1. How old should my child be before they start lessons?
If a child knows their letters through G, numbers through 5, and can sit for 25-30 minutes regularly they are old enough to start piano (for many kids that is as young as 4). For ukulele and guitar they should be a little older since they need more coordination between the two hands to get a decent sound. Voice is more complicated so see question 2).
More important is that they WANT to play. If they do not want to play an instrument your child won't practice enough to make good progress. While some parents force their children to practice and the children go on to appreciate it becoming excellent musicians, the vast majority of parents forcing their children into lessons encourages resentment of the instrument. If you want your child to play an instrument but they are uninterested, either take them to concerts and recitals where they can see musicians playing that instrument or learn to play it yourself and let your children see you enjoy learning and playing. Children exposed to live music often want to learn to play the instrument themselves.
The other thing to consider is if there is TIME to practice. If your child is already going from one activity to another and rarely is home, there is not enough time. While you want the best for your child, please consider that children also need time to relax, play with friends, be creative on their own, read, and go outside. Playing an instrument is something I believe all children should learn to do but not at the expense of their sanity or yours. The other side is that they may have time to practice but you do not have the time to enforce practicing. If there is not an adult around to remind children to practice, children often won't even if it is an enjoyable activity.
More important is that they WANT to play. If they do not want to play an instrument your child won't practice enough to make good progress. While some parents force their children to practice and the children go on to appreciate it becoming excellent musicians, the vast majority of parents forcing their children into lessons encourages resentment of the instrument. If you want your child to play an instrument but they are uninterested, either take them to concerts and recitals where they can see musicians playing that instrument or learn to play it yourself and let your children see you enjoy learning and playing. Children exposed to live music often want to learn to play the instrument themselves.
The other thing to consider is if there is TIME to practice. If your child is already going from one activity to another and rarely is home, there is not enough time. While you want the best for your child, please consider that children also need time to relax, play with friends, be creative on their own, read, and go outside. Playing an instrument is something I believe all children should learn to do but not at the expense of their sanity or yours. The other side is that they may have time to practice but you do not have the time to enforce practicing. If there is not an adult around to remind children to practice, children often won't even if it is an enjoyable activity.
2. How old should my child be to start voice lessons?
While school music classes and children's choirs are great for teaching young children to sing it is hard to effectively teach voice to young students because singing is abstract. There is no physical instrument to press on and I can't move their vocal chords to the correct position like I can when a finger is in the wrong spot. For most students their brain has developed enough by 7th or 8th grade to understand the abstract side of singing. Students who have played an instrument for years or been very active in children's choirs and local musicals could start sooner but there are other considerations as well.
The voice is part of the body and everyone's vocal chords go through the stages of development at different times. Proper breathing, singing in head voice, reading notes, singing in a different language, intonation, vowel shapes, and more can be taught to basically any age given the right environment (for example: children's choirs or music classes at school). Some children's voices develop faster though and are capable of producing an advanced tone early. This gives people the impression that EVERY child is capable of a full sound which, when forced early, can cause damage. If you are considering voice lessons for your child in 6th grade or younger, please contact me so I can evaluate if voice lessons would be good for them.
The voice is part of the body and everyone's vocal chords go through the stages of development at different times. Proper breathing, singing in head voice, reading notes, singing in a different language, intonation, vowel shapes, and more can be taught to basically any age given the right environment (for example: children's choirs or music classes at school). Some children's voices develop faster though and are capable of producing an advanced tone early. This gives people the impression that EVERY child is capable of a full sound which, when forced early, can cause damage. If you are considering voice lessons for your child in 6th grade or younger, please contact me so I can evaluate if voice lessons would be good for them.
3. I'm too old for lessons, right?
Absolutely not! Adults actually CAN learn an instrument FASTER than children. I've known plenty of adults who started learning their first instrument and were in a band within a few years. The problems with adults learning a new instrument revolve around patience and time.
Patience: Adults tend to measure their progress against people who have been playing for years and become discouraged often forgetting to be happy they learned the simple songs. If you decide to start lessons, remember it will take time to learn the difficult songs. Keep in mind that you are paying me to teach you because I know what you need to lean. Often adults try to skip the assigned exercises and songs which means they are skipping important steps in the learning process and end up learning slower.
Time: My adult students typically start by saying they will practice every day but eventually life catches up with them and practicing gets skipped. Things come up but the important thing is to get back in the habit of practicing as soon as possible. Occasional practicing will result in only occasional progress. If you are an adult considering lessons I encourage you to evaluate how much you want to learn over how much time you want to spend watching tv or playing around on a computer. If you are strapped for time but can manage to fit at least 10 minutes of practicing in each morning or evening, that would be fantastic. Playing an instrument or singing is often a stress reducer so you'll feel better throughout your day.
