Inspiring to Practice

      So you or your child have started lessons but the excitement of the "new" is wearing off, just like new toys and video games at Christmas.  What do you do to keep practicing going? 

An Ongoing Journey. So let me just tell you upfront that there is no quick solution, no special words or gimmicks that will cause unceasing inspiration to practice an instrument. Learning how to practice and learning to practice consistently is an ongoing journey. So enjoy the journey and try different strategies to keep the journey going.

For those of you that are parents, you want your children to grow into mature adults, to have a disposition of the heart that knows what is important in life, keep doing these valuable things consistently, and enjoy them at the same time.  Recognizing and treasuring the great things in life is also what you want for yourself.  Part of this growth occurs when you and your family seek ways to be inspired, build discipline and move forward. Remember that the goal in music lessons is to gain a well-rounded life, which includes enjoying to play the instrument with feeling and excellence, but it is not just music lessons.

What I have noticed is that some students struggle with practicing because of the values they have adopted.  They are used to immediate gratification, whether it's the candy, the video games, the internet time they want, they get it quickly. They are used to quick results and so are you. This is not how it works with learning an instrument, or even a good career.  The lessons open you and your child up to the opportunity to grow in this area of working hard and awaiting the pay off, lots of good conversations on the importance of hard work, patience and perseverance, etc.

Alongside the conversations, here are some things to keep the inspiration going:

Music in the Air. With all the wonderful technology that is around you can find recordings on the instrument that you or your child is learning. It is also an opportunity to go to the library, where you can look at CD's and pick one out. Have music playing around often.

Home Recitals. Pick a day out of the week to perform for family and friends whatever pieces you know.  Even if it's only one piece, it will motivate you and/or your child to keep going.

Go to Concerts. There are lots of free concerts in town; check out the high schools and colleges. There is probably a youth orchestra that you can go watch.  Get out of the house and enjoy!

Group Playing. Invite friends over to play the pieces that you know together.  There are group classes available if you look around. The youth orchestra usually offers group classes and/or ensemble playing for various levels of experience.  Playing with others pushes you to keep going.

What ideas have you learned and come up with to keep you and your child motivated to keep playing?  What are your struggles to practicing at home?

                                                                    Copyright © 2013 Mircea & Daniyela Ionescu. All rights reserved.

Don't Got Money For Lessons

       With the economic problems in the last few years many of us have had to give up some things, cut back on luxuries and prioritize our spending.  Now you have heard about private lessons – tutoring, but you are not sure you can afford it.  You probably can.

Prioritzing.  Many of us are not very disciplined about our finances, we live to spend.  So we need to take time to prioritize things in your life. After necessities are settled (food, shelter, transportation), we need to consider: Where do private lessons fall?  Are they crucial to you or your child’s overall education? Are music lessons another hobby, like soccer? 

The cost for lessons can run from $15-30 per thirty-minute lesson every week. For some people this is the cost of eating out one night a week. So you can think of it as giving up one trip to the restaurant per week.

However you think about it, husbands and wives need to talk through these important issues so that they can discern whether or not to proceed with private lessons.  It is a team effort planning out education.
 
Are the benefits of private lessons-tutoring worth the cost that you will incur? Yes! Whether they are cello lessons, ACT and SAT prep, helping yourself become more well-rounded, or helping your child bolster their math skills, it is worth it. Private lessons always affect other areas of life, like concentration, self-discipline, confidence, comprehension and verbal skills.

The going rate is about these days is about $20-25 for 30 minutes a week, which means that if you cut out one trip per week to a restaurant, the movie theaters, or other forms of entertainment, you can take private lessons! Try them out for a year and you will see that it's worth the investment.

How have you dealt with the financial part of private lessons?

Copyright © 2013 Mircea & Daniyela Ionescu. All rights reserved.

Free Trial Lesson

     So you have contacted some universities and tutoring places, now what? Some teachers-tutors offer to meet so that they can explain to you what they have to offer, you can ask questions and see if you connect well. Also, if your child is taking the lesson you will get a chance to see how they get along as well. 

Take advantage of it!

Here's what I typically do in a free trial lesson:

1. Introductions. I tell a little bit about my background, why I teach lessons and then I ask the parent about his or her background, and how they became interested in lessons. Then, I ask the student about their experience with the subject or instrument. 

2. Go over my teaching approach and policies with the parent and student.  It is important to talk through all of this, so that there is no misunderstanding.  That sounds good to you, but maybe you are wondering why have the student there for this part?  The student needs to hear about my expectations and it gives us the opportunity to interact.

3. I work with the student.  Now it's time for some action, we work on something together.  If they have never played, let's say the violin, then I will teach the student the parts of the violin and bow, how to care for the instrument, playing and rest position, how to hold the bow, play some rhythms on the open strings, and some educational games to put in practice what has been learned.

4. Demonstration. I usually finish demonstrating a piece of music that the student will learn in the course of their study with me.

It does not have to be very complicated and the free lesson only gives you a glimpse, so there's no need to have high expectations. Everyone tries to make good first impressions, we all have good days and bad days, it's part of life.  Take your time and visit a few teachers, so that you can compare and contrast.

Now it's your turn, what have you done in free trial lessons or meet-and-greets? 

Copyright © 2013 Mircea & Daniyela Ionescu. All rights reserved.

The Right Teacher for Your Child

      "How do I choose the right teacher-tutor for my child?"  This question is one of the most important questions that I have been asked by parents over and over again.

So here are some things to consider when choosing a teacher or tutor:

1. Goals.  What exactly do you want to get out of these lessons?  Remember, that a teacher cannot replace you, he or she cannot take over a parent's responsibility.  A teacher-tutor can partner with you to raise your child, influencing, inspiring, bringing resources to both you and your child, but it's on you.  What I mean is that dad and mom are the most important and influential people in the life of their child, they need to embrace that role with their whole hearts and minds.  A child needs both, dad and mom, to raise him or her, so make that a priority no matter what kind of lessons-tutoring you are looking for.  Tutoring-private lessons are not quick fixes, they are another form of investment in your child's education.

2. Time.  A lot of people rush to just find someone quickly. This usually leads to a loss of time, money and not much grown in the child. It's a loose-loose situation. Be patient and you will win in the end.

3. Looking. You can contact universities in your area, look online for academies or centers that offer these services. These places may have the kind of teaching that will beneficial to your child.  Another place to consider is online lessons.  It's new, but it can be done. 

4. Interviewing. Ask the potential teacher for a meet-and-greet so that you find out more about him or her.  

• Credentials. Where did they go to school? Do they have video samples of their teaching? Why do they teach lessons? You are looking for someone that has some training, but that does not guarantee anything.  You will want to hear them play for you or if it is math, to show you some of their work. Also ask about video clips of them teaching.  Ask them to sit in on a lesson to see how they teach. You are looking for training and results.
• Administrative. Ask about make-ups, lateness, what if they cancel or they are late?
• Scheduling. What time and day of the week will you meet?  How long are the lessons? why?
• Teaching approach. What material-methods do they use? What goals the teacher has for students? How do they handle discipline? What expectations do they have of parents? 

As you take these lessons seriously so will your child think of them as more valuable.  



 Now it's your turn: What has helped you find a good teacher to work with you and your child?                                            

Copyright © 2013 Mircea & Daniyela Ionescu. All rights reserved.