If you remember what being a kid is like, then you probably remember that it wasn’t always the most comfortable time. As much as childhood is a time in our lives that is idealized in retrospect, it can often be very difficult in the moment when you’re worried about popularity and getting on the sports team. As adults, we now know that music and other forms of artistic expression can be extremely helpful as a method of coping with this pressure. At the same time, convincing your kids to pursue an artistic vocation is often like herding cats. While it may be difficult, there are certain ways to encourage an appreciation of music, and perhaps even get them practicing an instrument on a daily basis.
Buy Them Tickets To A Concert
Depending on how old your child is, you could always surprise them with tickets to see one of their favourite bands at an all-ages venue. If you let them take a friend instead of personally chaperoning them, they will be extremely grateful and it will also encourage them to experience and pursue music as an independent avenue. As long as you impose a curfew and make sure they take a cell phone, it’ll probably be fine. Going to a great show can be an inspirational and formative experience for a young person.
Buy Them an Instrument
Even a cheap keyboard can go a long way these days, given the point that digital technology has reached. You don’t necessarily have to break the bank to buy your child an instrument to noodle and improvise on. Worst case scenario, you could try playing it yourself! Another approach might be to rent an instrument and see how it goes – some music shops even have a “rent to buy” type deal, in the same vein as leasing a car. If your child has access to an instrument at all times, they will be much more likely to play it.
Learn About Recording Software with Them
While all Apple computers come with a free program called GarageBband, you can also upgrade to Ableton or Logic Pro if your son or daughter shows a great aptitude for making music. The current era differs from times when you had to get together with your buddies in an actual garage to make a song – these days you can do everything through MIDI and software instruments and have a song mixed and ready for listening by the end of the day. This can be very empowering for a young person; a feeling of accomplishing something tangible on their own.
Sign Them Up for Music Lessons
While music class in school can be a good idea, it can also be overly formal, and the focus on music theory can be a total turnoff. Especially if your child is more focused on developing cool sounds with simple chord progressions in a software program, they don’t necessarily need formal training. When you enroll your kids in music lessons at a reputable music store, you should be able to customize the lessons to their liking so that they can pursue any instrument they want in any style they are interested in. The fact that it is a process that takes place outside of school may well be extremely encouraging.
