Planning Your Child’s Musical Career

Every child should have the opportunity to learn about music and with a myriad of instruments, musical genres, schools, and performance groups out there, the endeavor of planning a musical path for your young child can be a difficult and confusing undertaking. This article will help clear up any questions about this process and provide parents a few simple steps to take to get their child started on their musical journey.

Unbiasedly Assess Your Child’s Abilities

When deciding which instrument is best for your child, it is important to look at them unbiasedly. This is a good time to take stock of some key elements of your child’s physical abilities. Below are some starting questions to consider when beginning this assessment.

Physical Assessment

• Size of their body and hands: A child with smaller stature or small hands will need an instrument suitable for their size.

• Oral strength and health: If a child has a malformation of the mouth, tongue, lips, or cheeks this may mean they will need to consider instruments that do not require wind. For example, percussion or string instruments instead of brass or woodwind. Additionally, if your child is going to be wearing braces, it’s important to consider that playing brass or woodwind may be difficult due to the difficulty in maintaining embouchure.

Personality Assessment

• Temperament: How does your child react to failure? Some instruments are more difficult to play than others, or simply sounds unpleasing when practicing alone. For children who need the encouragement of frequent and easily achieved improvement, there are many instruments that can be played for fun and enjoyment while still learning the basics.

• Responsibility: Some children are protective of their possessions and can be trusted with a more temperamental material such as wood or string. However, for those prone to dropping, losing, or tossing possessions, they may be better suited for an instrument that provides a more durable material—or at least a starter version for children.

• Personality: Is your child nervous and shy? Or do they love to be in the limelight? When choosing an instrument, imagine them performing with their instrument to an audience of people. Perhaps your child would thrive being a lead guitarist or feel more comfortable in a group with others in a string section. Thinking about how an instrument is used in a professional setting can shed some light on which may be best for your child.

Thinking Logistically

Aside from their traits, there are also a number of environmental factors that could influence your child’s musical path. A budget has to be considered. Some instruments require costly maintenance and carry a hefty price tag without many options for cheaper versions more suitable for beginners. In order to provide a musical career of any kind, one must be able to financially provide the tools necessary for many years to come. Choosing the right instrument can make this easier on a family’s resources.

Anyone endeavoring to begin a new musical path will also need the guidance of a musical instructor. Particularly in the case of a young child just learning about the musical world around them, instructors can make or break enthusiasm on the subject. Finding a reputable music teacher is one of the most important aspects of planning your child’s musical career. When it comes to Tabla and other musical instruments, ipassio has some of the best teachers who can understand and adapt to each student’s capabilities.