6 Ways to Get Recital Ready

Spring is here and with that means recital and concert season is too! Whether your child is a seasoned performer or is about to get on stage for the first time, these tips will help you feel prepared, know what to expect, and have a great experience!

1. Play for people!

This one is obvious, but incredibly helpful, particularly if this is your child’s first recital and they are not used to playing in front of anyone. Neighbors, friends, family members, classmates, or even pets make great audience members!

2. Create a warm-up ritual!

Long tones, a scale, small pieces of a song, stretching, or even some silly faces are all great ways to warm up before playing! Make sure you have enough time to get ready and sound check your notes before the performance! If you do the same warm-up routine consistently, it even helps to eliminate nerves!

3. Have a plan for mistakes

I always tell my students, mistakes are not a problem. They might happen, they might not. It’s out of your control. What is in your control is how you handle the mistakes. There are serval options so having a plan is the best way to prepare. Option #1 is to be an actor, pretend like it never even happened, and just keep on going. Option #2 is for when you get a little stuck and need to back up a bit. It’s a good idea to flag a couple of good starting spots in the song just incase you need to restart a section.

4. Have a plan for nerves

It is completely normal to feel a bit nervous before performing and most people experience some form of minor performance anxiety at some point in their life. This might include sweaty hands, racing pulse, rapid breathing, dry mouth, or shaky hands. You can prepare for these symptoms in advance by practicing some deep breathing techniques, drinking plenty of water, and even practicing your song after doing some jumping jacks! This allows you to experience what it feels like to play the flute while your heart rate is up and your breathing is heavy!

5. Pretend play/ dress rehearsal

For young children, it is helpful to do a little pretend recital so they know exactly what to expect on recital day. You could set up some stuffed animals and have them all take turns going up to play a song. As long as you prepare in advance and keep the atmosphere lighthearted and fun, your child is sure to enjoy it!

For older children, a dress rehearsal is about running the song/ songs entirely how they will be played in the performance. If you will do it with repeats, then make sure to practice it that way. You might even want to practice in your concert outfit with shoes and everything!

6. Find purpose

And perhaps most importantly, make sure that your child understands the purpose of recitals. Perhaps we all have a slightly different purpose, but recitals in my mind are a chance to gather as a community and celebrate all that we have learned! It is not a test or a competition, but rather an opportunity to hear some beautiful music and support each other in a fun and creative setting.

3 Educational Philosophies Every Parent & Teacher Should Know!

As someone who does not believe in a “one size fits all” approach to education, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about these three alternative philosophies. I am not dogmatic in my teaching and believe that it is not necessary to follow any of these “to a T” in order to gain the benefits. But rather, picking and choosing certain elements from each may offer the best educational experience for the child.

As a little disclaimer, I will state that I am not an expert or professionally trained in any of the following approaches. Please use this article as inspiration to do your own research and get more information on these methods in order to fit them with your own student’s or family’s individual needs.

1. Montessori

The Montessori Method (founded by Dr. Maria Montessori) is an educational approach that fosters self motivated learning through hands-on activities. Montessori education is student-led and self-paced. The Montessori classroom is multi-aged and is notoriously well organized. You will find child-sized furniture and a clean minimalistic environment. The materials for each activity are placed on a tray and laid out on a shelf for the children to choose from.

WHAT I LOVE:

-Use of on hands-on, kinesthetic materials
-Sense of choice, freedom, and autonomy for the child
-Focus on practical life skills
-Fosters independence in children
-Minimalistic environment
-Teachers support & guide but don’t instruct
-Laid-back, nurturing atmosphere
-Mixed age classrooms

Downsides

-Activities have a right way and a wrong way
-Curriculum doesn’t always value creativity
-Discourages fantasy play

MONTESSORI INSPIRATION FOR MUSIC LESSONS:

I love the Montessori approach and incorporate so much of this style into my teaching. I find that children of all ages are much more focused and engaged in their lessons and practice when they have hands-on manipulatives.

