“it would be better if they had not practised at all…”

Strange words to come from a music teacher.

“Practice makes Perfect.”  Although it rolls off the tongue so easily nothing could be further from the truth.  Only perfect practice makes perfect.  Many children today make little or no progress with music lessons because of inadequate practice habits.  To train a motor skill, be it a golf swing or fine piano technique, many correct repetitions must be performed.  No matter how sincere you are, if you practise the wrong thing, all you achieve is the ability to perform the wrong action very well.  Often children practise in isolation.  They may play a passage 6 times over.  Parent and child are satisfied that they have done their practice for the day.  However, often the child has played the passage 6 different ways.  Was any one time correct?  Did she actually listen to the changes the teacher requested for the week, or is she still playing it the same way she did before her lesson?  Re-learning the passage correctly after hundreds of incorrect repetitions, is much harder than imprinting the correct pattern initially.  It would be better if she had not practised at all! 

When we talk about ‘music practice’, parent and teacher may use the same words, but that is often where communication starts and finishes.  It is as though we are speaking a different language.  What the teacher thinks of as ‘practice’ is often vastly different from what the parent has experienced or can even imagine.  No wonder that children who sincerely say that they have done their practice often fail to progress as fast as expected. 

Most parents know intuitively that giving children music lessons is of great value, in their physical, academic, emotional and cultural development.  Many make great sacrifices to give their children this wonderful gift.   

As a parent of 3 children who learn music, I am very familiar with the huge challenge of music practice.  It is hard work encouraging your children over the hurdles.  When children start young, a great deal of parent supervision is necessary for the process to be successful.  The benefits however are awesome. 

So how can we revolutionize our music practice so that it is effective and efficient.  Here is one suggestion. 

I wish that I had known what I know now about kids and music lessons, 12 years ago when my eldest child started music.  I now have the advantage of not only wearing the ‘parent’ hat but also the experience of the teacher.  There are many hints that parents can learn quickly and easily that can unlock the door to success and joy with music.  It need not take you 12 years to put it together. 

In an effort to communicate these hints quickly and efficiently I have produced an audio CD entitled Succeed With Music.  It is a powerful take-home tool that parents can listen to at their leisure maybe in the car or while they exercise.  Listen at a time to suit you.  I share all the ideas that it has taken me 12 years to compile.  I can guarantee that the investment will be worth it – you will recoup the value after just one week of lessons!  Already those who have listened have told me just how dramatically their child’s progress has accelerated after implementing just one idea from the CD.  I know it will benefit you too.