Sticking With It: Staying Engaged and Inspired

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Other Helpful Tips

For some students, staying engaged with their instrument can be half the battle. It’s important to help them make the most of this experience, and guide them in the direction of the lifelong benefits that go beyond the four walls of a classroom.

Have your child explore different genres, or explore different genres with them.

Don’t let them feel limited to a single musical genre; have them listen to jazz, classical, rock, blues, and world music  and more to gain a broader prospective of what’s out there. Lessons are a great way to introduce new musical styles and hone in on them.

Attend live performances with them.

Watching live performances by accomplished musicians can be incredibly inspiring to a fellow musician. This can also introduce them to new music and artists.

Encourage them to learn more than one instrument.

If the time and resources are there, why not try to pick something new up? Talk with them about how learning a new instrument unlocks a whole new world each time, and remind them that practice is still needed. Piano and violin? Learning both can reinforce harmonic understanding and melodic phrasing. Flute and guitar? Watch opportunities to play different genres expand quickly!

Challenge them to improvise or compose their own music.

This is an incredible step in a musician’s journey, and the earlier they start, the better. It can be intimidating to create such a vulnerable piece of art and then share it with others, so remind them that they can share at their own pace. A great place to craft their masterpiece is in their own room dedicated to practice.

By staying open to new genres and approaches, you child will continue to grow and evolve as a musician. Help them embrace the ever-expanding world of music and reinforce the lifetime of learning that it brings.