Drum Center of Portsmouth
How to Support Your Musical Kid
Lots of kids show a love of music early in life. They show their musical inclinations in bright, loud ways – singing along to the radio, rhythmically tapping on pots and pans at every chance, never taking off the headphones, and so on.
If you want to support and encourage your musical child, you can do more than just drive them home from after-school marching band practice! Here are a few ideas on what to do.
Make a Music-Friendly House
There’s no need to wait until your child is old enough to join a marching band to start encouraging their musical senses. You can start fostering a musical environment right away!
There are lots of different options available to you. Play music of different genres throughout the house (and don’t think Beethoven is your only choice!). Invite your child to play their own music and sing along. Buy toy keyboards and microphones. Let them bang on a pot with a wooden spoon every once in a while.
Whatever way you can think to incorporate music into everyday life will be beneficial. The main idea is that you’re exposing your kid to different sounds and encouraging them to experiment by making sounds of their own. From a young age, you’re saying music is important and valuable – a lesson that will follow them forever.
Get the Right Equipment
It’s true: instruments are expensive. But an investment in a good drum or horn can help foster your kid’s passion in a way that a borrowed school-owned instrument can’t.
Any musician can tell you the difference it makes to play on a beat-up, rented instrument versus a new one that’s all their own. Good equipment can bolster musical potential. The sense of ownership a kid may have over their very own instrument can turn an after-school hobby into a real passion.
You don’t need to buy the best of the best on day one. But talk with your kid and their music instructor for when it may be time to take the plunge. Music shops may let you test out woodwind and brass instruments in the store. For your drummer, check out the 2019 best drum set from DCP.
Get Excited
Show up for recitals. Volunteer for the school band events. Ask if you can listen in while your child practices. Clap, smile, and ask questions!
You don’t have to fawn over your kid after every note they play. Just dole out compliments and acknowledge their hard work from time to time. Better yet, learn a little about music yourself! Compliments are a lot more effective if you can say something specific, like, “Your tone quality was beautiful during your solo!” or “All the time you spent practicing those eighth-note runs really paid off!”
Musicians are notoriously fraught with self-doubt andfragile confidence in their abilities. Your enthusiasm and open delight in your kid’s music will reinforce their courage and motivate them to continue pursuing music.
Ask What They Want
Some kids adore the rigor and structure of regular music lessons, letting them hone their technique and appreciate the classics. Others find formal music education takes all the fun away and would just prefer their own space to bang out the tunes on their own.
Just as there are all types of musical genres in the world, there are all types of musicians, too! Some play for the fun of it, some play to get famous – there’s no right or wrong way to be a musician. That’s why it’s important to ask your kid about what they want and how they want to approach music.
Whatever they want, don’t try to force them in a direction. Music is hugely enriching and intellectually stimulating when it’s approached with genuine enthusiasm. Formal lessons and recitals aren’t the only way to get value out of it. Make sure you check in with your kid and ask what they want to do.
