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We continue this series on practicing with more really practical tips to help you support your child's practice at home. These are better done in a video format, so please watch the videos below and download the resources at the bottom of this post. Do let me know how you get on with implementing the strategies at home. Download the practice strategy cards and messy cards below.
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The last couple of posts have discussed the vital role parents play in supporting their child at home by negotiating a practice time and making sure it's stuck to. For the next few posts we turn to practical strategies to help once you're at the piano. Make it a special time In today's hectic world 1:1 time with your child is rare, so why not make practice time a special time when it's just the two of you and you can treasure the time spent together. Put the phone and other distractions away, make sure siblings are occupied elsewhere, shut the dog out and really be present with your child.
your presence is one of the best rewards you can give your child
The power of praise & constructive feedback You already know this, but children crave parents' affirmation but it needs to be:
Say 'I can see how fast you are progressing using that strategy' Say 'I loved the sound you created just there'....and so on. Things to say! The Curious Piano Teachers have created a set of practice cards for parents that are at the bottom of this blog post. They include:
I hope this has given you some ideas for practical ways to support your child. There will be more next time! 
How do we solve the age old problem of practising between lessons? I'm sure many of you reading this will either have children who learn an instrument or remember your own instrumental lessons and one of the major problems is practice. A while ago I wrote a blog post about the parent's role in the piano learning journey; a major part of which is helping with piano practice at home. Today's post is about a free online tool called Cadenza developed by Professor Rena Uptis of Queens University in Canada that teachers can use to help motivate students to practice at home. Given that students see their teacher for only 30 minutes a week the progress they make is quite remarkable Given that most students see their teacher for only 30 minutes a week the progress they make is quite remarkable. Compared to the hours children spend each day with their teachers at school, instrumental students, their parents and teachers do a job that is nothing short of amazing!
Cadenza is a free online tool that increases the support available for children outside of lessons. It allows:
perhaps most exciting of all, Cadenza allows the student to upload videos of progress during the week on which the teacher can provide feedback Children will need access to a tablet during their piano practice time. They can work through the activities set by the teacher, monitor their progress during the week, see how much time they have spent working on activities and write notes for themselves or their teacher. The tool can help develop the skill of reflection as children can note what went well and what they need to focus on during the next practice session. The creators of Cadenza report that students 'love' using it and that it's fun. Teachers and students report learning more quickly with Cadenza and experiencing more satisfaction as musicians. And why not, the goal is to make music and the sooner we can all do that the happier we will all be!
From January 2019 Surrey Music School will be using Cadenza with all students. If you have lessons with us please sign up and let us know when you've done so. We can then connect and the fun can begin! So, you've signed your child up for piano lessons and just like every other extra curricular activity, you pay the bill, drop your child off on time and your job is done. Or is it?
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| There are 10,080 minutes in a week and children spend about 30 of those minutes with their instrumental teacher. Children, particularly young ones, are unable to manage their time sufficiently to arrange their own piano practice, so it's vital that parents take control of this. |  |
For a child to make good progress they really should be playing most days of the week. Learning an instrument cannot be crammed, so please don't think you can just practice the day before the lesson - by that time the child will have forgotten 90% or even 100% of what they learned and the next day's lesson will involve a repeat of the previous week's lesson which, on an ongoing basis, becomes very frustrating for child, teacher and parent. Of course sometimes life gets in the way and if you've had one of those weeks then do tell the teacher.
Dr Andrea Creech of UCL found that students thrive where a good three way relationship exists between parent, child and teacher. As a parent you can contribute towards this relationship by:
Dr Creech points out that parents need to be 'versatile'..... whatever does this mean?!! The Curious Piano Teachers have written a whole blog post about this 'The Power of Practice: 7 Practice Hats for Parents' and it's summarised below. There's also an excellent e-book from them, for you at the bottom of this post to help you keep track of your 7 hats!
- Discussing how much you will be involved. Obviously younger children will need more help;
- Providing a structured home environment for practice - for example playing at the same time every day;
- Taking an interest in promoting good teacher / student rapport;
- Listening to your child play and being his or her 'cheerleader';
- Not letting problems fester - address them immediately with the teacher before they become an issue.
Dr Creech points out that parents need to be 'versatile'..... whatever does this mean?!! The Curious Piano Teachers have written a whole blog post about this 'The Power of Practice: 7 Practice Hats for Parents' and it's summarised below. There's also an excellent e-book from them, for you at the bottom of this post to help you keep track of your 7 hats!
Hat 1 - The Personal Organiser
Schedule in playing sessions - how about setting a daily alarm to remind everyone when it's playing time?
Hat 2 - The Services Provider
Is the room warm and central (children don't like to be sent off to practice), is the stool at the right height, can your child read the teacher's notes, is the light right, are there other distractions such as siblings playing computer games or making other noise?
Hat 3 - The Number One Fan
You don't need to be a musician - sit down, listen and comment on any improvements - if necessary ask your child what they thought of the performance! Praise achievements, give performance opportunities - for example when friends visit.
Hat 4 - The Flexible Friend
Take an interest in the homework notes - if you don't understand them ask the child what they think, if you still don't then email the teacher - they will be delighted you're interested and love to help you.
It's quite fun to get your child to teach you something they already know!
It's quite fun to get your child to teach you something they already know!
Hat 5 - The Communicator
Remember, it's a three way relationship - keep channels of communication open with the teacher. Ask questions, give feedback.
Hat 6 - The Diplomat
Learning an instrument is hard. Sometimes children just won't want to do it. Negotiate with them to find a time that suits them better; pick just one thing to do; work out how to break tasks down; play an old piece; have fun messing about on the piano. If it becomes an ongoing problem then speak to the teacher. I always want to know what is going on and what I can do differently to help, but if I'm not told I don't always work out there is a problem - we aren't mind readers!
Avoid arguments at the piano and bribery.
Avoid arguments at the piano and bribery.
Hat 7 - The Patient Parent
Practice doesn't sound good. It consists of playing the same bit over and over until it's correct - note, not the whole piece - if you're hearing the whole piece then your child is not practising properly. This is a subject for a whole other blog post.
I hope you've found this helpful, do share any experiences you have of being a piano parent below. Next week we'll be looking at the child's role in the triangle.
Don't forget to share with friends who might find this useful and download the e-book!
| e-workbook-for-piano-parents.pdf |
Caroline Blount
Director of Surrey Music School.
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