• Children who are older have more attention span, more finger dexterity and independence, and often have or will soon have the ability to read and write. In other words, they are much better equipped to have a successful musical experience right from the start and to progress more quickly, two advantages that help set them up to feel more positively about lessons.
• You help prevent a desire to quit early due to frustration or burnout. In the book, Choosing The Right Instrument For Your Child, the authors claim that one of the most common factors in children’s musical failure is starting at the wrong time – too early.
• Children who wait are given more time to enjoy and develop in other areas whether it be dance, sports, or just playing at home. Why rush precious childhood years if it’s not necessary?
• It is easier logistically in terms of managing lessons and practice time (especially if there are siblings). When a child enrolls before the age of 6, parents need to be in the lessons and participating alongside their child in daily practice sessions. This can be difficult, especially if younger or older siblings are in need of attention or care during that time.

You and your child will be happier if you wait. In the meantime, Kindermusik will prepare her for instrumental or vocal lessons while still allowing her to have fun and learning through methods that have been designed with her developmental needs in mind.

Kindermusik for the Young Child and private lessons cover a lot of the same material. However, Kindermusik for the Young Child covers concepts such as learning to read, write, and compose music as well as ear training and sightsinging. All this and more is covered in a much more playful fashion than your typical music lesson. You can expect a lot of signing, dancing, ensemble work, game playing, and even storytelling in addition to work on learning to play the Young Child instruments (glockenspiel, dulcimer, and recorder). While a music lesson is more focused on building the appropriate technique for an instrument, Kindermusik for the Young Child is better designed than any music lesson in terms of building true musicianship, which in turn is what many people refer to when they talk about musical talent. You can learn more about the full curricula here.

However, there’s even more reason than that to enroll in Young Child either alongside or prior to private music instruction. Remember how kids who start early are more likely to quit due to frustration or burnout? Or that kids who start earlier are typically no further ahead than their peers who start later after a few lessons of study? Well, we can confidently say that Kindermusik for the Young Child provides the strongest foundation in movement, vocal development and listening above and beyond private lessons, which will help your child be successful when the time comes to learn an instrument. In fact, research shows that she will remain motivated longer than a child without such a background and is more likely to continue longterm with formal music lessons. Plus, private teachers tell us that compared with their peers who’ve had similar time in private study, Kindermusik graduates really are better prepared, more successful from the start, and progress faster. They genuinely have the advantage over kids who started piano or violin early.

The opposite is actually true. A young child with a genuine interest in playing an instrument or learning to sing will come back to that interest even more strongly in a few years when she is physically, emotionally and cognitively ready. (I can actually testify to this personally. I begged for piano and voice lessons for years before my parents finally relented, and when they agreed I not only stuck with lessons, but pursued music all the way through a Master’s degree and studied piano well into college in addition to my primary instrument, voice.)

• Does your child understand the enormous amount of dedication needed to learn to play an instrument?

• Is he ready to accept the rules, guidelines and suggestions of the teacher?

• Will she still be interested and not frustrated when the teacher asks her to play a certain way, or hold her hand in a certain position?

• Does he have the fine motor control as well as the maturity and attention span necessary for daily home practice?

• Can she concentrate daily for 15 to 30 minutes on a series of directed tasks?

• Will he thrive in a learning environment where it’s just he and the teacher, or does he learn best in a social, play-like setting?

• Does she consistently match pitch when singing?

• Can he copy a rhythm pattern?

• Is she developing the ability to keep a steady beat?

• Can he distinguish between high and low pitches upon hearing them?

• Does she have pre-reading skills and one-to-one correspondence?

• Is he willing to learn the concept of practice and handling of an instrument?

• Does she possess symbolic recognition (the understanding that a symbol can have a consistent meaning)?

• Are you ready to purchase an appropriate instrument?

If you can say yes, to all or most of these questions, it’s likely that your child is ready to start private music lessons.

Find a good teacher. Ask around for recommendations from friends. Here’s what to look for:

• Someone who has a reputation for being (or who you can observe is) good with young children.
• Someone who will clearly get along with your child and be a good inspiration to them on their musical journey. Music making should be fun not terrifying or stressful. Good lessons will inspire that.
• Someone who is willing to teach you how to continue the learning from lessons at home. A good teacher will make sure you know what your child should practice and help you learn how to reinforce work from lessons.
• Someone who will let you come “try out” a lesson. Most any teacher of value will let you come in for a trial/audition/interview lesson. It helps the teacher, you, and your child see if this is a good match. Often in such an interview/audition a teacher will assess your child for readiness as well.

We are partners with the UMKC Community Music and Dance Academy. They would be a great place to check out when you are ready to start private lessons or to get involved with a music ensemble. In fact, the UMKC Conservatory of Music is quickly becoming one of the top music schools in the nation, and many of their top notch students are also teaching for the Community Music and Dance Academy. You can expect to find teachers who have completed or are completing graduate degrees in music. Often they are students training as some of the best professional musicians around and/or who going on to be music professors.