The below comments are taken from "Keeping the Ball Rolling" by Rochelle Pearson from the American Suzuki Association, Vol. 35, #4.
Back in Greek times there were three disciplines: Math for the mind, Gymnastics for the body and Music for the soul... It has been proven that you use more of the brain in playing music than you do in any other activity. It incorporates emotion, mathematics, history, language, etc. Children who play an instrument tend to perform better academically. Therefore, it should be part of a child's daily activity, like doing homework or brushing teeth...
Most children don't naturally migrate to the things that are good for them in life. If left to their own, they would likely want to watch TV and/or play video games most of the day.
It is important that we approach practicing with a positive attitude, encouragement, and constructive criticism. There is no reason why practicing can't be enjoyable... Go to concerts, listen to recordings... do whatever you can to make the love of music an integral part of your lives.
I have never ... had an adult come up to me and say sadly, "Why did my parents force me to take violin lessons?" I've only heard adults say to me remorsefully, "Why did my parents let me quit!?!"... Any fine art form like dance or music must be developed young, when the muscles are developing and the mind is quick to absorb new information.
Remember that it doesn't matter whether or not your children go into music professionally in the future. What matters is that they develop mentally, physically, and emotionally as they mature, and that they develop a true love and appreciation for music for the rest of their lives.
(Ideas for practice incentives:)
Practice 10 sessions without one complaint, receiving a star each time, and after 10 stars they get a little prize.
Media time: They don't get to do screen time until all homework and practicing is done.
Hang in there- it takes time to get into a groove. Just as with the laws of motion, once you get the ball rolling, it will continue to roll, but once it stops then it takes extra effort to get it rolling again.
No comments:
Post a Comment