Since our weekend plans were all pretty much canceled we had some unexpected free time. I was happy to see that my lovely Amelia chose to spend some time on the piano (aka a crappy old keyboard). I had high hopes of giving the kids piano lessons biweekly this summer. That hasn't happened. Perhaps, I can argue that we are still waiting for the summer to come.
Amelia hasn't had a lesson in 2 weeks. It showed. I was amazed how much she didn't remember in such a short period of time. We often speak about what "sponges" our children's brains are. They seem to remember everything and pick up new skills so quickly. We never think about their ability to lose information just as quickly. Amelia and I struggled to review some basics that she had forgotten. It was frustrating for us both. It was also a good life lesson.
Music is a great tool for showing kids the importance of patience and practice. While those skills aren't glamorous to a child. They are important life skills. There are some areas in life where you can easily cover up your lack or preparedness or at least fake it. If you are a beginning musician, you can't.
The set back wasn't entirely a bad thing. We both learned our lesson (no pun intended, really). I have learned that when I lack consistency, my children will follow my lead. The break also had another positive outcome. Jack (7) asked if he could start lessons again too. Jack has been on a break from piano for a while longer. This was a mutual choice resulting from student/teacher conflicts. I was very happy to see him come back on his own. If you have children in music lessons, or plan to in the future, I hope that you will learn from my mistakes:
Keep in consistent, but let them stay in control of their own progress. If they have tools, support and encouragement, they will find their own musical journey. Forcing it only makes them run in the other direction.
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