With School out for the summer, your child can finally take a break from all the classes, rushing around, and tests. Summer gives kids a great chance to kick back and take it easy after working so hard in School, not to mention much-needed family vacation. Rest and relaxation are part of growing and getting stronger, that goes for school work as well! Music students are no different. A break can help relieve some of the pressure from a music student who has been pushing to learn more for several months.
But make sure they don’t take the whole summer off from practicing their instrument. Read below to learn more about the problems that can come from taking too much time off and what you can do to avoid them.
Risks of Taking the Summer Off
Some of the consequences of taking three months off of music lessons include:
- Losing Momentum - It is easier to do activities you already do. The more you learn about and practice a task, the more jazzed up about it you become. Taking time off for the summer stops that momentum that usually has to be rekindled at the beginning of the following school year.
- Weakened Muscle Memory - Music lessons and practice train your child’s mind as much as their muscles. The practice helps build fine motor skills to perform specific tasks automatically. With a break, the muscles begin to weaken and “forget” the lessons.
- Losing Skill - Mastering a new skill is a thrilling accomplishment for a child after they struggled to acquire it. But that skill weakens without practice. When school resumes, they may have to struggle to remaster that same skill.
So not only do students stop progressing during breaks, they actually lose the skills and strengths they gained. After too long of a break, they will need to play catch up.
A Different Music Lesson Schedule
Real life demands a flexible schedule to adapt to family needs. With vacations, camps, and summer plans, schedules will need to change. Here are some ideas to squeeze in summer lessons:
- Teacher Check-In - Have an honest chat with your child’s teacher about their schedule and how flexible they can be.
- Consider Long Lessons as Make-Ups - Your child may have to miss a lesson or it could be tough getting to the teacher several times per week. Consider a more extended session such as a 1 hour instead of 30-minute lessons.
- Try Group Lessons - Group lessons are a great chance to break up the standard 1-on-1 lessons and get some more peer interaction for your child to push their skills further.
- Make it Fun - Ask the teacher to add a pop song to pump your kid up! Try offering special activities (like hanging out with friends, going swimming, or going out for ice cream) after the lesson.
Evola Music offers instruments and music lessons for those who love music and those who are looking to learn more about music. We offer classes in Bloomfield Hills, Canton, Shelby Township, and Traverse City. Check out our local pages to find out more about how we can help.