3 Tips For Helping Your Children Persevere Through Music Lessons

85% of parents believe that kids who take music lessons are better able to manage their time as well as problem-solving, according to one Guitar Center research study. However, many children end up quitting their lessons before they can reap the benefits that playing music has to offer. If your child seems to be losing interest or is thinking about giving up playing music, here are three tips that can help them to persevere and carry on with their musical journey.

Trying new things

A loss of interest is perhaps one of the biggest factors that can lead to a child quitting their music lessons, but there are a few ways that this can be avoided. For example, encouraging your child to join different groups can help them to figure out where they might fit best in the music playing world. From jazz band to marching band and even local community music groups, there are a number of options out there to try. Another way to keep your child’s interest in music is by letting them try a different instrument. This is because it’s possible that your child isn’t losing interest in music itself, but simply the instrument they’re playing.

For instance, if your child wants to try the guitar as opposed to piano, it’s important to encourage them — one way could be by simply helping them to pick out the perfect new guitar. Along with choices like brand and color, it’s important to ensure your child is looking at guitars that are sized specifically for children. This is because a full-sized guitar could prove to be difficult to play, hold, and manage, which prevents them from getting the best guitar-playing experience. Above all, allowing your child to choose the instrument that peaks their interest can allow them to persevere for much longer than if they feel pressured to stick with their initial choice. Allowing them to change instrument lets them learn new things, and can help them to discover which one they really enjoy.

Keeping it interesting

Another prime reason why many quit their music lessons is that they simply aren’t challenged enough, and get bored easily. One way to remedy this is by getting them involved in private lessons, which can be a great way to get them specialized one-on-one attention and advanced practices that are attuned to their interests. Gifted music programs, master classes, or honor groups, can also be a great way to keep your child musically challenged, and can do wonders for helping them advance and foster a positive music career (should that be something they’re interested in down the road).

Staying positive

It’s also a possibility that your child might not want to stick to playing music because they feel discouraged or pressured to stay with it. This is why it’s so important to provide your child with positive encouragement throughout their musical journey and to refrain from criticizing their skills or even forcing them to attend lessons. It’s also important to listen to your child and ensure that they are enjoying their lessons and getting the most out of them so that a change can be made when necessary.

Music lessons can be an enriching and memorable experience for any child, and they can easily become something that they carry throughout the rest of their lives. However, many lose interest or get bored, which can lead to them wanting to quit. Thankfully, by listening to your child and making the appropriate changes — such as switching instruments — you can help your child to persevere and enjoy the experience for years to come.