Patience: Adults tend to measure their progress against people who have been playing for years and become discouraged often forgetting to be happy they learned the simple songs. If you decide to start lessons, remember it will take time to learn the difficult songs. Keep in mind that you are paying me to teach you because I know what you need to lean. Often adults try to skip the assigned exercises and songs which means they are skipping important steps in the learning process and end up learning slower.
Time: My adult students typically start by saying they will practice every day but eventually life catches up with them and practicing gets skipped. Things come up but the important thing is to get back in the habit of practicing as soon as possible. Occasional practicing will result in only occasional progress. If you are an adult considering lessons I encourage you to evaluate how much you want to learn over how much time you want to spend watching tv or playing around on a computer. If you are strapped for time but can manage to fit at least 10 minutes of practicing in each morning or evening, that would be fantastic. Playing an instrument or singing is often a stress reducer so you'll feel better throughout your day.
4. How much should I or my child practice?
There is no easy answer to that question. The most basic answers is "if your lesson is 30 minutes long you should practice 30 minutes a day and if your lesson is 60 minutes long you should practice 60 minutes a day." But for young students or beginners 30 minutes every day is too difficult. For my students I create realistic practice goals that relate to their age, how long they've been playing, and what their goals are. Some of my students practice at least 30 minutes a day while I have others that practice 20 minutes a day. Some of my students, rather than set a time, we work on building the habit of practicing every day but it may only be for 10 minutes. Other students can't make the time to practice daily so they might skip a few days in a week but practice 50 minutes on the other days.
The older you are, the more you should practice. The higher your goals, the more you should practice. As long as you build up your time practicing (not suddenly practicing for 4 hours straight) then there is no such thing as too much practicing.
I've had students who practice so much they get through an entire level of books in 5 months. I've also had students who practice so little that after 2 years they haven't finished that same level.
The older you are, the more you should practice. The higher your goals, the more you should practice. As long as you build up your time practicing (not suddenly practicing for 4 hours straight) then there is no such thing as too much practicing.
I've had students who practice so much they get through an entire level of books in 5 months. I've also had students who practice so little that after 2 years they haven't finished that same level.
5. How soon will I (or my child) be a star?
Woah buddy, hold your horses! Learning music takes time and if you are new to lessons you may have a long way to go. Bands and performers often go through a few years of promoting themselves before they get a record deal often recording and selling their own albums and that is AFTER they learn their instrument. Music theater performers often audition for hundreds of roles before they get their first paying gig. Yes, there are some people that through youtube or TV contests end up going from nothing to stardom overnight but..A) that's very few people, B) they have been practicing for years even if they weren't taking private lessons, and C) most of those people HAVE been working on making a name for themselves before they signed up for the contest often being involved in local contests and regular performances.
I am a firm believer that EVERYONE has the ability to follow their dreams and there is no age where it becomes impossible to switch careers but you need to be realistic. If you want to make a name for yourself with music, regardless of genre, you need to dedicate time to practicing. I can tell you what you need to do, how much to practice, where to perform, what to learn, where to record, and so much more but I cannot practice for you. If you want go from zero to hero you need to practice, practice, practice, practice, practice. I believe you CAN become a star but how soon relies entirely on how much you practice.
I am a firm believer that EVERYONE has the ability to follow their dreams and there is no age where it becomes impossible to switch careers but you need to be realistic. If you want to make a name for yourself with music, regardless of genre, you need to dedicate time to practicing. I can tell you what you need to do, how much to practice, where to perform, what to learn, where to record, and so much more but I cannot practice for you. If you want go from zero to hero you need to practice, practice, practice, practice, practice. I believe you CAN become a star but how soon relies entirely on how much you practice.
6. My child has special needs. Can you teach him/her?
Absolutely! I am a certified music teacher. That means I've taught K-12 in public schools which involved both inclusive classrooms and specialized music classes. I've worked with many different special needs between my time in classrooms and in private lessons. There are options for students of all abilities but some teachers don't know the modifications that can be made, lack the ability to change their method to fit the child, or lack the patience some students need from their teacher. Sometimes we need different books, sometimes a modified instrument, and sometimes we just need to try a variety of things before we find what works.
If your child does have special needs of any kind (even mild ones) please be open with me. You are not labeling your child; you are expediting how quickly I understand how to reach your child through music. You know your child better than I do so talk to me about what they like or dislike, what you've tried in the past, anything they excel at, and any limitations. I will not share that information with others but it will assist me when I plan for our lessons.
If your child does have special needs of any kind (even mild ones) please be open with me. You are not labeling your child; you are expediting how quickly I understand how to reach your child through music. You know your child better than I do so talk to me about what they like or dislike, what you've tried in the past, anything they excel at, and any limitations. I will not share that information with others but it will assist me when I plan for our lessons.