2. Waldorf

Waldorf education (founded by Rudolf Steiner) integrates the arts into all academic disciplines. Beginning in the early childhood program and continuing into later grades, Waldorf education values imagination and creativity. The Waldorf approach seeks to nurture the whole child; “the head, the heart, and the hands.” This threefold learning process of “thinking, feeling, and doing” allows students to take an active role in their education becoming independent thinkers and problem solvers. Surprisingly, in a Waldorf school, teachers typically stay with the same group of children for five to eight years! This allows them to develop a strong relationship with each student and better understand their development, needs, and learning style.

WHAT I LOVE

-Waldorf’s approach to early childhood
-Integration of the arts into all academic disciplines
-Prioritizes creativity & imagination
-Nurtures the whole child
-Teaching methods are appropriately tailored to the child’s developmental stages
-Students take an active role in their education
-Teachers develop long-term relationship with students

Downsides

Rudolph Steiner also developed a philosophy called Anthroposophy. Although this is not taught directly in Waldorf Schools, Waldorf teachers do study Anthroposophy and may use insights from Steiner’s work to apply to their students’ development and education.

Another potential downside is very little technology is used in a traditional Waldorf environment. (This could also definitely be seen as a benefit, depending on your perspective!)

WALDORF INSPIRATION FOR MUSIC LESSONS

For me, one of the biggest take-aways from Waldorf (particularly in the early childhood setting) is the sense of wonder and enchantment that can be created in the classroom. The Waldorf atmosphere is magical. From the way the teachers create a sense of family with their students to the way the environment is filled with soft, beautiful colors, this approach clearly captures the essence of childhood. I resonate so well with the Waldorf way, where creativity, imagination, and play are at the heart of education.

3. Reggio Emilia

The Reggio Emilia approach was developed in Italy after WWII when the community was looking to rebuild their schools and create a new progressive way of learning. The name Reggio Emilia actually comes from the city in Italy where it was founded.

A Reggio inspired model of education focuses on student/teacher collaboration and follows an interest based curriculum. It is centered around the belief that all children have high potential and are capable, competent, and creative. The environment is seen as the third teacher and is designed in a way that ignites and supports learning.

Reggio inspired teachers treasure the many ways children explore the world and express themselves. This belief that children use art, music, language, movement, experimentation, relationships, and many other avenues to learn is referred to as the “hundred languages.”

What I Love

-Self-guided curriculum/ interest based learning
-Project learning
-Sensory based learning
-Integrated subjects
-Teacher learns alongside the student
-Encourages children to follow their curiosity
-Uses a variety of learning modalities

Downsides

Interest based curriculum puts the power of learning in the hands of the child and I believe that is absolutely wonderful in so many ways. However, when there are specific skills that we would like students to learn, this approach may leave us parents & teachers wishing we could steer the ship in a certain direction.

Reggio Inspiration for Music Lessons

So how do we combine interest based learning with teaching children the basic instrumental (or academic) skills that everyone just needs to know?

Julie Bogart (who is not associated with the Reggio Emilia approach) wrote a book called “The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life.” In her incredible book, Julie states that “You can learn everything from anything!" I use this approach all the time to combine the child’s interests & ideas with whatever musical skill I would like to teach them. Here’s how it works: You take whatever the child is really into like dinosaurs, ballet, Paw Patrol, or marine biology and teach everything else through that thing.

By allowing children to learn how to play the flute through the lens of their own unique passions, you automatically capture their interest and attention. They learn better, focus longer, and will grow up to be more invested in their education.

While this seems like a lot of extra work for the teacher, sometimes I just tell the student straight up," “Hey so today we need to practice this and that. Can you create a flute game so we can use your mermaids and also play the song?” Every time I’ve said that, it’s led to an extremely productive lesson. When a child hears that you value their ideas and they understand that you are on their team, learning becomes a collaboration and not a power struggle.

