When should my child start music lessons?

  

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What’s the right age?

As a Kindermusik educator, I am often asked when a child should begin to take private music lessons.  The answer to this question varies substantially from one child to another.  First, there is the child who demonstrates a strong interest in and aptitude for music and specifically, in playing an instrument.  Signs of this include a child who spontaneously sings or dances with or without music playing in the background, and directly asking for music instruction.

I was such a child.  From a very young age, I wanted to play the piano.  So persistent and single-minded in this passion was I, that at the age of five, my mother finally acquiesced and allowed me to take piano lessons.  It was an instant love affair that persists to this day.  If your four or five year- old is consistently expressing an interest in a particular instrument, then by all means, sign her up.

For the vast majority of children, though, pushing them into private lessons too soon will only frustrate them (and you) and will perhaps permanently diminish their love for music.  A commonly used rule of thumb is that a child should be able to read and write before they begin lessons because this is a good indicator of the ability to recognize symbols.  However, there are other considerations as well.

In order to learn the details of an instrument’s technique and to read music, the brain needs to be  ready for more linear learning (think about learning to read: first, you learn the letters, then the sounds the letters make, and only then can you start to put them together into words).  Also, fine motor skills need to be highly developed, as well as attention spans—important for sitting still and focusing on a task with an adult for about 30 minutes at a time.  For most children, then, somewhere between the ages of seven and ten is usually a good starting point for private lessons. 

Kids learn music before formal lessons

So how do we parents expose our children to music before they turn seven?  For babies, simply singing to them and moving them to the beat of music will be enjoyable for you both.  Toddlers and preschoolers, with their added physical coordination can “play” instruments such as drums, egg shakers, sand blocks, rhythm sticks, and resonator bars.  At these ages, an interest in music will grow directly from your enthusiasm and participation.

Then from about four and a half to seven years of age, the brain is developing greater rhythm and movement capabilities.  It is at this age that most children will truly be able to clap to the beat of a song or possibly sing in tune, but also unfortunately, when parents start to feel the child needs more than they can provide.  Additionally, this is the age when “mommy and me” classes are no longer challenging or interesting.

But parents can foster this developmental spurt at home:

• Clap or march—form a parade and march around your house.
• Dance to feel the different kinds of music—some songs are smooth and flowy (think ballet) while others are jumpy and percussive (think tap or hip hop).
• You can even practice identifying instruments in different songs: “I hear a drum and a flute.  What do you hear?”
• Incorporate simple sing-songs throughout your day that encourage children to find their singing voices.
• Play conductor as you listen to music together. 

Keeping it in perspective

As Stephanie Stein Crease puts it so eloquently in her book, Music Lessons, “You want your child to build a long-term involvement with music—you don’t want it to be just one of those ‘shoulds’ we impose as parents.  Music making is about skill development, but it is also about exploring sounds, making beautiful sounds, creating something with other people, and carrying on musical and cultural traditions. . . .The task of the first teacher may be to develop a love of music which leads to long-term commitment.”  Ultimately, this passion for music gives them a head-start when they do begin private lessons. 

--Posted by By Amy Shinohara, licensed Kindermusik educator, classical pianist, and mother of two