March 2009
Tuning Up for Music Lessons
Everything You Need to Know
By Karen Finucan Clarkson
If your child isn’t already tickling the ivories, beating a drum or tooting a horn, chances are better than even he’ll be playing an instrument soon. Fifty-four percent of U.S. households have one instrumentalist in residence, and two of five homes boast two musicians, according to a 2003 Gallup poll. Even if you don’t play, there’s no reason your child can’t.
“We believe all children can learn to play an instrument if they have the desire and they want to practice,” says Inja Stanic, director of the International School of Music (ismw.org) in Bethesda. “They may not become professional musicians, but they can learn to play.”
When to Begin: Two Schools of Thought
Exactly when a child should start learning to play depends on a teacher’s educational philosophy. “We start children as young as 2 ½ or 3,” says Carolyn Barrett, director of the Suzuki Music Studio of Reston (barrettsuzuki.com), whose program utilizes immersion techniques and role modeling to teach the very young.
The Suzuki method takes the approach that, “children can learn music the way they learn to speak their native language, through repetition,” says Lois Narvey, director of programs and admissions at the Levine School of Music (levineschool.org) with locations in the District, Maryland and Virginia. “The instruments themselves are adapted so they can be used by younger children.”
The more traditional approach is to wait until a child can read and focus, and his body is of sufficient size to handle the full-size instrument. “My teachers and most I know believe [that] 7 is a magical age for piano,” says Nancy Brownstein, who runs Mobile Musical Instruction (mobilemusicalinstruction.co.cc), a provider of in-home music lessons. “They’re just like sponges.”
For percussion, brass and wind instruments, Narvey suggests waiting until age 9. “Their two front upper teeth and lower four teeth should be fully developed,” she says. Lung capacity, which develops with age, is important, according to Stanic. “Brass and wind instruments require good breath, which some children might not have enough of until middle school.”
And middle school is not too late to start, says David Charney with Travelling Teachers (lessonsandtuning.com), which sends music instructors to homes throughout the metropolitan area. “Many people begin in their teens or even early 20s. They may have some catching up to do, but at this age, they know what they’re committing to,” he says.
Ready, Set, Go
While age is a good indicator of a child’s readiness to learn, music instructors have other rules of thumb. “Can they focus for 30 minutes?” asks Narvey, noting that most private and group lessons will run at least that long.
“Does the child really want to play?” asks Ava Spece, executive director of the DC Youth Orchestra Program (dcyop.org). “Learning to play an instrument requires an investment of funds – for lessons, to rent the instrument – so if a child doesn’t have the desire, it might make sense to do something else.”
That something else could be more generic music classes, such as those offered at the Levine School. “We have a string of early childhood classes from 4 months to 7 years,” says Narvey. “We follow a curriculum even though it seems like fun. Children learn theory, pitch and rhythm. When they get a little older, we send in tiny violin players so they can see other children performing.”
Exposing children to instrumental music and instrumentalists is a great way to interest them in music lessons, teachers agree. “There are all kinds of free concert opportunities in the D.C. area,” says Spece, noting that there’s no cost to attend concerts offered by the DC Youth Orchestra Program.
“It’s important the children don’t just listen to the music but that they see people playing the instrument,” says Narvey. “Be judicious. Most 5-year-olds won’t be able to sit through a full-length concert.”
What to Play?
While some concertgoers fall instantly in love with an instrument, many children aren’t wedded to one in particular. “If your child wants to play but isn’t sure what he wants to play, find a resource – like DC Youth Orchestra or the Kennedy Center – that offers a petting zoo,” says Spece.
An instrumental petting zoo allows children to handle a variety of musical instruments. “Children can try different instruments and see what attracts their attention – sound, how it looks, whether they enjoy playing it,” says Stanic.
At the International School of Music, students can take a trial lesson with the instrument provided by the school. “It’s a chance for the parent to gauge a child’s interest and for the teacher to evaluate a student’s skills and determine how long a lesson should be,” Stanic says.
“If you don’t have classical instruments in the house, take a trip to a music store and let your child look at all the instruments. Show him everything – brass, woodwinds, strings, percussion,” says Brownstein.
