Intrinsically motivated children are internally driven by a desire to explore, create, and master their skills. There’s no need for external rewards or punishments because the motivation comes from within. There is satisfaction in doing the thing itself.
For music (or any educational pursuit), it is crucial that children develop their own motivation for practicing. If they don’t, the process becomes infinitely more difficult. If we can avoid making children feel like they have to do something, and replace it with a genuine desire to learn, we align with the true meaning of education.
the process of motivation
Angela Duckworth’s book “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” talks about working on something you care about so much that you are willing to stay loyal to it through all the ups and downs. She goes on to explain that the four components of grit are interest, practice, purpose, and hope.
But here’s the catch, they naturally develop in that specific order.
You cannot diligently practice something that you have no interest in. Before a child is ready to spend hours practicing a skill, they must have plenty of time to first “goof around,” experiment, and play! This is why the primary purpose of music education in the early years is to cultivate curiosity and support the child’s budding interest in music.
Angela Duckworth says it like this; “Experts and beginners have very different motivational needs. At the start we need encouragement, freedom, and choice. We need applause, and only a little bit of critique. Practice, but not too much too soon. Rush a beginner and you’ll bludgeon their budding interest.”
If the initial instruction is playful and the learning is pleasant and rewarding, we tend to stick with it, going on to develop more challenging skills.
This formula is often helpful when pinpointing the needs of students:
Early years are for cultivating interest.
Middle years are for developing skills & practice.
Later years are for finding purpose.
Instill Intrinsic Motivation in Music Students
The Early Years (Ages 3-7):
There is a huge advantage to starting music lessons at a young age, but practice looks very different than it does for older students. Young children will naturally pick up their instrument and teach themselves though play, if we provide a supportive environment and create opportunities for them to explore and experiment.
If you have a young child, try modeling your music practice after these four points:
PLay
Music practice is all play-based. It’s casual, relaxed, and flexible. Include lots of games and activities. Let the child take the lead.
Experiment
Leave the instrument out of the case for them to tinker around, make discoveries, and practice what they learned in the lesson. Children teach themselves this way! If they are focused, don’t interrupt!
Model
Learn along with your child and let them see you enjoying music too!
Inspire
Go to concerts, watch videos, and come to group class to see what you are working towards!
The Middle Years (Ages 8-12)
To stay engaged and motivated at this age, students need to know that what they are learning is relevant to their own life and is aligned with their interests.
Personalize
In addition to core classical repetoire, students might also have an interest in film music, jazz, music history, world music, or pop songs. Personalizing lessons and letting them choose at least some of the music helps to develop their own motivation to practice!
Relate
Relate to the student’s non-musical interests! You could map out the form of a song and name each phrase after a Harry Potter character. Suddenly a Minuet that the student had no connection with is now their favorite piece.
Or if the student has an interest in art, you could paint a picture to go with the song. If they feel like their ideas and creativity are valued, they are more likely to practice!
Appropriate Level of Difficulty
If something is too easy, you get bored and move on. If something is too hard, it becomes very frustrating and uncomfortable. That feeling in small does is very healthy for children! It’s important for them to struggle. But if the struggle is too severe, they might give up, breakdown, and not want to come back. It’s all about breaking things down, learning in small steps, and developing one skill at a time.
Games
Games are not just for little kids! Including complex card games, music math equations, and movement activities in lessons can be a great way to learn music theory concepts while having fun!
Compose
Many students find composing their own music very fun, rewarding, and a great motivation to develop their music skills!
The Later Years (Ages 13+)
Older students obviously have an interest in music and have already developed great skills over the years. So what is it that keeps middle and high schoolers motivated and progressing to even higher levels…Purpose!
Ensembles
Advanced students need a place to play to put their skills to good use! Students could join the school band or a community orchestra. They could play at a church or perform a recital. Or at the very least, just playing music with friends provides a nice creative outlet.
Auditions
Auditions provide excellent motivation to practice hard! Having that specific date gives students something to work towards.
Goals
Even if a student doesn’t have an interest in playing in many ensembles or taking auditions, simply setting some goals for their playing keeps them inspired and working hard.
Conclusion
Students will develop intrinsic motivation if we follow the natural process of cultivating playful interest, developing skills through meaningful practice, and finally discovering purpose!