When Should Kids Start Music Lessons? TakeLessons Answers for Parents

Online, December 28, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Pop culture fanatics and "Gleeks" alike have been making a big deal out of a leaked set list for an upcoming episode of Glee - a tribute to the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson!

With a family like the Jacksons, it wasn't hard for Michael to jump into the music industry at an early age. But for most parents, it will take a bit more effort to get their child involved in music. And the question remains: What age should a child start music lessons?

TakeLessons (http://takelessons.com), the nation's fastest growing music lessons provider, took the opportunity to share a quick resource for parents, broken down by age group, on the TakeLessons blog. The following is an excerpt from the blog post:

"6 to 8 Months
Classes for moms and babies are a great way to begin even with children as young as 6 - 8 months. These classes are usually 30 - 40 minutes long, and they require active participation on the part of parents. Programs designed for toddlers 18 - 24 months are very popular as well; these still require parental participation, but by this age, children are starting actively to engage in the different activities in the class.

3 and 4 Year Olds
Programs for 3- and 4-year-olds are now readily available. This is really the ideal age for kids to start their music experience. Most of these programs are about 30 - 35 minutes in length, and involve props, movement and singing. Some even integrate arts and crafts and free play with rhythm instruments and props to music. Parents typically are not required to participate in these classes.

Ages 5 and Up
For children ages 5 and up, teachers should ideally integrate activities such as music games and crafts into the curriculum. Piano/keyboard lessons are sometimes easiest for children ages 5, 6, and even older. One year of instruction on the piano or keyboard provides a great foundation as children learn basic music theory concepts such as the music alphabet, what a quarter note, half note, and whole note is, what the music staff does, and the location of the keys on the keyboard. In addition, they learn fun kids songs like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." If piano isn't their thing, the violin can provide a great foundation for children to start their lesson path."

By sharing the resource 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 blog, where they can also read tips for recording a demo, and comments are also welcomed on Facebook (http://facebook.com/takelessons).