That is how I combine the Reggio idea of the self-guided curriculum while also teaching core skills.

Flute + Drawing

Flute + Soccer

Flute + Stuffed Animals

Flute + Board Games

Flute + Hopscotch

Flute + Arts & Crafts

The hands-on activities of Montessori, the colorful & creative atmosphere of Waldorf, and Reggio’s integrated subjects following the child’s interests are the main pillars that guide my approach to teaching young children.

What parts of Montessori, Waldorf, and Reggio Emilia resonate with you?

Holiday Themed Music Activities

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! As we all decorate our homes for the holidays, why not decorate our flutes too?

You can also learn how to make these adorable mini flute hats:

Flute Tuque Instructions

Or purchase one already made:

Buy a Flute Tuque

Aside from flute decorating, there are plenty of other ways to use your holiday decorations for music lessons or practice at home. It just takes a little bit of creativity!

Try printing out a big musical staff and using bells for notes! This is a wonderful way to continue practicing note reading when you might be on break from lessons. Including hands-on activities to your music practice routine is a wonderful way to keep young children engaged.

Bows can also be a very versatile manipulative for games! Try using them for rhythm bingo or I Spy for musical symbols.

Here we made a DIY Ice Air Hockey Rink for a seriously fun way to practice air & breath work!

Make the rink by filling a tray with water and then putting it in the freezer for a couple of hours. You will also need a straw for each player and a flat bottom gem for the puck. Using a straw, each player tries to blow the puck to the other side for a goal. It seems simple, but this really works your lungs! Taking deep breaths and blowing long, sustained air are important skills for any woodwind player.

And if you don’t want to make it an air game, you can simply use game pieces for the “pushers”. It really does feel like you are playing air hockey, just on a smaller scale!

Of course playing your favorite songs of the season for family and friends is a wonderful way to connect and spread that holiday cheer!

Build Your Own Instrument (DIY Flutes!)

Instrument making is so much fun and is a great way to combine music, art, science, and engineering!

Here are some ideas for building flutes with…straws!

You can also use paper to build flutes!

Keep in mind that even if your DIY flute doesn’t “work”, having a pretend flute is wonderful for practicing posture and fingers, and is loads of fun for your little one’s imaginary play.

And now my personal favorite, building flutes with bottles!

This is a great activity for beginner flutists because it helps with air direction and making a sound!

When making your bottle flute, be sure to experiment with various shapes and sizes to make different sounds. You can even add water to change the pitch!

Whatever materials you choose to use for your DIY flute, be sure to decorate with ribbon, stickers, and lots of accessories. You could even gain inspiration from flutes around the world. Happy instrument making!

The Benefits of Transition Time!

“Time for flute!”…and your child is sitting in the middle of a mountain of legos. Or maybe they are playing outside and don’t want to come in. Perhaps they are in the middle of a major meltdown. As teachers, we have seen it all and we get it! Transitions are really hard for kids.

Parents pay good money for music lessons and want those finances to be put to good use. But, that pressure to get started right away can actually be a huge turn off and send the child further from focused.

We could all use a good reminder that the non-musical transition time at the beginning of the lesson is so incredibly valuable. It allows the teacher to connect with the child, hear about their day, and meet them where they are! This is actually the time where the bulk of the relationship building happens. And we all know, a deep, trusting relationship between teacher and student is not only essential for learning, but can also be life changing! Having at least one adult role model (outside of family) is so important for children and the benefits far pass musical instruction.

So, the next time your child is in the middle of reading a book and gets upset when you say it’s time for a lesson, don’t panic! Give them a few minutes to show the book to the teacher! It will help connect the two activities and ease them gently from one thing to the next. And who knows, maybe the book can even be used in the lesson!

Twenty minutes of solid, productive lesson time is always better than thirty minutes where nothing is accomplished. Take that transition time, it’s where the magic happens!

