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Why Play?
Over the years there has been a huge amount of research into why a person should learn to play an instrument. This research suggests that it helps with interpersonal and organisational skills. Some also suggest that it helps with the physical development of parts of the brain. As I am not a scientist, I cannot claim to know whether this is accurate or not. However, as an instrumental tutor I can tell you first-hand what I see in the people that I teach.
With my little students, lessons are an adventure. The classroom is left behind as we delve deeper into the world of the instrument, discovering what sounds can be made and how we can make them. Lessons at this stage are supposed to be fun and full of discovery. As we progress in lessons, reading and writing skills improve as we learn together the names of the notes on the piano. I’ve found that ‘John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course’ is one of the best piano tutor books for the younger students as the monsters at the front of the book can be given names to help the youngest child remember their letters.
For students a bit older, ages 7 – 11, the desire to learn the instrument becomes more evident. Usually they have an older sibling, parent or relative that plays that they want to replicate. This is a good motivator. For these students, working through a tutor book becomes a competition to see how fast they can get through it. They aim to get to the certificate at the end of the book. This dedication and motivation is a sign of their personal development as individuals. Having music lessons is something that not all of their friends have the privilege of doing, and I think it makes them feel a little bit special, adding to their sense of security in themselves.
For my teenage students, lessons have either just begun or have been going for a while. There are two types of response at this point. The first is that the student loves learning their instrument. They want to play what they hear on the radio or on the music channels. Some aren’t interested in exams and that’s fine! They’ve got enough going on with their school exams. In this case, lessons are an outlet for all the stress they’re feeling in their school life. Lessons become a part of their personality. The interest is there so we are able to get into the finer details of the music and the student starts to become a musician, learning how to use the techniques we’ve been working on to create a better sound and making fundamental decisions themselves. Learning how to ask questions and answer them for themselves all the way through a piece “How should I play this bit? I could try… “
The second response is that they’ve been having lessons for a while and they’ve hit a bit of a wall. They’re not getting to go out with their friends as often because they have to practise or have their lesson. At this stage, some decide that they don’t want lessons anymore and for the parents, yet another battle ensues. The parents know what a regret it can be to give up an instrument, but at the same time everyone understands what being that age is like. You want to spend every waking minute with your friends. This is when the parent/teacher relationship has to be at its strongest. The student, the parents and the tutor need to come to a decision. Do we let the student stop lessons? This is a question that is answered in many different ways with all sorts of ‘agreements’ coming into play. It is a question for the individual family to answer. All the tutor can do is be as supportive of the answer as possible and convey to the student that only the best is wished for them. Even through this, the student is learning something valuable. They are learning who they really are and what their real motivations are.
For my older beginners, lessons are something that they have wanted to do for a long time. They may have started to learn and then something caused them to stop, perhaps the teenage years. They have possibly been so busy working and raising a family, that they haven’t have time for lessons for themselves. This time is now. Although the learning pace is slower, it is so worthwhile for the learner! They usually have a clear ambition: “I want to learn to play some Beethoven” or something similar. Learners at this stage tend to want to know everything in great detail, feeling that as they missed out earlier they need to make up for it now. With these students, the determination and motivation is there in bucket loads. However time is often scarce. Family life still takes up a lot of time and finding time to fit lessons in can be very tricky. Learning to balance time is something that most people at this stage are fairly good at. Lessons and practise time are just something else to add to the list of things to fit in. As a person, the older beginner will feel that they are accomplishing something new and for all, that is worth the hard work.
There are many benefits to learning to play, no matter what your age. I was one of the teenagers that wanted to stop having lessons. My parents and my teacher refused to let me. I can’t describe how relieved I am that they refused, even though at the time I thought they were being decidedly cruel.
