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The Sound of Music
Your Preteen Can Benefit
By Teri Brown
Andrew Thomas is director of the pre-college division of The Juilliard School. He believes parents with children who are passionate about music should cultivate that passion carefully. "It is important that parents support their children's musical activities by getting them to responsible, creative, nurturing teachers," says Thomas.
The best starting point to finding a good teacher is to take a good look at your child's learning style, and then find a teacher who understands and teaches in that style. Talk to the teacher. Find out his or her philosophy, and then set up some trial lessons. The parent can sit in on the trial lessons and observe the interaction between teacher and student to see about the fit.
Unfortunately, finding a good teacher is just the beginning. Then there is getting your child to practice. Self-discipline doesn't always come naturally for a child, especially preteens. Understanding that practice is a part of the commitment is part of your child's growing process.
For some children, fighting practice is a decisive issue, leading parents to wonder if their child really loves music or if it's time to hang up the instrument for good. "That's a hard question to answer," says Thomas. "Perhaps only the parent, who knows the child well, can have a good sense of when to push and when to give in. If the musical environment at home is varied and a consistent part of family life, it is easier for the parent to help the child understand the long-range commitment of learning music and the larger benefits and enjoyment that comes from music study."
Children who are committed to private lessons need to understand ahead of time that they need to practice regularly in order to make the most of the opportunity. Parents need to have the child make a commitment to study and practice their instrument for a certain amount of time, for instance, an entire school year. If the practicing becomes burdensome for parent or child, it may be time to reevaluate everyone's commitment.