A Parent's Role in Virtual Lessons

Parents play a vitally important role in Suzuki lessons. You might be wondering how this role is best adapted for the online format. Following is a framework on how to participate in your child’s virtual musical journey, by age:

Ages 3-5

This age group requires continuous parent involvement during the entire lesson and beyond. You will play an active role in your child’s musical journey by learning the instrument along with them and practicing together throughout the week. Your presence, enthusiasm, and hands-on participation is essential to your little one’s progress.

Similar to the in-person format, your teacher may primarily teach you during the lessons, knowing that those skills will naturally trickle down to the child. We know that young children are like little sponges and soak up everything around them. A parent’s willingness to play the instrument themselves first allows the child to learn simply from immersion. It also creates a natural desire for them to learn too.

Both lessons and practice time for this age group are always centered around play and exploration. Parents can best support this approach by keeping things light & fun and repeating the games & activities that your child experienced during their lesson. So, if you have a 3-5 year old, stay on the zoom lesson the entire time, and then enjoy some relaxed musical playtime together throughout the week.

Ages 6-9

If your child falls in this age group, you will also have a very active role in lessons and practice. You will still learn to play the instrument along with your child and are still responsible for creating opportunities for playful music practice at home. 

However, as long as you remain in earshot, you may be able to walk in and out during the zoom lesson. It can actually be quite confusing and overwhelming to have multiple adults instructing the child at once. Therefore, giving them a little bit of space to work one-on-one with just the teacher can be really beneficial! It may take a few lessons to find the perfect balance, but in general, be there for the instruction and then give your child room to practice and play with the teacher individually for a few minutes. The teacher will then call you back and the child can show off what they learned!

Ages 10+

Around the age of 10, children have developed enough independence to take their own notes and practice on their own. Parents can transition into more of a supporting role and a 5 minute parent-check in at the end of the lesson would be sufficient.

Finding Balance

Of course all children are unique and these age ranges and guidelines are just estimates to help you find what works for your family! Online music lessons can be very effective as long as children have the support they need.

Thank you parents, in advance, for all you do to make virtual lessons a meaningful experience for everyone!

Incorporating Child-Led Learning into Music Practice

When kids start music lessons, they are usually very excited to practice at home! Everything is fresh and new and the instrument is almost like a special new toy. But then after a while, the child begins to realize that doing this "thing" is hard work and suddenly it doesn't have the same novelty as it did in the beginning.

Cue the power struggles, frustration, and tantrums that all stem from a disconnection between what the child wants and what the parent wants.

Child-led learning is when we follow our children's interests and support their passions for optimal self-motivated learning. But of course, there are many things that we want our children to learn like math, science, literacy, and perhaps a musical instrument.

So what are we to do...follow our child's passions like dinosaurs, minecraft, and legos or teach them the things they need to know?

What if I told you there was a third way...

Perhaps, we could combine the two and create experiences for the child to learn flute (or those core subjects) through the lens of their own unique passion.

Because, as Julie Bogart says in her book The Brave Learner,

"You can learn everything through anything!"

Let's say your little one loves princesses and only thinks about that all day. For music practice at home, you might dress up and play flute inside the castle that you built out of cardboard boxes.

Or if your child is interested in birds, you might find some flute music where the flute represents the bird. You could learn to identify the bird calls of various species and then compose your own birdsongs. You could take your binoculars outside, do some bird watching, and then play to the birds.

Or if the passion is video games, maybe you find some music theory apps with note reading and ear training games. Or download Acapella or Soundtrap and your child could record themselves playing and learn about video editing, sound engineering and music production.

If your child loves to swim…practice in the pool!

When we partner up with children in their education and collaborate with them (instead of forcing our adult agenda on them), the resistance fades and makes way for passion. With this approach, education is more than just things we must learn, it becomes a fulfilling creative endeavor.

