The Successful Music Parent’s Guide

As we celebrate 41 years, we’ve noticed a few attributes that are common among our most successful students. Guess what!? Success starts with the parents!

Defining success: in our view, success looks like long-term commitment, finding joy in music-making, and appreciating the arts as an adult. It can also look like having a successful career in or outside of the arts, giving back to one’s community, passing skills along to the next generation and simply being able to play your instrument.

Success comes from caregivers who...

1.) Commit from the start. The toughest part is the beginning. It’s hard and there’s very little reward. The longer you stay with it, the easier it gets (after about a year).

2.) Consistently practice with their child at home. It doesn’t have to be perfect (nor should you expect that from a child); just consistent.

3.) Know that REVIEW is good! We are never finished learning. Playing older pieces helps us move forward.

4.) Push their child outside of their comfort zone. Not everything should be easy. Learning comes from overcoming some discomfort. Not every experience will feel like a perfect fit - and it shouldn’t - that’s how we learn flexibility and growth.

5.) Share the experience: Get involved in group music making! Parents learn from other parents and kids learn from other kids (ahem, Saturday group lessons!).

6.) Trust the process: There is no straight line to progress. Music is wonderful because it teaches us that change is necessary! This is a long process; it will have hills and valleys and circles and detours, and that is all part of the learning process. TRUST and stay in it for the long run.