Practicing is Tough

As we're all settled into the school year and coming down the home stretch of the semester, you may be finding that practice time is getting to be more of a challenge. "Why does it have to be so hard to get my kid to practice?" you might ask.

I'm a new parent, so I'm definitely no expert, but one thing I've learned from being in charge of a baby is that generally, humans don't like to work hard unless they have to. This is most clear when Clara is doing "tummy time." She is supposed to spend a certain number of minutes per day on her tummy so she can build muscles and eventually learn how to crawl. Let me tell you, Clara does NOT like tummy time.

She starts off pretty happy...

  

Then she moves to concern...

Which turns to anger...

And finally, defeat.

Then Extremely Mean Mom flips her over and all is right with the world.

What Clara doesn't know yet, is that once she gets stronger, she'll be able to sit up and play, empty all the cupboards, and chase the cat, which is going to be worth it! I'm guessing that you all have seen or experienced this little microcosm in your own house when you're trying to get your kids to practice regularly. It's not always fun as a parent, but we try to do what's best for our kids.  By the way, if you are an adult student, you may not actually be crying by the end, but haven't we all felt frustrated at having to work hard for something that doesn't necessarily yield immediate results? Or procrastinated doing something because we knew it was going to be difficult?

If you're six or sixty-six, practicing can be tough, but here are some things to think about:

When we encourage our kids to practice (or struggle through all-out battles), we're teaching them how to persevere through difficult challenges; some things take a lot of work. But, what a great reward at the end! You and your kids will get to experience the joy of performing a piece of music well, conquering goals, achieving better focus and discipline at work and school, and being able to appreciate music and art on a much deeper level. In the wise words of Lyndsey, a 6-year-old piano student:

"I work hard at piano. If you work hard, you learn the music faster and it's easier!"

So, keep up the good work you guys! We get to model to our families, whether they are the ones practicing or us, that practicing pays off. I can't wait to go to the upcoming recitals because that is a great time to enjoy how far all the students have come. We teachers are so proud of you!

By the way, our Winter Recitals are coming up soon, so make sure to invite all your friends and family!

Sycamore Recitals

1:00 & 2:30pm on Saturday, December 15th 

at the Federated Church - 612 W. State St.

Western Springs Recital

2:00pm on Sunday, December 16th 

at the Western Springs Christian Reformed Church - 5140 Wolf Rd.