December 7

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The Magic of Parental Involvement

When young children begin piano lessons, there's one solid indicator of long-term success.

Parental involvement.

Not just bringing them to the lessons. Not just paying for the lessons. Not just requiring practice at home.

But, staying in the loop about what is happening in lessons and practicing with their kids.

Busy parents have many thoughts on this. Everything from, "I want this to be a bonding experience for us" to, "If I have to ask him to practice, we're not doing this."

But think about it like this. Music is a language.

So is English, incidentally. By and large, we learn English (or any other native language) by hearing and speaking with our parents. 

We learn to read by reading books. Being read to (hopefully) by our parents, and learning to read with our parents as we go.

But at the beginning, would you ever just give your kids the books to try reading on their own?

Of course not!

Sure, they'll get English in school. But they need guidance and support on a daily basis. Every parent knows this and does it unquestioningly. 

The same exact concept applies to music lessons. Parents don't need to be musicians to do this. All they need to do is pay attention to lessons and get the time in every day.

Just like speaking and reading together.

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About Jonathan Roberts

I am the founder and director of the South Shore Piano School, and I have been teaching the piano for nearly 20 years. My work centers around bringing music to the lives of kids, parents, and adults in an enriching, meaningful way. At the South Shore Piano School, my incredible colleagues and I accomplish this through skill-based teaching, community, and an innovative, people-first business model. You can read more about me here.

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