Im thinking of signing my kids up for Music Lessons!

I’m Thinking Of Signing My Child Up For Music Lessons. How Do I Go About That in an informed way?

As parents, we want to give our children many opportunities when they are young to explore different interests and activities. Music always seems to end up on the list for many parents.

Over the past few years, many music studios have started popping up all around the country and you probably have few right in your local area. What makes them unique from one another? Why would you pick one over the other? Here are 5 things that as a parent and studio owner feel are attributes you would expect from your studio/teacher.

First off , I'd say the condition of the studio says a lot about the quality of the lessons going on in the building. I've went into studios that were small, crowded and dirty yet people were still going for lessons ! Choose a studio that is inviting, warm and clean! I know it sounds obvious, but the environment is usually created by the leadership at the studio.If the owner cares, that will trickle out to the staff, teachers and ultimately the lessons!

Second

Music lessons should have more to them than just the 30 minutes to an hour each week that the student will spend with the teacher. Recital and other student performances are a must to keep students engaged and working towards some music goal. Achievement systems like our MUSICAL MILESTONES program, provide an extra spark to a students lessons and really get them to focus on their progress with their chosen instrument.

Third

Very important obviously, is the quality of the teacher. A teacher's quality is not always about the Degree they have , but the degree to which they truly care about the student's progress. You can usually pick up on this very quickly by noticing things like: A. Do they have a plan? B. Do they make an effort to make the lessons engaging ? C. Are they specific in what the student should work on outside of the lessons ? D. Do they regularly update you (the parent) on what is happening in the child's lesson? E. Do they show up consistently to the lessons? F. Are they flexible enough to alter their lesson plan to fit the child's learning style and abilities ?

Fourth

Find a teacher that has been background checked and has a stable location and schedule.

Most teachers I have met/ hired over the years have been reputable teachers with a clean background. Most studios background check all their teachers and provide a monitored environment that parents can easily sit in on the lesson or have a comfortable lobby/waiting room.

Having a stable schedule for your child's learning experience is also vital to consistent progress.It gets frustrating and downright counter productive if your teacher is continually

missing/rescheduling lessons.One of our core values and my studio is trust through consistency and that starts with making sure the student gets their lesson every week.

Fifth and final

Give it a good honest 3 to 6 months

Becoming proficient on an instrument takes time. It's not an instant gratification type of thing, which really great for kids. As we know, some of the best things we experience in life comes from persistence and [practice.Music to is a beautiful, artistic way to experience that.

I've been a musician for 40+ and there have been many times I have wanted to just give it up.I am glad I didn't though, it continues to be a great joy in my life. Give your child the gift of going through a couple of peaks and valleys as they go into their musical journey.They will thank you for it someday. 

Sincerely ,

Vince Hanvey. , Founder and Music Director, U.S. Music Lessons