Lund Music Studio

Sadly enough, the arts are losing their place in more and more schools lately. My question is, how can we be so glib about letting this happen? It must be that parents, students, and teachers do not realize the full value that classes like music, dance and art can provide. If we recall the “Multiple Intelligences” chart, there is an entire section of “Intelligence” devoted to music. An entire part of our brain is wired to think musically, and will not get the exercise it needs if we pull music from schools. And yet we are not fighting, at least not hard enough, to keep music around in schools.

I would stipulate that music classes are even more important now, in today’s age of information technology. In an age where everything is computer and media driven, children tend to lose the need to be imaginative and creative. They tend to stay in front of TVs computers and video games, and do not exercise the parts of the brain involved in higher thinking skills. Involving a child in the arts cultivates something in them that they may no longer get at home. (Note: I am not saying that all video games are bad, as there are some educational games, and even those that are not can be alright, but largely, sitting in front of a television or game does not provide adequate stimulation.)

Involvement in the arts can do so much for a person that I cannot even adequately elaborate on it, but rather, I have listed below all of the additional benefits of arts education.

-> Increases imagination
-> Improves memory and retention
-> Provides learning through analogy
-> Builds discipline
-> Helps focus on long term goals
-> Develops problem solving skills
-> Increases attention to detail
-> Builds self-confidence
-> Causes students to strive for excellence
-> Cultivates responsibility
-> Develops good work-ethic
-> Helps students apply previously learned information to new scenarios
-> Develops both academic and expressive skills
-> Creates a passion for learning
-> Provides the opportunity to risk-take
-> Develops intuition and insight

Finally, arts competitions and festivals can be so rewarding for children, provide a goal to work toward, and prove to be a rewarding experience for the child no matter the outcome. For even in competition, there is no failure. Children are rewarded and complemented for making the effort not matter whether they have “won” or not. Also, they have gained new skills from their competitive experience, and a teacher would do well to remind them of this.

So we see that music and the other arts provide a vast pool of skills, and should not be neglected. If you are blessed with children, then the next time it is suggested in your child’s school that arts programs be done away with, I urge you to fight this with vigor, and remember some of the benefits that your child would be missing out on.

Plenty of piano teachers out there will insist on giving their students finger exercises, such as scales, Hanon exercises, or my personal favorite, the “A Dozen A Day” piano exercise series. While these are all well and good, and I will devote an entire post at a later date on how to effectively use piano technique and method books, there are so many other exercises that can be done away from the piano, which are vital to the success of a budding pianist.

I am a fan of developing extremely strong fingers, first of all. I also realize that technique exercises are…hmm…what’s the word??? Ah, yes….BORING! The Dozen a Day series does a little more to make exercises interesting by using metaphors involving bodily exercise to describe the skills learned. However, there are also plenty of other ways to increase finger dexterity. You can try picking up a very finger-heavy hobby such as knitting. You could decide to learn to use chopsticks. Finally, for all those looking for a fun game which improves concentration and finger precision, try the game “Operation.” This game was around when I was a kid, so this may date me a little, but I think it is still in stores. The object is to remove objects from inside a “person” lying down on an exam table, using a small pair of tweezers, without touching the sides at all. As I said, this would be a great tool for building finger strength, concentration, and precision, and can be a fun family game on a Friday night.

While it is definitely important to exercise your fingers, it is also important to remain physically fit, and exercise your body. This is the case because when we play piano, we need to have strong and relaxed arms all the way back to our shoulder bones. Tension can build up not just in the fingers, but also in wrists, forearms, and upper body, and so we must consciously think about loosening up our entire body. I feel this is best achieved through calming, focused exercise, such as Tai Chi or Yoga. These exercises serve a dual purpose, in that they loosen, stretch and exercise your muscles, and also calm and focus your thoughts, and so, they are a perfect precursor to a high quality practice session.

Finally, it is crucial to exercise your mind musically. What does this mean? Well, it refers mainly to theory and listening exercises. A good piano teacher will focus on theory for at least part of the lesson, working with pitch and interval recognition, and discussing musical symbols and terms as they appear in music. If you want something to do on your own aside from assigned theory work, try to find some interesting and fun recordings and see how many instruments you can identify. “Peter and the Wolf” is a great beginning orchestral work to use to identify instruments. There are also several music theory game websites, which you can reach simply by “Googleing” “Music Theory Games.” Finally, if you have purchased a Wii for yourself or your children, I highly recommend “Wii Music.” It comes complete with a very detailed and sophisticated theory game, as well as rhythm games, and “jam sessions” in which one can exercise one’s creativity.