Playful Practice Techniques

Playfulness is the way to go when engaging young children! Sometimes you just need to take the pressure off and lighten the mood. Laughter has the ability to reduce stress, improve circulation, and re-energize the body; all things we need for good concentration when playing a musical instrument. 

So, let’s leave the nagging and the negativity behind and focus on what’s really important...connecting with children and enjoying music together.

Get Silly!

Are you having a hard time getting started with practice? Here’s an idea, pretend to completely forget how to hold the flute. Put it up to your nose, puff your cheeks, stick out your tongue. Before you know it, your child is giggling and showing YOU how it’s done!⠀

Code Words

For those times when you need to watch posture or hand position: create a fun code word to whisper when something isn’t quite right. It’s a lot more fun to hear the word “pickles!” than “fix your right hand!” ⠀

The Ticket Game

This is a great activity when learning a new technique (like playing low notes or doing a tricky finger combination) and there needs to be a lot of attention to detail. Cut out some paper tickets and tell your child to watch your fingers to make sure everything is just right. Otherwise they can give you a...TICKET! If you get too many tickets, you might even have to go to flute jail! This game is extremely versatile and is always a huge hit!

On One Foot!

For those moments when they just can't stand still...simply saying, “I bet you can’t play that on one foot!” changes the dynamic and engages their body and mind in a new way. Most children rise to the challenge and happily try it out. You could also play a song laying on your back, kneeling, doing the splits, or balancing something on your head!

Simply changing the energy in the room and lightening things up can have a profound effect on not only your child’s experience with music, but in the relationship they have with you! Let’s make practice time a place for connection, laughter, and play!

5 Fun Music Literacy Activities

Learning to read music is hard work, but it can also be so much fun! Try these creative, hands-on games at home to spice up the way you practice note reading.

1. “I Spy” Notes & Symbols

“I spy with my little eye... a quarter note, a crescendo, a barline, the note B!”

This is such a fun way to explore musical notation and identify notes and symbols. Play with a magnifying glass to really feel like a musical detective! Little gems or stones are great to cover each thing that you find and also makes it easy to count and compare. 

2. Note Match Game

You can find treble clef sticky-notes online, as well as regular colored post-it notes. 

Draw 3 or 4 notes on each of the musical staff sticky-notes (keep it in the range of whatever your child is currently learning). Draw the matching letters on regular colored sticky-notes. 

Mix them up and match the letters to the notes on the staff!

Play each one on your instrument as you go, and then put them all together to make a song at the end!

Don’t forget to switch roles too! Kids then draw the notes and make the cards for parents to match.

3. Melodic Contour Tracing

This is such a fun activity to do with pipe-cleaners, as they are easy to bend and turn, following the direction of the music. You can also use yarn, string, or ribbon. 

Melodic tracing allows kids to visually see the range of the song and locate the highest and lowest notes. It also shows ascending and descending lines as well as the overall shape of the phrases. 

You can either print out a musical staff and plot some notes on your own or just use any sheet music that you have. Keep it simple and use a song with not too many notes.

At the end, you have a really cool shape to compare with other songs!

4. Musical Alphabet Words

The musical alphabet only has 7 letters (ABCDEFG), but there are still over 30 words that you can make! 

To play the game, you will need musical staff paper and a pencil. 

One person thinks of a word and draws the notes to spell that word on the staff. The other person has to guess the word and play it!

It could be an easy 3-letter word like “egg” or a big 7-letter word like “cabbage”! How many words can you make with the musical alphabet?

5. Note Stamping

Make a copy of your music so the original doesn’t get marked up and then let your child stamp out the notes! You can even print out a musical staff and identify each note before you begin. ⠀

What are some of your favorite ways to practice music reading…through play?

Artsy Music Activities for Kids!

1. Musical Jewelry

Make your favorite song into a necklace (or bracelet)! Letter beads work great for notes and blank beads can be used for rests. This activity is wonderful for learning a new song and memorizing because the music is always with you!

