What Should A Parent Do To Help Their Child Succeed In Piano

We talked in the previous post about the underlying themes of a long-term relationship. Today I want to help parents understand the role they can play in piano lessons, even if they don't play music themselves.

I believe that each one of us (parent, teacher, student) has a role in creating a success in a student. Without one leg of the 3-legged stool, it falls over of course.


This is where the role of the parent comes in: 
Parents are known as the life-coach within Simply Music and they can play an enormous part in the success of the child. They are called the life-coach because I, the piano coach, only have 30 minutes/wk with your student. Most of the progress can really come in the 6 days 23 hours without me if the student can make it to the piano most days of the week, and watch the student home materials.
 
You contribute a lot more then just bringing the students to  lessons (or make sure they are ready at home). You have the power to be a primary source of motivation for the kids. Imagine the impact you could have by simply asking your child a couple of times a week, “I love listening to ______________. Could we sit down and you play it for me, like a mini concert just for us 2. It would really make me quite happy and proud”. This could drastically extend the benefits of playing the piano beyond self. When the student realizes that they can serve OTHERS with their music; now that's a game changer. It is no longer a solitary process but an avenue to connect with other people!
 
You can be this awakener for them. When you notice that the scheduled time for practice is coming up (which is next week’s discussion), you can give them a little reminder. Just like you wouldn’t expect your child to brush their teeth on their own, a child isn't always going to have the discipline to get to the piano for practice time. if you can make it as integrated into their routine, their piano success will more then speak for the small amount of effort on your part.

In explicit terms, you as the parent have a couple of responsibilities:
1. Keep your child attending regular lessons to ensure consistent progress.
2. Choose a time for your student's practice and attempt to get them to the piano without fail most days of the week. 
3. Help keep their playlist alive by making requests of known songs.
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Hope this serves you, and will be back with you about practice schedule times.
Until Next Week, 
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~ Y O U R ~ P I A N O ~ G U I D E ~ E R I C ~ R I N E H A R T~
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Licensed Simply Music Piano Educator -
Events Pianist -
Recording Studio Artist -
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