Summer Music Lessons: Tips for Finding the Ideal Piano Teacher for Your Child.
School is out (or nearing the end) and it’s now time to get your child involved in fun, creative activities to keep them occupied throughout the summer. Whether your child is going to participate in a summer camp or not, having them involved in more than one activity is a great way to broaden their horizons as the get prepared for the next school year. One great way to enhance their learning abilities is by allowing them to learn a musical instrument. While each instrument is unique and has its own set of learning advantages, this particular post will discuss the piano.
Benefits to Playing
There are plenty of benefits to playing the piano that can help your child further enhance their ability to learn throughout their years in school. Some of the benefits to learning the piano include: improved cognitive abilities, acquired hand-eye coordination, improved concentration and focus, as well as increased exposure to other cultures and music genres. If your child has shown any interest in playing a musical instrument such as a piano, honing in on these interests are certainly beneficial to them long term. Below are a few suggestions on looking for the right piano teacher for your child.
Consider
Your Personal Preferences – The first step in selecting a piano teacher that will best benefit your child is to discern what your personal preferences are. Does your child have any experience playing the piano at all? Do you have a piano already that your child can learn on? Do you prefer to take your child to a location to meet the piano teacher or would you prefer the teacher come to your home? All of these things will factor into the type of piano teacher you choose and which one will best suit your needs.
Gather a List of Potential Teachers
After you’ve determined what your personal preferences are, you can begin creating a list of piano teachers in your area. You can do this in several ways. The first option would be to ask other parents who they’d recommend as a piano teacher for your child. The other option would be to check through an online directory where you would find a list of piano teachers along with online reviews from previous students and parents.·
Allow Your Child to be Part of the Process
Once you’ve found a few piano teachers that cater to children and can accommodate your personal preferences, you’ll want to meet with each of them to see who makes the best fit. During your interviews, you’ll want to make sure that your child is present. Since your child will be the most involved with the teacher, you want to ensure that whomever you choose meshes well with your child. If your child feels uncomfortable or uncertain about a particular candidate, chances are you should move on to another teacher on the list.
Have Questions Ready
Another step in the interviewing process is to have your questions ready. You’ll want to know things such as the teacher’s experience playing and teaching the piano, what their learning style is, what the going rate might be, and other questions as they pertain to the services they provide. Writing all your questions down beforehand helps to ensure that you don’t forget to ask something that is important. Once you’ve followed the above steps, all that’s left to do is select a piano teacher that you and your child can agree on.
From there it’s a simple matter of scheduling your classes and watching your child to flourish as they learn to play the piano. If your child is not particularly interested in the piano, learning any type of musical instrument is beneficial and the above mentioned tips would also apply. Within a few short weeks, you’ll notice a difference in your child’s confidence and playing abilities that you’ll surely be proud of.
