All parents want the best for their children. On top of achieving academic excellence, many parents encourage their kids to take violin lessons. There is scientific proof that a child's cognitive develop is accelerated when he is exposed to music instrument lessons from a young age. Singapore is one of the countries where music education is emphasized. There are many music schools which cater to the demand for music education here. In this article, I will cover some things you need to keep in mind when checking out violin lessons for kids.
1. Determine your child's level of interest
First of all, be certain that your child is interested in learning to play the violin. I run a music school in Singapore and have come across many cases whereby the child is very determined to learn to play the violin. Your child may pester you for many months to buy him a violin, or he may play make belief and pretend to be playing the violin with some other items as substitute. All these indicate very strongly that your kid is very keen to take violin lessons. If you're sure, then do go ahead and look around for suitable violin lessons for kids.
You should never force your child to take music instrument lessons. Anything that is forced will produce the exact opposite result. Your child will become resistant to the idea and never acquire a love of classical music.
2. Be aware of your child's attention span
Secondly, children in general have shorter attention span compared to adults. As such, start with violin lessons which are at most half an hour long. After one month, you can discuss with the violin teacher to determine if your child is ready for longer violin lessons of forty five minutes long.
3. Individual or group coaching
Thirdly, decide if you wish to enrol your kid for individual violin lessons of group violin lessons. There are pros and cons to each. Individual coaching will accelerate your child's progress since the violin teacher's attention is focused on one child. In group lessons, the teacher cannot give undivided attention. On the other hand, group violin lessons can be fun for your child as he views this an occasion to socialize with kids his age. No matter your decision, if you decide to go with the latter choice, ensure that the number of students are capped at five.
4. Sit next to your child during the music lesson
Fourthly, select music schools which allow parents to sit in with their children during the music lesson. Some music schools do not allow parents to be next to the child during lessons. The reason cited could be the claim that the parent will distract the child, However I do not agree with this rule.
Very often, young children have very short attention span. If they start music lessons without the comfort of their parent next to them, they may get anxious and lost focus. In addition, if you sit in during your child's violin lesson, you will be able to track the progress made by your child. You will also be able to practice playing the violin at home with your child.
5. Select a good quality violin for your child
Finally, you need to buy a good quality music instrument for your child. Children's violin come in many sizes ranging from one sixteen size to three-quarter size. Your local violin shop will be able to measure your child properly to determine which size violin your child requires. Then you will need to pick the violin with the best tone quality.
