Everyone wants their kids to have fun in music lessons. We want our students to have fun in music lessons.
Many students began music lessons with hopes of fun. And it likely was fun.
Many students quit music lessons because they or their parents wanted it to continue to be fun.
I think the problems occur when we confuse our definitions of "fun."
I believe there are three types of fun.
The first type of fun is the one where you get to indulge in something that gratifies you immediately. This could be watching a movie, eating a favorite food, or going to an amusement park.
The fun goes away when the activity ends, though. The movie ends. The food is eaten. The amusement park closes.
A synonym for this type of fun could be "pleasure."
The second type of fun is still enjoyable, but requires more participation. Kids and adults alike usually find this type of fun in playing games.
We are focused and involved. We are receiving instant feedback as we play. We may be building up some skill at the game. And we're okay with losing because, hey...it's just a game.
But, like the first type of fun, the game eventually ends.
The third type of fun is the trickiest to attain. Similar to our second type, there is participation and skill involved.
The deal breaker is that we are now playing a game with ourselves. We have to make the rules. We have to decide how to play. We have to give ourselves feedback. And the game never ends unless we decide to end it.
This is where the magic happens when it comes to learning music or acquiring any new skill.
But, things get confusing when we mix up our definition of fun.
Many hope to build skill like "fun definition #3" but experience the pleasure of "fun definition #1."
It just doesn't work that way. And it usually leads to quitting.
If you prefer to play music for pure pleasure, that's fine. But don't expect to build skill that would go with fun definition #3. If you want growth, you need a different definition of fun.
It's all about the expectations.
Try applying and changing up these types of fun to your activities today. You just might discover something life-changing.