2. Painting Dynamics

Explore the connection between dynamics in music and dark & light values in art. Watercolor paints work best! Pianissimo is represented by paint mixed with lots of water. It looks light, transparent, and almost "see-through." Fortissimo is represented by dark, heavy, saturated paint, with less water. You can even paint a crescendo!

3. Painting Articulation

This is such a fun activity that allows children to explore a visual representation of staccato, legato, slurs, accents, and other articulation styles and patterns. You might want to use different types of brushes to make a wide variety of marks and texture. (Q-tips, spoons, toothpicks, and popsicle sticks are fun to paint with too!)

4. Crafty Rhythms

Build notes with pipe cleaners and pom-poms! You can even create your own rhythms and play them on your instrument.

5. Songs & Stamps

Make your own song cards with letter stamps! Young children will love to pick out each letter, one by one, and stamp out the notes to a song.

6. Musical Symbols with Play-Doh!

This is a wonderful kinesthetic, hands-on way to learn various musical symbols. Find them in your music and build each one!

5 Cool Ways to Practice!

1. Make a musical board game!

Think Monopoly, Chutes & Ladders, or Candy Land! Make your own game board and laminate it. Each week, write your practice items, review songs, and scales on the board with dry erase markers. Find a dice and some game pieces and play together as a family! Keep it simple or get extra creative with lots of rules, challenges, and components.

Photo by Flute Play

2. Make a fortune teller

Make a paper fortune teller and fill it with items on your practice list. Scales or rhythms go on the outside and songs & technique go on the inside flaps.

3. Build an obstacle course

Does your child need movement while practicing? Then this one's for you! Set up an obstacle course either outside in the backyard or in the middle of the living room! Jump, spin, skip, run, and leap through as many challenges as you like. Pillows, jump rope, blankets, hula hoops, whatever you have around will work great.

Then, pick 2 or 3 spots throughout the course to add stop signs. When your child gets there...FREEZE! You hand them the flute and they play through their song or repetition. Timing the race is fun, but pause the stopwatch while they are actually playing. We don't want to encourage messy, rushed practicing.

4. Draw a Card

Write everything you need to practice down on little pieces of paper. Fold each one up tight, like a secret message! Then drop the papers in a hat, shake it up, close your eyes and draw one at a time. Simple but fun!

You can also do this virtually by downloading a spinner app on your tablet or phone. Input your practice points, spin the wheel, and see what you get!

5. Color-by-Number

You can find color-by-number pictures online and print right from home. Each number is already assigned a color. Your job is to assign each number something to play on your flute.

Here are some examples:

1= Blue= G Major Scale
2= Orange= New Song “A” Section
3= Yellow= New Song “B” Section
4= Purple= Review Song
And so on...

Print simple pictures that you can finish in one practice session or go for a more complex design that will take you all week to complete.This is such a rewarding experience because at the end you get a beautiful piece of artwork to display!

It also shows your child that each little piece matters, every repetition counts, and new skills are built one step at a time.

Happy practicing!

From Frustrated to Fierce!

Does your child get easily frustrated when something is hard?

If the answer is yes, that is completely normal! The ability to overcome challenges is something that has to be built throughout childhood.

Learning a musical instrument is the perfect way to develop resiliency!

The next time your child is really struggling with something hard, try following these steps to turn that frustration into an “I can do this!” attitude:

STEP 1: Take one step back and acknowledge that this is hard! Validating the child’s feelings is crucial.

STEP 2: Ask them just how difficult the task is using the “Difficulty Scale” or another visual. Maybe this task is so hard that it goes all the way at the top! Or maybe its medium hard and therefore it goes somewhere in the middle. You can even use a sticky note to write the task down and plot it on the chart.

STEP 3: Then, you explain that even though this is hard, we are still going to do it! This is the time to fill your child up with support. Maybe they need a hug or a sprinkle of “bravery dust.” They might need to do ten jumping jacks or show you their strong flute muscles.

