Once you know what you\u2019re looking for, there are plenty of networks to help you find a local music teacher. Talk to your school or local music service, or look online at reputable sites including: When you make contact, ask teachers about their qualifications and experience, both as performers and teachers. They should be happy to show you a current, valid DBS check, particularly if you plan to leave your child alone with them during lessons.<\/p>\n Most teachers will let you book one or two trial lessons before committing to a regular slot. You should expect to pay for these, but there\u2019s no harm in meeting more than one teacher at the beginning; your child is embarking on what can become a creative and personal relationship, and you need to find the right \u2018fit\u2019 for all involved \u2013 for you, for the teacher, and most importantly for your child. You should expect the teacher to spend time ensuring your child is playing in a healthy position, developing good physical habits for future practice; talking to them about their interests; and giving them chance to explore their new instrument.<\/p>\n Once lessons begin, agree with your teacher whether you should remain in the room or not. For many children it\u2019s easier to learn and focus without a parent watching, but you\u2019ll play an important part in their learning even if you\u2019re not there every minute. You should be welcome to ask questions to understand your child\u2019s progress, practice points and learning techniques, or to visit lessons from time to time. Some teachers or organisations might provide parents\u2019 evenings or ask you to pre-arrange meetings and visits, whilst others may invite you into lessons spontaneously; it all depends whether you\u2019re working with a private teacher or organisation, whether you\u2019re in the same building regularly, and how your child\u2019s lesson fits with other timetabling or commitments. Of course, no two organisations or teachers are the same. You should respect their policies and the needs of other children and families learning in each centre.<\/p>\n Most important of all is that you understand how you can support your child\u2019s practice. Generally, teachers will suggest that young learners practice regularly, but not for too long at a time \u2013 focus on quality, not quantity. It often helps to find a regular slot in the day, and a quiet, focussed space in the house. Most important, though, is that you can offer support and encouragement, and a genuine understanding of what your child is trying to achieve between each lesson. Practice should focus on \u2018sticky spots\u2019 and other challenges rather than simple repetition \u2013 as well as giving your child a space to enjoy their instrument!<\/p>\n Once lessons are underway, you will encounter the occasional rocky moment. Your child is being asked to absorb a lot of new ideas, to become an independent learner and to think both logically and creatively. There are likely to be parts of that process which they find difficult, or which they don\u2019t enjoy as much as others. It\u2019s important that you don\u2019t run from your teacher at the first clash \u2013 it\u2019s almost certain that he or she has met similar challenges before and has techniques to guide your child through them. Trust in their expertise, but don\u2019t hesitate to ask why they\u2019re using a certain approach or technique; together you can better support your child and help them to understand and overcome challenges. If things get particularly tricky for a while, it might be best to arrange this conversation outside lesson time, when your child is out of the room.<\/p>\n On the other hand, children\u2019s interests can change, their learning styles shift, or their musical ability may outgrow their first teacher. Don\u2019t be afraid to consider moving on when the time is right, but be confident you\u2019re not making that choice on a whim or based on a one-off event; a music teacher who understands and appreciates your child, and knows their strengths and struggles, is invaluable. If your child needs a new challenge, look for opportunities for them to enjoy their music outside lessons \u2013 children\u2019s and youth ensembles, choirs, music clubs and festivals are all great opportunities to meet young musicians. If your child shows particular musical potential or talent, look out for holiday schools, regional or even national ensembles<\/a>, and more advanced opportunities including one of the country\u2019s excellent Advanced Training Centres or Specialist Music Schools<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Finding the right music teacher for your child can be a difficult decision, whether you\u2019re hoping to get started on your first ever instrument or to take your playing to the next level. However, there are many networks and support services to help you feel confident in your decision, and a few things to bear […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7303,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[98,108,105,96,99],"class_list":["post-7300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-brass","tag-jazz","tag-keyboard","tag-strings","tag-vocal"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7300"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7306,"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7300\/revisions\/7306"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chethamsschoolofmusic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nEPTA<\/a> (European Piano Teachers\u2019 Association)
\nMusic Mark<\/a>
\nISM<\/a> (Incorporated Society of Musicians)
\nMU<\/a> (Musicians\u2019 Union)
\nESTA<\/a>\u00a0(European String Teachers’ Association)<\/p>\n![\"Music](\"https:\/\/school.chethams.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/03\/Bassoon-teacher-570x380.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow parents can support children\u2019s music lessons<\/h3>\n