TakeLessons Guides Parents in Supporting Musical Children

Online, January 31, 2012 (Newswire.com) - The Associated Press announced today that the Country Music Association is donating $1.4 million to a campaign aimed at supporting music education programs in Nashville. Since 2006 the CMA has donated more than $6 million to public schools, using the money to build music labs and purchase more than 4,000 instruments.

With many schools still cutting music and arts programs, the initiative gives hope to students and teachers alike. For parents whose children participate in their school's music program, however, it can be hard to know exactly how to provide support - especially for parents not familiar with music. TakeLessons (http://takelessons.com), the nation's fastest growing music lessons provider, took the opportunity to share some tips for parents to support their musical child.

The following is an excerpt from the TakeLessons blog post:

"Practice Tips for Elementary School Kids
- Help your child set up a special place at home to practice.
- Establish a time each day to play. Some children are at their best in the morning, before school. Others may do better right after school, or later in the evening.
- Consider using the phrase "playing time" rather than "practice time."
- If possible, be a positive part of your child's playing time. Sit with your child while he or she plays and ask, "Show me what you're learning." Or, consider learning to play the instrument with your child.
- Praise your child for each step forward.
- Never make negative remarks about how your child's playing sounds. It takes time and effort to produce musical sounds.
- Provide positive role models. Bring your child to hear amateur or professional musicians perform, or take your child to movies that show musicians in a positive light.
- When seeking private lessons, find a qualified teacher you can talk to easily and make sure your child is comfortable with the teacher.

Practice Tips for Middle and High School Kids
- Help your child set up a regular time every day to practice, and help establish a routine. This may require some consultation with your child's teacher.
- Explain to your child that learning happens in stages. Sometimes a student will work on something for a long time with no apparent improvement, and then discover a sudden leap in ability. Other times, learning happens very quickly. The important thing to stress is that consistent practice will yield results.
- Help your young musician set practice goals. Keeping a journal, not just a practice chart, helps track the peaks and valleys of learning a new piece or improving fundamental skills.
- As a parent, don't make judgments about the musical quality of your child's practicing. Learning an instrument requires lots of squeaks, scratches, and wrong notes."

By sharing the tips with blog readers, TakeLessons hopes to continue engaging current students and help with any musical goals they may have. Readers are invited to share their thoughts by commenting on the TakeLessons blog, where they can also read reasons for performing live, and comments are also welcomed on Facebook (http://facebook.com/takelessons).