5 Ways to Motivate a Young Musician
For young musicians to stick with singing or piano, they need to be excited and motivated. Kids who are eager to learn more about music and improve their skills tend to be motivated to achieve personal goals, experience success, and continue improving. So how can you help a young musician stay motivated?
Here are a few ways to motivate a young musician:
1. Ask your child what they like about singing or playing piano.
Step one is understanding what motivates a child to stick with an activity is to learn what they like about participating. Does your child like to sing because it’s fun? Does she like singing with friends? Maybe the best part is challenging herself to get better? Chat with your child, so you can understand what they like about music and singing. Their answers might surprise you.
2. Support your child in what is motivating to them.
If you have a good understanding of what your children like about an activity, you’ll also get a good idea of what is motivating them. Do your best to honor these motives and avoid pushing your own motivation onto your child. If you want your child to expand on their musical skills to something like trying other instruments, but they don’t show much excitement or interest, let them continue learning on their own timeline.
3. Expect a child’s motivation to change over time.
How often do you wake up excited and motivated? Some days, you’re probably really excited and can’t wait to get stuff done. Other days, you might feel less motivated and prefer to skip a few tasks on your to-do list. Kids experience the same ebb and flow with motivation. On some days, they might be really excited to practice, and other days they aren’t. If your child usually enjoys singing or playing an instrument, a day or two of feeling unmotivated might be a signal they need a brief break. And most likely, they’ll bounce back quickly.
4. Give your child time.
If your child is new to music, give them some time and space to figure out what they like about it. Try not to force anything on them. Over time, kids will learn what they like about an activity and what makes them excited to keep coming back.
5. Use encouragement and positivity to motivate young musicians.
Fear, anger, punishment, and yelling will not inspire your young musician to achieve success. If your child is struggling with motivation, make sure you’re helping them from a place of positivity. Try to understand where they’re coming from and look for opportunities to show support instead of frustration.
Fox Music has locations in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach where we offer a variety of programs for both kids and adults. Schedule your free introductory piano lesson or singing lesson today!
