Piano Lessons: Parents’ Hopes and Fears
There are a few common fears that crop up when parents are thinking about enrolling their children in piano lessons. Here are the most common concerns that parents have shared with me. They are worried that:
the child won’t like the lessons
they might lose interest
practicing piano will become a chore
the child will get frustrated or bored
too much structure will turn them off
practicing will dampen their existing love of music
because parents don’t play piano they won’t be able to help with practice
Contrast these very valid concerns with what parents have told me they hope their child will gain from taking piano lessons and why they wanted to enroll (all of these comments are from families in my studio):
playing piano well is a nice talent or skill to have
music education is an important part of an overall education
my child is asking for piano lessons
piano lessons provide a good musical foundation
my child enjoys music
learning piano is a gift for a lifetime
we want our child to develop both his brain and his musical interests as much as possible
we want music to be a fun part of their lives
to learn and feel the beauty and power of music
my kid has been excited and curious about the piano
to have a creative pursuit, to foster a love of music, to learn discipline, and have opportunities to progress and achieve outside of academics
it’s a wonderful form of self-expression and a skill that will enrich their lives
because music is beneficial to brain development, creativity, social skills, and self-confidence
Wow! Aren’t these answers meaningful? Most parents want their children to enjoy the process of learning music, to feel a sense of well-being as a result of playing an instrument, and to develop a skill that they will enjoy for the rest of their lives.
In my next post, we’ll take a look at a few of these common fears and how we can address them. Have you had any piano lesson hopes or fears? Did they change when you started lessons? Let me know in the comments!
