10 Things To Consider Before Enrolling Your Child in Music Lessons

Photo by davitydave from flickr creative commons

Learning how to play a musical instrument in early childhood has been found to have a great effect on brain development. In fact, according to a 2013 study published by Journal of Neuroscience, titled “Early Musical Training and White-Matter Plasticity in the Corpus Callosum: Evidence for a Sensitive Period”, the left and right brain hemispheres of children who started music lessons before the age of 7 had better connectivity than those who didn’t. This means that these children’s different regions of the brain -- for example, the area for hearing and the one controlling fine motor movements -- are better synchronized. 

Even before such studies have been published, however, parents have already known that there is something about music that is good for their kids. It may be the discipline acquired from practicing to play an instrument, or perhaps it is the confidence that comes with performing that parents want for their children. Certainly, knowing how to play the piano, the guitar, or the violin can make a child popular among his peers.

Beneficial as it may be, regular music lessons can be quite expensive and demand a significant amount of time and devotion. What should you know before enrolling your child in private music lessons?

1. Music is joy
Parents have different reasons for wanting their children to learn how to play an instrument, but there is no higher purpose to music than finding and reveling in the joy in it. Encouraging this attitude towards music will let your child enjoy his lessons more, as opposed to requiring technical expertise from him right away.

Ford Pundamiera, who teaches recorder, piano, flute, and cello at Kolisko Waldorf School and homeschool provider Catholic Filipino Academy, advises parents that music enjoyment is critical in a student’s success in playing any instrument.

2. The best first instrument is the voice
Liaa Patag, a soprano from the Philippine Madrigal Singers and freelance choral conductor, says that the best first instrument is our voice because we already have it inside our body. She says, “You can learn to read notes and sing without any other instrument.”

It is important that a child has a good singing model, so Liaa encourages parents to sing with their young child on a daily basis. However, if you sing out of tune, taking voice lessons yourself will help you sing correctly, and in the process help your child develop a good ear for music.

3. Start with music and movement experiences
Music and movement classes provide good musical exposure to children. These classes help children experience and learn about different kinds of music, rhythm, and musical beats while doing what they love best - move.

Programs like Kindermusik engage children in age-appropriate musical activities that help them with language, social-emotional, physical, and creative skills. Of course, a lifelong love of music is naturally developed. If such classes are inaccessible to your family, you can always search for ideas on the Internet on what you can do at home. These will involve swaying, dancing, singing, and playing simple instruments with your child.

4. Exposure to different instruments is important
In order for a child to have a meaningful relationship with music, he needs to be exposed to different kinds of instruments. The objective is not mastery of a particular instrument, but to give him a positive experience with it.

When a child is allowed to experience and explore different instruments such as the drum, recorder, glockenspiel, or the piano, he is able to discover on his own how it works. Discovery always ignites interest.

5. Provide musical experiences outside lessons
Listening is the first way that a child experiences music; parents should take care in choosing what to let their child listen to. At home, listen to and enjoy a wide variety of music together; tap the beat on your child’s body or dance with your toddler for him to be immersed in the music.

When your child is around 3 or 4 years old, you can already bring him to watch ballets and concerts of choirs, pianists, or orchestras. The U.P. College of Music, for one, regularly holds concerts of its students and faculty at Abelardo Hall.

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6. Interest is key
There are parents who want their kids to learn a musical instrument because it’s family tradition or because they want to give their children what they did not have themselves. 

However, like in any endeavor, interest is the key to success. A lot of us might be able to relate with Liaa’s childhood experience of being “forced to learn the piano” by her grandmother. Fortunately for her, she was interested and excelled in it; her older cousins were not and did not.

7. Check other skills needed to play an instrument
Playing an instrument requires skills that a child will need in order to be successful. A child who wants to play the piano needs developed fine motor skills and a boy dreaming of playing the guitar needs physical strength in order to carry and play the instrument at the same time.

Liaa warns that parents shouldn’t force children to learn an instrument when they are not yet ready, as they will likely become frustrated. For example, a child interested in piano might give up on her dream because her fingers are not yet strong enough to effectively tap the keys.

Similarly, Ford recommends following a child’s natural development. He says that children may start with the recorder at about age 5 to hone their listening and fine motor skills, move to the violin at age 9 or 10, and then the piano at age 12. In high school, when they have been exposed to more instruments and their fine motor skills are well developed, students can already choose their favorite instruments in an informed manner.

8. Group classes can be more beneficial
Ford, who also conducts children’s orchestras, believes that making music with others is a special and positive experience. He asserts that the joy of playing multiplies with the joy of sharing music with others. This is the reason why he gives group lessons instead of individual ones.

Group classes encourage communication and collaboration, as children need to be aware of what the others are doing. They need to adjust accordingly to reach their common goal of making beautiful music.

9. Choosing an instrument depends on a lot of other factors
Children will be able to choose better if they are exposed to as many musical instruments as possible. However, interest in a particular instrument is not enough. Parents should also consider if their child’s temperament matches the instrument, if they can afford the instrument, and if they will be able to stand listening to their child practice the instrument for hours. The type of music that a child is drawn to should also be factored in the choice of which instrument to learn.


10. Enjoy music together
The best musical experience that parents can give their children is a shared one. Parents should enjoy music with their children, either by quietly listening or by jamming together. Make memories and play the guitar while your child sings or bangs a drum, or just sing together and play percussion instruments. 

Backed by scientific evidence, music lessons for young children are a great investment for their development. However, before heading out to find an instructor who will teach your child to play a specific musical instrument, you should first consider what you could do at home. Provide your child with a strong musical foundation, respect his development, and adjust your expectations accordingly.