your child will be studying in, so don’t be afraid to ask questions about how the schools you are considering approach safety and security issues. How do they ensure that your child is going to be in good hands?
You may want to ask whether the school runs police checks on their employees, or has open-door policies that let parents sit in on lessons if they want to.
Learning an instrument at an early age can be a transformative experience for a child, and may even be the first step toward an exciting career in the arts.
But even if your little one doesn’t dream of playing in a symphony or becoming a jazz sensation, music can still be an essential part of a fulfilling life. If you want to give your child the tools they need to improve their abilities, find the school and instructor that will nurture their talent to help it bloom.
