By joining the school band program, your child has taken the first steps along the path to music-making. As a parent, you'll want to help your child over any obstacles he or she may encounter along the way. Start by remembering these simple ground rules.

Rule #1

DON'T WORRY IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A MUSICAL BACKGROUND. What your child needs from you is not musical expertise but patience, encouragement, and support.

Rule # 2

DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHETHER YOUR CHILD HAS "TALENT". Thousands of kids with no special athletic talent take part in- and enjoy- soccer, softball, and other activities. In the same way, any child can take part in and enjoy band.

Rule # 3

EXPECT YOUR CHILD TO SUCCEED. Learning to play an instrument is not easy. Your child may be momentarily disappointed to discover that he or she is not instantly a great musician, but fourth and fifth graders can understand that music, like many subjects, takes time. Most children can deal with the learning process as long as they feel they're making some progress. It's when they feel they're not getting anywhere that they become disillusioned

GETTING OFF TO A GOOD START

All that said, in what other ways can you help your child get off to a good start? How can you encourage him or her to keep at it and what can you do if your child appears to be "stuck"? Below are the answers to some of the questions commonly asked by new band parents.

How can I help my child practice at home?

Home practice is an essential part of learning to play an instrument, so make time to supervise your child when he or she practices at home the first few times. Even if you have no musical knowledge, your presence will give your child confidence and will help establish a practice routine.

How often should my child practice?

Your son or daughter should practice daily, preferably at the same time each day. It's generally easier to follow a routine than to try to randomly squeeze in practice time each day.

When should my child practice?

Your child needs to be focused and alert when practicing. For some, that means the best time is right after school; others need some time unwind before they can concentrate on music. Discover what works best for your child while also taking into consideration the needs of the rest of the family. Once you've established the best practice time, stick with it.

Where should my child practice?

At first you'll want to be nearby, so you can listen and supervise. Once your child is practicing on his or her own, choose a quiet place with a minimum of distractions. Forget practicing with the T.V. on or while half-listening to the T.V. in the next room. Ideally, your son or daughter can practice in an area that offers good lighting and enough room to comfortably fit a music stand and straight-backed chair- and perhaps even a mirror, which is helpful for checking playing posture.

How long should my child practice?

Fourth grade students should practice 15 minutes a day 5 days a week minimum. Fifth grade students should practice 30 minutes a day 5 days a week minimum. Frequency is more important than duration, so 10 minutes a day is preferable to 40 minutes twice a week.

How do I know if my child is practicing correctly?

In most cases, even a non-musician can tell whether a child is hitting or missing a note and whether a piece is flowing or stumbling along. Beyond that, you may not know if your son or daughter is playing the material correctly. However, you can tell just by listening whether your child is following a good practice routine as described above. Children often try to skip the "boring" parts of practice- such as warming up and working on trouble spots. Warming up may not be exciting, but it improves tone and sight-reading ability, so don't let your child overlook it. The same is true of working on difficult passages. It can be slow and frustrating but it's the only way to master new material.

ASSESSING PROGRESS

Every musician develops at his or her own pace. As long as your child continues to enjoy band, chances are he/she is doing fine. But if practicing at home as become an unbearable chore, take notice. Sure, a lot of children have trouble motivating themselves to practice at home, but once they get around to picking up their instruments, they can usually "get into" the practice session. If you have to fight with your child every time to get him or her to practice, and if he or she seems to hate every minute of it, something may be wrong.

If progress seems to be stalled, your child may have simply hit a temporary plateau, or he/she may be having difficulty grasping a basic concept (making it impossible for him/her to go forward). In any of these instances, try talking to your child and the band director to see how the problem can be resolved.

ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO PRACTICE...AND PLAY!

Even the most ardent young musician needs a nudge sometimes. Here are some suggestions that have worked well for other parents:

  • STAY IN TOUCH with what your child is learning by asking to hear old favorites as well as new works in progress
  • SUGGEST THAT YOUR CHILD REHEARSE a few tunes and perform them at a "concert" for the family.
  • ARRANGE FOR YOUR CHILD to practice with a friend once a week.
  • BRING HOME SHEET MUSIC to a favorite song and encourage your child to learn it, or obtain a play-along recording for a change of pace.
  • EXPOSE YOUR CHILD to all kinds of music. Encourage your child to borrow musical recordings from the library, and go to symphony concerts, musicals, open-air concerts, parades, ethnic music performances and high school or middle school concerts.

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