Question and Answer time! Here are some recent ones:
How old should my child be to start piano lessons?
The easy answer is kindergarten or 1st grade. The reason that this answer is given so often is because by kindergarten/1st grade, children are expected to be able to sit for 20-30 minutes at a time and can follow simple instructions.
The more difficult answer is, it depends on the child, the parent, the desire, the ability, the amount of time to practice. To determine that, let's talk further...off the blog. :)
I feel my children's piano teacher is rushing off to go to an appointment, so if the lessons are running behind and my kids' lessons are at the end of the day and they're still finishing on time, they aren't getting the 30 minute lesson that I'm paying for. How would you approach this or bring it up without offending?
> A direct way would be to ask if the teacher could please begin the lesson closer to the starting time.
> A less direct approach would be to ask if the teacher thought the prescribed 30 minute block of time was enough for your child's lesson. This might clue the teacher in to the fact that she's not actually spending 30 minutes with them teaching. If he/she doesn't follow the clue, follow up by saying that when other lessons run over into your kids' time, then they aren't getting the full 30 minutes. You can add that you feel like your child needs the full 30 minutes in order to grasp the new concepts each week.
> Another option would be to arrive promptly at your next scheduled lesson and stand somewhere visible to the teacher from the time that your child's lesson should begin. When its finally time for your time slot, mention that the lessons seem to be right on top of each other and suggest that she builds a 5 minute window of time into her schedule between lessons for transition time.
Is it ok to only own a keyboard and not a real piano?
Hmm... that's a tough one. In fact, I wrote a whole post about it here. Check it out!
Are there any music game websites for kids?
Why yes, yes there are! Here are some of my favorites:
www.classicsforkids.com/games/
www.creatingmusic.com/
www.dsokids.com/2001/rooms/musicroom.asp
www.nyphilkids.org/main.phtml
www.flashmusicgames.com/
www.sfskids.org/templates/home.asp?pageid=1
If you have any music related questions, let me know! If I don't know the answer, I bet I can find someone who does!
With regards to the keyboard question...we own a "keyboard". It is a weighted-key electric piano. For those not "in the know" that means that the keys will feel as close to a real piano as you can get. you can find a fairly affordable model, too. Our reasoning behind it was, that as a military family, we move a lot, and pianos don't necessarily like to move with you. As an Army Band musician, my husband CAN use a piano as "professional gear" and as such, the weight doesn't count, but most movers are loathe to move a big item like that. For us, it seemed more reasonable to get the electric piano. Considering the condition of the piano I take lessons on, I like my keyboard much better, lol!
ReplyDelete