It’s been a chilly start to 2014 here in the Northeastern United States. I hope you are bundled up and staying warm if it’s also cold where you live! While I love the outdoors and spending time in the sunshine, the cold weather provides the perfect excuse to stay indoors and cozy up to practice your instrument. The frigid temperatures in Ithaca, NY, where I went to college, certainly got me to practice even more than if the weather was beautiful. Once I made it to the music building/practice rooms, I didn’t want to leave for quite some time.
If you are thinking about starting your child or yourself in music lessons, it’s important to think about some important questions and do a little research before you hire a music studio or teacher. Below I share the 5 essential questions you must ask before you begin your instruction.
#1: What do you want to get out of your lessons?
Do you want to simply have fun while learning the basics of music? Do you want to become a more serious musician with the option to make a career out of music? Your answer will strongly impact the type of studio or the specific teacher within the studio you choose to work with.
#2: What is your learning style?
Do you learn best from a more serious, traditional/classical approach? Do you respond better to a fun light-hearted, easy going method? Do you learn best visually, aurally, or kinesthetically?
#3: What type of music do you want to learn how to play?
I firmly believe that students get the most out of their lessons when they LOVE the music they learn to play. Do you love listening to classical music, jazz, folk songs, popular, etc.? Do you want to learn to read music, use lead sheets, play by ear?
Whatever your answers are, you’ll want to get a teacher that feels comfortable teaching the genres of music that light you up the most.
#4: Are there opportunities for performance?
I could go on and on about the benefits of performing. It improves confidence, builds self esteem, and teaches the power of hard work to achieve a goal, among a multitude of other things. I highly suggest going with a teacher or music school that holds recitals or offers other opportunities to perform.
#5: Is the teacher/studio passionate about music and teaching?
Passion and enthusiasm are infectious! When I started Winterhalter Music in 2006 I was armed with my musical skill and talent, and more importantly a great love and passion for teaching and sharing the love of music. I truly believe that Winterhalter Music has been such a success due to my enthusiasm and passion. Due to that, the teacher’s I’ve hired have shared this same philosophy and have imparted it onto their students in lessons. I think that when doing anything, the greatest success comes from having passion and working hard. If your teacher demonstrates these principles they will impart them onto you.
Here at Winterhalter Music myself and the team of excellent teachers and my assistant, Ana, care deeply about music and sharing our love for music with our students. We teach the basics of music in a fun, positive way– letting our students learn the music they most want to learn. We adapt our teaching to our students’ learning style and goals for their lessons. Two recitals a year provide awesome performance opportunities for our students. If you have been on the fence about beginning lessons, we encourage you to give lessons with us a try. Contact us for more information.
Now I want to hear from you. If you currently take lessons, were there any additional questions you asked before beginning lessons? If you are considering beginning lessons, which of these questions matter the most to you? Leave a comment below. Please subscribe to the newsletter and “like us” on facebook. Stay warm, and until next Thursday, have a lovely winter week!
Sincerely,
Cassie
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