Parents learning with their children

The mother of one of my pupils has been enthusiastically practising with her child using a full size violin they have lying around. I have been encouraging her to have lessons herself as I feel this is something she would enjoy, and it would benefit both her and her child as she would understand a little more of what I am asking her daughter to do.

Adults who want to learn a musical instrument often seem to be shy about it, and I feel this may be because it involves starting right from the basics. There is a pressure to perform from friends and family, and a lot of music for beginners is marketed at children. Do not let this deter you from learning a musical instrument as an adult, as it has a lot of benefits however the music may be presented. It helps improve memory and strengthen pathways, helps with stress relief as it acts as a pressure valve, and playing an instrument is one of very few human activities that uses the whole brain at once, so helping the hemispheres work together!

Parents learning alongside their children have the added benefit of a practise buddy. I actively encourage parents to learn too as:

1. I feel they would enjoy it.

2. It would help them understand what I am telling their child during lessons, so practise becomes easier.

3. They would understand the importance of practise for making progress.

4. It is a shared activity with their child and helps strengthen the bond between parent and child.

5. I may well be biased in saying this, but the violin is a great instrument to play! Its huge expressive range makes it one of the most flexible instruments in the orchestra! Why else do orchestras have so many?!

#parents #adultlearners #violin #lessons #teacher #family #music