There's Music In The House

...Or, "How To Get Your Kids To Practice Piano, Even When They Don't Want To."

Like many other parents, I want my children to be well-rounded. Husband is the "sports" authority, whether it be teaching our kids how to shoot a basketball or how to throw a  baseball, that's his territory.

I, on the other hand, am completely useless in the sports department.

However, since I started teaching piano at a music school, I've had to take lessons and practice more seriously. This includes how I view teaching my two older kids. Our son has since moved onto guitar and my 13-year-old also plays clarinet in band, but I still teach her piano and I still expect her to practice.

I'm not going to get into anything technical here, but rather, if someone is not a self-motivator, how do you motivate them?

You show them this on You Tube:



Here's the thing, aside from the fact that practicing can get long and mundane, you can still find balance in that too. Yes, she has to master her major and minor triads and work on "Andante" by John Christian Bach, but after that, she could be playing something cool too.

(So I watched this video, bought a similar rendition on iTunes and I'm learning it by ear, so I can teach her. Sidenote: technology can be our friend!)

This isn't a gimmick or a trick, but rather honing in on what interests your child/student. Funny, she was on the people twice yesterday...the second time without my prompting.

My students at the music school are going to love it when I play this at our Christmas recital. Rock on.