The fact that children can make beautiful music is less significant than the fact that music can make beautiful children.
Cheryl Lavender
Till your kids learn to make their own choices and develop an understanding about their interests, it is going to be your job to cultivate good habits in them and help them find their way. By giving them a musical instrument and encouraging them to practice it, you will help them develop a hobby and also give them a companion for life. Over time, they may develop a love for music and may even master the art.
But it's not going to be easy. Forcing the kids to develop music as a hobby will not help. Kids they are, and getting them to follow one thing for long is going to be difficult. At that age, their interests keep changing very often, and they are easily distracted. We understand your difficulty. Here we offer you some tips on how to gently get your kids to practice their musical instrument regularly. Remember, nagging, frowning, or throwing tantrums is not going to help.
Fix a Time
It's about fixing a time slot, not a time limit. Depending on the difficulty level of playing the instrument, your kid may take less or more time to learn it. From getting to know the basic notes to playing melodies, the process of learning a musical instrument is beautiful. But it takes time to realize this. Learning a musical instrument requires effort, patience, and a good amount of discipline. The key is to get the kids to start practicing at the same time everyday. It helps them develop a habit and over time, an affinity towards the instrument. Once they start loving it, you need not fix a time slot.
Give them a Conducive Environment
Music needs to be felt. Make sure that the room in which your kid practices the instrument is insulated from external noise. Make sure that your kid is comfortable in the room and does not have distractions. If possible, adjust the room decor to base it on the 'music' theme. You could have posters about music or pictures of famous musicians put up. You could also have the room used by your kids and their friends for fun jamming sessions.
Appreciate Them
Every time they play music well, appreciate them. Praise them for the new skill acquired and encourage them to practice more. This will boost their confidence and make them want to get better at playing the instrument. Have them reproduce what was taught and reward them for a job well done. Provide them with external motivating factors, thus leading them to practice more. Help them develop the urge to master the art.
Let Them Choose
At first, let your kids experiment with different kinds of music and musical instruments. Observe them and try to understand which musical instrument they spend the most of their time on, and what kind of music they like. Based on that, help them make the right choice. Better yet, let them choose the instrument they would want to learn and play.
Have them Perform
Give them time to practice what they have learned in the music class, and organize a small performance. It's a good idea to have them start from a small family gathering. That should give them just the right amount of pressure needed to put up a good performance. This will definitely give them more confidence and also urge them to take more effort in perfecting the art. Don't forget to appreciate them for the performance. It will lead them to take regular and more rigorous practice sessions.
Initially, when everything is new, kids get super-excited about learning to play the musical instrument. But over time, they may start losing interest and stop practicing. By urging them to learn and appreciating them for their little achievements, you can stop them from losing interest. It's equally important to have them listen to good music. Listening to good artists play, will help them pick up faster. The more they are exposed to music, the better they will get. And the better they get, the more they will love the art.