STEP 4: Whatever you were working on, take a deep breath and do it at least 10 times.

STEP 5: At the end of the repetitions, ask them again, was it any easier? Most of the time, it’s a “yes!” and what a great feeling that is to move the sticky note down closer to green!

You can track practice points over the course of a week or even longer. That way your chart is filled with songs and skills that are new & difficult and others that are now easy for them to play!

If you do this consistently, your child will develop confidence and will have developed a process for learning new things. They will begin to realize that life is hard, but I can do hard things!

Why Should My Child Play a Musical Instrument?

Is it worth the hard work, commitment, and money to learn a musical instrument? There are so many activities to choose from…so why music?

Music benefits the whole child: brain, body, and heart.

Music for the Brain

The link between brain development and music in early childhood has impressed researchers for decades. But how does music learning benefit older children? Neuroscience research has shown that studying a musical instrument develops the auditory system improving listening skills, memory, and concentration. Music training also enhances cognitive skills related to spatial reasoning and complex mathematics.

There is even a fascinating correlation between music and brain plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to modify its connections and rewire itself. Neuroplasticity is essential to healthy development and is enhanced through music education. This adaptability of the brain is particularly important for problem solving and creative thinking, two very important skills for thriving in an ever changing world.

Music for the Body

Music also teaches physical skills like coordination and fine motor skills. Specifically, practicing an instrument develops something called sensorimotor synchronization, which is the rhythmic coordination of perception and action. In order to play a song, a musician must visually decode musical symbols on the page and then translate that information into specific fingerings or positions on their instrument to play the notes. This entire process happens at an incredibly fast rate. Talk about developing good hand-eye coordination!

Playing an instrument also helps children to develop good balance and body awareness. They learn to stand tall with good posture, feet planted and elongated spine. Plus, wind instruments require kids to learn about air and breath control. This is so wonderful for mindfulness and feeling calm and secure in our bodies.

Music for the Heart

“If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.”

-Shinichi Suzuki

Music is crucial to the emotional development of children. We use music to process emotions and express our ideas. It provides opportunities for deep connection and builds sensitivity, awareness, and appreciation for beauty.

While we might practice by ourselves, music is first and foremost a social experience and always invites us to collaborate and work together. Playing in an ensemble allows kids to take risks in a safe environment and even develop leadership skills at a young age.

But perhaps the biggest benefit of all: resilience. Learning an instrument is hard work. It takes time and focused energy and patience. It’s hard for kids to overcome the need for instant gratification, but music lessons can help. Children develop self control and endurance, overcome obstacles, and even learn how to stick with something hard for 10,000 repetitions! That kind of dedication, persistence, and self-discipline goes far beyond music. It translates to everything we do.

So if you are considering beginning this incredible journey of developing life skills through music, know that there will be ups and downs along the way. That is true for any learning process. Just remember these four things that music always teaches us: listen, breathe, connect, and play.

“Perhaps, it is music that will save the world.”

-Pablo Casals (after listening to a group of children playing violin at a Suzuki concert)

Reception & Expression

Are you thinking…

“My child is not participating, I’m not sure they are getting it.”
OR
”My child isn’t’ participating in class, but they do it as soon as we get home!”

Here’s the answer:
Cycle of Reception & Expression

Receiving Mode--------------------Expressing Mode

Input ----------------------------------Output

Exposure------------------------------Experimentation

Observing-----------------------------Doing

Taking in information-------------Trying it out

Children are constantly learning from everything around them. Whether we get to see them “doing it” or not depends on where they are in the cycle.

A child that participates in class is in output mode. Their needs for learning in that moment are experimenting and trying things out for themselves.

A child that doesn’t participate in class that day, is in input mode. They are busy collecting information. There is no need to interrupt their focus and force them to switch modes.

