Learning the piano

 Go for the Gold!

Considering the new year I decided to elaborate on last week’s post on goal setting. And I came up with a moniker that describes how I’d like to see my students invest in their musical learning. “Go for the G-O-L-D!”

As I stated in the last post, goal setting is crucial to achieving success in learning a musical instrument. And for many who are just beginning their career into music, they may wonder what kind of goals they should set. I believe, whether a beginner or a returning student, goals should be realistic and attainable. Simple and concise. I have two. 

One: Students should choose one musical piece they would like to have learned by the end of the year. For intermediate students this could include some simpler things like the first part of Fur Elise, or some simple Bach Minuets, or perhaps a simplified version of a currently popular tune from Adele or another pop icon. For beginning and really young students,  pieces like Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or Mary had a Little Lamb could be on the list. Of course if a student achieves this goal early, another goal should be set right away to continually motivate and encourage effort and practice.

Two: Commit yourself to daily practice. Setting a piano practice routine is the best thing you can do for yourself when starting piano lessons! Its amazingly simple, and yet many people fail to do it and end up wasting a lot of time and effort. If you make a commitment to daily practice, and turn that into a habit, your piano progress will be exponential. When a student comes to every lesson with piano practiced everyday, they are set for success. 

So, just like setting resolutions at the beginning of each year, resolve to do the following:

1. Make a One Year Commitment to Daily Piano Practice
2. Set a daily time for piano practice in your schedule that won't be disrupted. 

I want my students to get in the habit of setting and completing goals. This not only helps them with their piano studies, but is beneficial in school and in life. When we make goals, we are striving to be our best. Remember that it takes about 30 days to form a new habit, so really commit. Excuses like "I'm tired, I'm busy with work, I don't have time" won't do! If you can push through this first 30 days, the rest will be easy, as piano will simply become a part of your life. 

So let’s start the new year off right and:

Go for the “G-O-L-D!”

Set Goals

Overcome difficulties

Listen to the music

Don’t give up

Starting the Journey

After I made the decision to begin a blog in conjunction with my new home studio adventure, I decided that my first blog post would be in reference to a student's first decision to begin piano lessons. 

I know that private piano lessons are a project that could and should last many years. How do you know if it will be right for you, before you begin you should consider a few points.

 1) Do I have the Desire and Motivation?

Why do you want to take piano lessons? Do you want a new hobby, love music, want to impress your friends? Will this reason keep you practicing daily for several years? What do I want to achieve?

OR

If these lessons are for your child, does he or she show an inclination towards music or the piano…or would some other musical interest be a better match? Sometimes parents put their child into piano lessons "just because." Although piano is a very good instrument to begin as a foundation in music and music theory, if a child has much stronger motivations towards a different instrument, perhaps you should consider lessons for that instrument instead of, or in addition to, piano lessons. 

2) Do I have the Time and Commitment?

For lessons to work, you'll need a time of day, every day, set aside for practice. Remember that if your children are taking piano lessons, depending on their age and maturity level, you may have to practice *with* them in the beginning. As they learn and become more confident they may need less parental direction during practices.

Be realistic about this one. Adults especially can have some grand ideas about practicing hours and hours a day. It's usually better to start by setting aside a specific time in your daily routine to commit to piano practice and stick to it. Length of practice will vary from beginning students to intermediate and advanced, but the key is to establish a habit early of playing daily.

3) Do I have the money?

Most piano teachers require one lesson a week, so you will need to budget your monthly finances for this! And for many this is their income not a hobby. Teachers are professionals and they take pride in their work. They will appreciate prompt tuition payment that follows their studio policy guidelines.

4) Music education enhances student learning.

If these lessons are for your child consider some facts found in a study published in the journal Psychology of Music. Children exposed to a multi-year program of music education involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers.
(You can read more of this study HERE.)

Most music educators believe that involvement in music improves a student's self-discipline, coordination, dexterity, thinking and listening skills, creative abilities, personal expression and self-esteem.  Once you have decided to take that first step to begin your journey into musical expression, know that involvement can and will enhance all areas of your life.


“Music is exciting. It is thrilling to be sitting in a group of musicians playing (more or less) the same piece of music. You are part of a great, powerful, vibrant entity. And nothing beats the feeling you get when you've practiced a difficult section over and over and finally get it right. (yes, even on the wood block.) Music is important. It says things you heart can't say any other way, and in a language everyone speaks. Music crosses borders, turns smiles into frowns, and vice versa. These observations are shared with a hope: that, when schools cut back on music classes, they really think about what they're doing - and don't take music for granted.”
- Dan Rather — CBS News