How To Get Children To Practice
(5 quick tips)

We have heard this problem from many parents throughout the years. In fact, we believe the single factor that leads to students quitting, is lack of practice at home. Lack of practice, results in lack of progress, and a lack of return on the parent’s investment. So what do you do when your child fails to practice? I’m going to give you a few tips that can help motivate your child, not just ‘practice’ more, but to fall in love with playing their instrument.

Fall In Love With Music Again!

One obvious trend that we have observed with our more successful students, is that their family values great music! In fact in the book: “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell, Gladwell notes that the most accomplished artists come from a home that not only loves the art, but EMBRACES it! The average adult listens to a narrow style of music, thus limiting their child’s awareness of what’s out there. Listen to a variety of music. Take family trips to watch live music, and talk about the instruments, and what they like and don’t like about the songs, or performances. If they see that you are enjoying the arts, they will be more likely to appreciate it.

My father and I used to sometimes play this game: while listening to a song in the car, he would say “30 seconds, then what do you hear”. So for 30 seconds we would listen very actively counting all the instruments that we could hear, then see if we came up with the same number. This would always lead to conversations about what the bass guitar is playing, or the horns, piano, etc. This is a game I play at times with my daughters, and I’m always fascinated at what they are able to pick out.

Be Super Positive

That seems like an easy one right? Unfortunately, most students really are not motivated enough to reach their full potential! We have had several adult students that come in to learn an instrument for the first time, something that they have always wanted to do, but as a child, they were not encouraged to practice. I had a man break down and cry in his first lesson some time ago, because as a child, his father always told him how terrible it would be for him to take up an instrument. I wonder how many great drummers the world missed just because the drums are too loud.

The best musicians are the one’s whose parents loved listening to them when they were starting out. Ask, your child to perform for you, ask your child to perform for the family. If a child believes that those he loves the most value his ability to perform, practice will be a natural thing!

Embrace Their Performances

My parents were my #1 fans when I started out. (and it was baaaaaad!) Actually, I’ll admit it, along with my wife (and my kids), my parents pretty much still are. Any time I have a big performance, they are there. Mom and Dad have been to more of my performances over the years than any 10 people combined. Now that I am a dad, I have realized how much an impact we as parents have on our children’s progress in the arts.

Encourage your child to perform any time they have the chance. Many churches will let beginners practice with other musicians in the band, and many coffee houses and restaurants have open mics where young musicians are encouraged to perform. Performing is one of the best ways to improve as a musician.

No Excuses

This one hurts. It is very common to ask a student: “Did you practice this week”, and their response usually is a looooooong one. I really have a hard time with this, so please forgive me if I come across as insensitive. I get it, we are busy! Students these days are involved in hundreds of things, parents have their hands full, and life is just CRAZY! But there is a timeless principle at play, without practice, there is no progress.

I look at it this way, we have 2 options in life, make progress or make excuses. And excuses is what keeps us all from reaching our true God-given potential. It may mean that something needs to be cut out in order to have more time to devote to practicing, but whatever needs to be done, just do it. We all have obstacles in life, but 100% of failures have excuses.

Limit Distractions

I could have put this one first, and just ended it there. We all know what distractions students have. What I am learning from parents, and from being a parent, if you remove technology for just an hour or even 30 minutes, students are like a billion times more likely to do something creative. Let me challenge you to try something like this at home. Routinely take a 30 minute “tech break’, maybe an hour on the weekends, where every goes to to their room, and has to work on something creative. Who knows what will happen.

I’d like to hear more from you! Whether you are a parent or a musician, what are some things that you have done in your world, to improve your practice habits! Leave a comment below!