(*Remember being in input mode does not necessarily mean your child is sitting still watching your every move! They might be wiggling around the room, but still collecting valuable data.)

Both sides of the cycle are important and all of us experience both.

Many children use class time to observe and will stay in input mode, until they get home. Now, they are ready to try things out! Good time to bring out the flute!

Wherever your child is in the spiral today and everyday is great. We all learn in different ways at different times, but in the end, we all arrive.

Loosing Interest?

Is your child loosing interest in the flute? If the answer is yes, this is completely normal! Every family goes through a “honeymoon” phase where everything is new and exciting. The flute is like a new toy for a young child and at first capturing their attention is easy. Once the novelty wears off and the child realizes that it takes some hard work to learn to play the flute, there will naturally be some resistance.

No need to pressure, bribe, or fight with your 2-4 yr old about flute, instead…

• Lead by example

• Integrate music into your daily life to establish consistency

• Through your own practice, make flute seem interesting, attractive and fun

• Set up a play space that inspires music exploration

• Create a game to practice flute skills (or just re-create one from class!)

• Incorporate your child’s interests in your flute time at home

• Work in small steps (success breeds success!)

• Keep it all positive

Progress is never a straight line. It always helps to step back and look at the big picture when things are hard. Here is your child’s musical journey over ten years:

Remember that taking music lessons is a decision that you made for your child’s education with their best interest at heart. There will be ups and downs, but mostly there will be joy, enchantment, and the kind of learning that lasts a lifetime.

Learn it while you're young!

During the first six years of life, children have a very different way of learning than adults. At this age, their sponge-like brains are able to soak up vast amounts of information from their environment. This is due to what Maria Montessori calls the absorbent mind.

The Absorbent Mind Period is broken into two stages:

Unconscious Absorbent Mind Stage (0-3 yrs)
Children naturally soak up everything around them and will mimic what they see.

Conscious Absorbent Mind Stage (3-6 yrs)
Children in this phase start to sort through and make sense of the information they have unconsciously gathered. They will expand their new abilities, make choices for themselves, and do things independently. This is also known as the “help me do it myself” phase.

“Children develop 85% of their core brain structure by the time they are five years old. “
-Rauch Foundation data

Suzuki lessons take advantage of the absorbent mind period and expose children to music during the time when it is easiest to learn something new. Often school band and orchestra programs don’t start until 4th or 5th grade, which misses this crucial window of learning.

What is Suzuki?

The Suzuki Method is an approach to learning a musical instrument in the same way we learn language. Parents/caregivers learn the instrument along with the child, providing a musical immersion experience. This also allows the parent to feel competent in helping with their child’s practice at home.

Suzuki music and language learning both involve:

• Immersion

• Early start

• Encouragement/ positive environment

• Listening & observing

• Play & experimentation

• Repetition

The name Suzuki comes from the Japanese violinist named Dr. Shinichi Suzuki who came up with this “mother tongue” approach to learning to play an instrument. While the program started with violin, you can now find certified Suzuki teachers all over the world in flute, violin, piano, cello, and guitar.

Plant the Seed!

Plant the seed of music learning!

Children have such an advantage when they start learning music at a young age, but it can appear to be a slow process. There is so much internal work that has to be done before we see any out loud music making. When we focus on results and not the learning process, we might fail to see all the wonderful progress happening.

In Flute Explorers, we are not concerned with seeing results. Your child is now in the seed stage as we expose them to new musical experiences. As the weeks pass by, you might start to see some evidence of sprouting! Your child might show you the finger animals or hold their flute on the correct side. They might make a flute face or sing one of the songs. And eventually they will make a sound too.

Enjoy each tiny step of the process and remember…
Just because we can’t see it, doesn’t mean they don’t know it!

Framework for Early Childhood Education:

• Every child can learn
• Ability develops early
• Environment nurtures growth
• Children learn from one another
• Success breeds success
• Parental involvement is critical
• Encouragement is essential