If you don’t own the instrument your child wants to play, you will have to buy or rent one in order for your child to practice. “It doesn’t need to be a concert grand piano like you’d find at the Kennedy Center,” says Charney, “but it must function well and sound good. A used instrument is often fine for beginners.” While there are a number of stores that rent instruments, some studios, such as the Suzuki Music Studio of Reston, do as well.
There is a difference of opinion, however, when it comes to investing in a piano. Some teachers say an electronic keyboard is fine for beginners. Others disagree. “For the Suzuki approach, you need an acoustic piano,” says Barrett. “We teach a way of striking keys that is irrelevant with an electronic keyboard.”
Learning to Play
Your child’s age and learning style and your family’s schedule and budget are factors to consider when deciding from whom your child will take music lessons. Options include private lessons in your home and private and group studio lessons. “Having a teacher come to your home is incredibly convenient,” says Brownstein, “but you need to have a quiet place set aside. It can’t be like Grand Central with siblings passing in and out or a loud TV near by.” “Younger siblings may benefit from watching part of a lesson from time to time,” says Charney, “provided they can sit quietly. That exposure might lead them to want to learn.”
Private lessons generally run 30 minutes. Some teachers, says Brownstein, may be willing to teach a younger sibling for just 20 minutes if she’s already coming to the home to give a lesson. As children mature and progress, lessons may go as long as 45 minutes to an hour.
Many studios, in addition to offering private lessons, provide the opportunity to play in ensembles. “Music isn’t something you just do by yourself,” says Spece. “It’s meant to be shared. Playing in an ensemble, particularly one where all the children are of the same ability, provides learning and social opportunities and is just a lot of fun.”
Group lessons are another, often lower cost, option. At the DC Youth Orchestra Program, beginner classes last an hour. As students progress, they join an ensemble. “The ensemble can be thought of as the lab to the class,” says Spece. In the class they learn fingering, scales and – for brass and wind instruments – the proper placement of the lips and mouth. Then, they apply the literature being given to them in ensemble work.”
Group lessons are part of the Suzuki approach, as is parental involvement. “Parents come to the lesson and learn the instrument along with the child,” says Barrett. “They become the teacher.”
The Suzuki method, which initially does not require a student to read music, attracts students as young as 2 ½ . “We try to follow the students rate of learning and not have a timetable that they have to adhere to,” says Barrett.
Practice Makes Perfect
Children need – and should want – to practice in order to improve, music teachers agree. “A reasonable expectation when starting piano is 10 minutes a day,” says Brownstein. Over time, that should be expanded.
If a child can’t sustain 10 or 15 minutes initially, try breaking up practice into 5-minute segments, suggests Narvey. “Try telling your child something like, ‘You know that spot you’re having trouble with? Why don’t you go to the piano and try that for a few minutes?’” she says.
Stanic suggests making practice seem more of a game than a chore. “Instead of mindlessly repeating one piece after another, try mixing things up. First, have him concentrate on getting the notes correctly. The next time the focus can be on rhythm. After that, shift the focus to dynamics.”
Barrett often relates practice to a child’s age. “If they’re 4 years old, I’ll say, ‘Do this four times every day.’ If they’re 12, it’ll be 12 times a day. Sometimes, if there’s one passage they’re struggling with, I’ll say, ‘Go home and do this 50 times.’ That many sound like a lot but it may only take them 3 minutes.”
If daily practice is a struggle, Charney suggests just three or four times a week for 20 minutes a time. “Even though a child doesn’t practice every day, practice needs to be as regular as possible,” he says.
“Make practice part of your household routine,” agrees Spece, “just like brushing your teeth. Eventually, it will become second nature.” She also recommends morning practice, before school if possible, so practice isn’t there waiting, along with homework, after school.
What often motivates a child to practice, teachers agree, are recitals. Most studios and private instructors have students perform annually or semiannually. “Even in the beginning, students should have the opportunity to get up and show off for friends and family,” says Charney, “but they shouldn’t be judged or graded.”
“Often at recitals we’ll have our students try duets with another student or teacher,” says Stanic. “We also have our teachers perform at the end so the students can see where music can take them.”
Keyboard, tuba, alto and baritone sax and voice are among the instruments played by Karen Finucan Clarkson and her three sons, ages 9-18.