Get Your Kids to Practice Piano with the Practice Raffle!

Parents often complain to me that their children won’t listen to them when they ask them to practice.  It is a very common complaint among most parents whose children are taking music lessons, such as piano.  It is especially true with youngsters who are not yet aware of the need for regular practice in order to reach their musical goals. 

Parents feel that they don’t have the outside authority factor like the piano teacher and therefore their kids don’t listen to them because the request to practice is lumped in with all the other requests to do homework, chores, etc. and the kids don’t really take them seriously. It may sound funny, but some parents have actually asked me if I would mind calling the student a few times a week to remind them to practice because they would actually do it if I asked them.  However, this is definitely not a practical suggestion for any family or piano teacher.

Many modern parents also want their children to enjoy piano lessons and only practice because they want to.  Indeed, it is ideal that the children have a positive experience with piano lessons (or any music lessons) and not suffer the guilt trips that put such a negative light on any lessons they take. However, we all know that when given the choice, kids more often choose to play their new Wii rather than practice, no matter how much they say they love to play piano.

Therefore, in order to find an answer to this problem, we have to think like the kids and think of fun incentives that will reward them as well as get them to practice.  Here is just one idea that has worked with many young students and may work with yours:

The Practice Raffle

 Materials Needed:

-Shoe box

-Construction paper and other decorative materials

 Instructions:

 Make a slit on the top of the shoe box so you can put pieces of papers inside.  Have the student decorate the box so that it’s special for them. You must also cut out pieces of paper of the same shape, like tickets.

Now, every time that the student practices a certain amount of time (5, 10, 15 minutes depending on the child’s age and ability to focus at the piano) they get a ticket and they write their name on it and put it in the box. 

Every time you, the parent, asks them to practice and they don’t, you put your name on a ticket and put it in the box. I think you know where this is leading….

At the end of a specified time agreed by all (maybe once a week or once a month), the family gets together and holds a raffle for a prize (such as candy or something else that you know will motivate your child).  Obviously, the more the students practice, the better chance they have of winning. But the more times they refuse to practice, they have a great chance of losing. This works even better when there are multiple students in one family because it is more fun for more people to compete. Also, because one student’s refusal to practice can negatively impact their brother and sister’s chances of winning since the parents put “parent” tickets into the same box, the brothers and sisters will have an incentive to encourage each other to practice when a parent requests it.

I recommend smaller prizes such as candy and weekly raffles for smaller children because they are a little less patient than older students. This game may even work with teens if everyone agrees to bigger prizes such as movie tickets, etc. and less frequently raffles (monthly). The key is to give the kids incentives to practice, rather than just waiting to reward them once they finally learn a song because it takes some longer than others and practicing actually increases other useful skills such as patience, self-discipline, hard work, etc. Why reward a student when they learn a song with barely any effort?  This method can also be used for a wide range of activities that parents must nag their kids about, whether it’s homework, exercise, chores, etc.

Before You Take Piano Lessons...

Through my experience of teaching piano to both young and adult students, I have encountered many issues that students face in their musical journey.  One of the most universal problems that students face is that of self-discipline and perseverence despite the challenge that piano presents.

I have found that the difference between the students that continue with their musical studies to achieve their desired goals and the students that soon quit in frustration is a matter of visualization and mental preparation for the study of piano.  Therefore, I would recommend that ANYONE (parent or adult student) who is considering piano lessons do the following before they jump into a situation of frustration...

1. Sit down & think about your musical goals.

Students and parents of students often act impulsively when starting piano lessons (or any other instrument).  The future student shows an interest in learning to play and without a second thought, the student is "suffering" through weekly lessons and daily practice.  The piano changes from a fun goal to a chore, just another "should do" on the daily to-do list.

I recommend that before you even contact a piano teacher, sit down by yourself (if you are an adult student) or with your family (if you are a parent) and think about the following questions.  Considering that the average monthy commitment to piano lessons costs ~$200 and above, 10 minutes spent thinking about the commitment is well worth it.  It is better that you write down your answers to the following questions:

• Why do you want to study piano now? What makes this time different from the past or the future?

• What specific goals do you want to meet? Do you want to become a professional pianist? A piano teacher? Do you want to be able to read music and gain musical independence? Do you just want to learn to play your favorite songs? Do you want to compose your own music?

• What inspired you to really want piano lessons now? Did you hear a song you absolutely loved and want to play? Do you admire someone who plays piano? Do you want bragging rights? Do you want to exercise your mental or physical abilities? Do you just want to explore it for fun or to compose your own music?

• How quickly do you want/need to achieve the goals you have in mind? Do you have short or long-term goals? Or both? Do you want to take piano lessons for a few months or a few years?

• How do you intend to work toward those goals? How much time per day or per week do you have time to practice? Do you have a convenient place to practice? Are you willing to take time to read supplementary materials to enhance your overall knowledge or do you consider that a waste of time? How much work or school work do you have and will it interfere with a regular practice schedule?

• How much money do you have to dedicate on average every month to piano lessons? Do you have money saved up and set aside specifically for lessons and materials?
  

2.  Once you have answered the above questions, make appointments with a few teachers and discuss these questions with them. 

Ask the teachers for their expectations before you sign up for lessons. Differences in expectations often cause frustrations for both students and teachers because of a lack of common goals. Ask the potential teachers the following quesions:

• What is your hourly rate? Do you require monthly commitments or can I pay weekly? Do you have discounts for more lessons per week?

• Do you provide the materials or do I have to purchase my own? Which books or materials do you require?

• Talk about short & long term goals with the teacher. Ask their opinion on how long it would take you to reach your goals and whether they are reasonable. Teachers often have a better idea of the time and work required to reach different goals.

• Ask for a syllabus or a general plan of action that the teacher would follow to reach YOUR goals. 

• Ask about the teacher's goals for you, they may be different or similar...
  

3. After talking with the teacher, take a week to really think about whether a commitment is right for you at this time.

Often, students commit to lessons without mentally preparing for the time and work it will require. Thus when difficulties are faced, frustration sets in and kills the fun experience that piano should be. And unfortunately, this may lead the student to quit and forevermore doubt his or her abilities to learn to play piano or other instruments.  Thus, a perfectly talented individual may miss out on a lifetime of joy that comes with playing an instrument.

4. Once you have decided to commit, write a contract for yourself that details the steps you will take toward your goals and how you will stick to them. 

It is often helpful for the whole family to sign such a "contract" so that each individual takes the student's quest seriously.  For example, the contract can stipulate when and where practice sessions will be, rewards for following through and focusing on practice, and agreements that other family members will not interrupt the student during practice sessions.  Parents and students can also think of ways to encourage regular practice that will not result in nagging. By creating a contract for themselves, students feel more responsible for their own piano studies and require less pushing.

5. Visualize your goals and eliminate negative thoughts and words during your learning process.

It is VERY important to return to the goals you wrote down and visualize yourself reaching them.  If you have the song that inspired you, listen to it at least once a week to remind yourself why you are working so hard.  Feel the emotions that originally made you commit to lessons. It helps to speak to role models who you admire for their musical abilities and visualize yourself becoming a role model for another young student. If you remind yourself of the excitement that inspired you to take piano lessons, you will continue to find them fun and rewarding despite any challenges you face. Do not let any negative thoughts come into your head when you face a difficult task at the piano. Always think, "This is challenging, but look how far I have come already. That means that I can do this if I keep at it." There is nothing like a little self-love and appreciation to get you to your musical goals.

If you are looking for piano lessons in Santa Clarita or Los Angeles, check out http://www.ypiano.com