1.Be positive about your expectations.  Attitudes are contagious. Make the decision right now to enter into this venture with nothing but successful intentions for your child.  Share your vision of success with them!  

2.Create a mutual agreement with your child and follow through.  Gaining motivation to practice is neither easy or automatic. This is one of the invaluable benefits of studying music!  Create an agreement with your child that addresses how much time will be spent practicing (your teacher will help with this).   A mutually agreed upon practice routine should be a consistent, nonnegotiable part of a child’s schedule. 

3.Be prepared for varying degrees of frustration. As soon as the newness wears off and the lessons begin to get difficult, students often experience frustration. Being committed to their success means not letting them quit out of frustration.  You are in charge.  Remind them of the agreement!

4.Encourage them to play for family and friends.  A short mini concert for family and friends will go a long way in boosting confidence and pride in a student.  Investing five to ten minutes as an audience member for your child will do wonders for their motivation.  Offer compliments and encourage them regularly.

5.Communicate regularly with your child’s teacher.  It is the best way to keep current on the status of their progress.  Don’t hesitate to ask the teacher for help if you need clarification on any aspect of the lesson.  Also, encourage your child to talk with you about their lessons.  What are they working on?  Did they learn something new today?  Ask them to demonstrate.  This kind of interaction requires a minimal time investment and will boost progress levels immensely.

6.Supplement lesson study pieces with other fun music. Students of every instrument and voice need variety and balance in their materials in order to experience progress and motivation.  Complimenting the learning materials with fun and interesting music will provide added motivation, particularly if it is music they recognize.

7.Help your child build their own music library.  Building and maintaining a student’s own music library is tangible evidence of their accomplishments! The Music Room prides itself on stocking lots of fun, motivating and inspiring music.