Your Music Place

Maybe you already play a musical instrument or maybe, like very many people, you wish that you had learned when you were younger – when learning was SO much easier!
To be able to play a musical instrument is a wonderful thing. It is something that many of us never had the chance to learn and something that many of us have regretted as we have got older and run out of time, enthusiasm or brain space!

To give your child the benefit of learning a musical instrument is to give them the chance to express themselves through music in a way that will bring them great pleasure and a feeling of satisfaction. They may never become professional musicians – although you never know – but just being able to play on a social level will open new avenues for them. Kids love performing and showing new talents and I know from experience that, if a youngster has some training on an instrument, it is often the case that they need very little persuasion to perform for family and friends. A great confidence boost for some children who are otherwise a little shy in public.

Most children will receive some music tuition at school. This is usually a basic understanding of the rudiments of music and the chance to listen to a variety to different genres of music. Through this they will discover if they have an interest which they want to pursue. If they do then you will probably find that there are facilities within school for them to do this. Tuition at school is good but can be either too slow or too fast, depending on the speed at which your child learns. Sometimes it is better to learn at home where they are more confident and the lessons plan can be followed at their own speed and at times to suit both the child and the family.

But why should it be just one member of the family who is learning. What fun you can have if others in the family learn at the same time. You will be able to play together and help each other along the way. Then, when you have mastered the basics you will be able to compliment each other and give each other support. Learning a new skill together as a family is a great way to get close to your children as they see that you are in the same boat as them and are making the same mistakes and learning as they do. You are down on their level and for some children this can be a superb way for them to break down communication barriers. They will even be able to help you. Children’s brains are very much geared towards learning whereas our brains have gone beyond their prime in that respect and it will probably become obvious that they pick up the basics of playing an instrument before us! Don’t be jealous or childish about this – let them help you. They will love being able to do this and it will once again help to open up the lines of communication throughout the family.

Musical instrument tuition is not cheap. Sometimes you will find that you can have a tutor come to your home to give lessons and this way they can cater for all the family and work at your speed but these do work out to be quite expensive. Another option is an online tuition course. These are much more flexible and can be used by everyone.

I have found an online guitar lesson package which is easy to use and they are even offering some free lessons to get you started. The benefit of an online package such as this is that you can all learn from it at a time that suits the family. You do not have to sit down all together at the same time – this helps if you are sharing an instrument – and you can learn at your own speed. One course can be used by all, which makes much more economic sense.

To find out more about lessons such as these and in fact many other aspects of child care and parenting, visit the new website – I Have Very Tired Parents! – www.ihvtp.com – where you will find all sorts of articles and great ideas.