So, as you can see, to get the very most out of your music lessons, you should be pursuing different courses of study and music related games during the week. Just as your teachers work hard to bring the very best they have to lessons every week, you can go above and beyond plain old practicing, and as a result, get so much more out of your music study.

Below, I have listed links to several music theory websites I recommend.

Music Tech Teacher

Piano Games

E-Music Theory

So you have decided to start your child in music lessons. You find a great teacher, get them all signed up, buy books, and take them to lessons week after week. Does that mean you’re done? NO! About the worst thing a parent trying to get their child involved in music can do is stop at the door of the studio. “I’ve brought them to their lessons. It’s their teacher’s job to make them love it…” will result in the child most likely wanting to stop lessons.

I don’t say this to make parents feel “bad” or fuss at anyone who has ever thought this, but rather to encourage you to do even more with your children to make music a one-of-a-kind experience for them. Because music is a wonderful thing, and can provide a lifetime of excitement and enrichment, but to appreciate it fully as an adult, you need to have positive musical experiences as a child. And those experiences start not necessarily in the studio, but in the home.

Sometimes I feel like parents are afraid to get involved musically with their musical children because they “have no talent of their own.” Maybe you are the parent of a budding pianist, but never studied piano yourself, or stopped at a young age. Sometimes I feel that can make parents a little bit intimidated, like they want to back off and listen from a distance. However, the less you know about piano, the more you can let your kids teach you. And they will LOVE this. Kids love getting to show mom and dad something they don’t already know!

For those still unsure of how to make the most out of their child’s musical experiences, I have created a five-step program to making the most of music in the home.

Step 1: Sit down with your child at the piano during practice time and ask them to show you what they are doing. Let them explain it. It will make them more excited about the material, and more connected to what they are doing. They not only have to do, they have to teach, too! Ask them to explain the “music words” (even if you DO already know) or teach you about rhythm. It will increase their proficiency, ability to be articulate about music, and hopefully their excitement in what they are doing.

Step 2: Have a family concert in which you let them show off whatever they are currently working on. Even if it is not quite done yet. Congratulate them and tell them how proud you are of their progress. We bring the whole family to the baseball field, so why not the piano room? Music is hard work! Hearing positive feedback only once a week from the teacher is often not enough to ward off frustration. A young musician needs support from their family. They need to know that what you think they’re doing is great!

Step 3: Actually come to a lesson every once in a while. Sit in and listen to what happens during lesson time. It will give you insight into what your child should be working on at home, as well as the dynamics of the relationship between your child and their teacher. No matter what happens during that time, you should at least have plenty to talk about when you get back in the car!

Step 4: Listen to classical music in your home, and talk about it! Listen to music that features only their instrument, as well as other types, solos and full symphonies. Sometimes this can seem dull, or like very hard work if you are not used to it. It definitely doesn’t have to be. If you are afraid that recordings will not be “attention getting” enough, use DVDs or something with more visual stimulation as well. Have them on during dinner occasionally, and try to steer the conversation toward the music. One thing that can be very fun to do is to try to come up with a story that goes with the music. This encourages thought and creativity, and is a whole lot of fun, and I think you will be surprised at how different everyone’s stories are!

If you are unsure where to start with this one, I recommend the following composers: Camille Saint-Saens, Sergei Prokofieff, and Karl Jenkins. The first two composed largely piano and symphonic works, and the third is a contemporary composer who works with a choir creating songs full of nonsense syllables that are full of interesting imagery. I think you will find that recordings by these composers provide a rich palette from which to derive “fun” stories. You can also try movies like “Fantasia” as a starting point for the imagination. These will at least reaffirm the fact that you are not crazy for coming up with “music stories” in your head, as actual movie producers have thought to do the same thing!

Step 5: Get out into the community and experience music live! While recordings are great, there is nothing like the experience of a live performance. There is so much going on visually and aurally, the music is richer than a recording can ever be, and it gets you out of the house! There is also no shortage of things to see musically right here in our neighborhood at very little cost. Kingwood supports its own chorale, big band, various jazz ensembles and other musical groups that have performances throughout the year. The internet is also a great resource to find out about various goings-on in music in your area.
Get out there and listen! You won’t be disappointed!

So there you have it! Being a part of your child’s musical experience is crucial to their success and happiness in music. I hope this has given you an idea of how best to get involved!