How do I help my child prepare for flute lessons?
Whether you’ve decided that now is the time to begin private
flute instruction, or you’re looking to start down the road, there are some
great ways to help your child prepare for private flute instruction! Here are
my top five tips!
Attend live music events and listen to recordings of flute music
There are many community events
that are age appropriate for your child, such as the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Fiddlesticks
programs. These events often feature an Instrument Petting Zoo, where children
can see and even play instruments of the orchestra. What better way to get your child excited for
flute lessons? Pittsburgh has a wealth of free parks concerts throughout the
summer, another wonderful, family-friendly way of introducing yours to live
music. In between concerts, listen to
recordings of flute music in the car, or look for videos of flutists on YouTube.
Some of my favorites are Alexa
Still, Jeanne
Baxtresser, Emmanuel
Pahud, and Mathieu
Dufour.
Make your own instrument
Making a homemade flute is a fun project (click here for
instructions). This project will provide your child with an inexpensive method
of exploring the instrument and will help your child learn how the flute works.
Or, you can purchase a recorder. It’s
easy to produce sound on a recorder, and their simple construction makes them
very easy to hold. These instruments are
inexpensive (less than $20), and can be a great way for children to
explore wind instruments.
Prepare an area for practicing!
Practicing is a huge part of
learning a musical instrument, and designing a dedicated area in your home can
be easy and fun! Designating a specific
practice area underscores the importance of practicing, and provides a
distraction-free zone for your budding flutist. All you need is a music stand, good lighting,
and a chair. A desk or dining room chair
works best, and a small stool on the floor can be helpful to keep little legs
from swinging. Add some pencils and a mirror, and the practice zone is ready!
Read books about flute
There
are many age appropriate books about the flute for your budding performer. Some
of my favorites are “The Magic Flute: An Opera by Mozart” and “Fiona the Flute
Fairy.” Check out the website “Flute Monkey” for
more suggestions!
Attend classes that teach the basics
For
children ages 5-7, the Kindermusik’s® Young Child curriculum covers all
of the basics of music literacy, and provides a foundation that will benefit
the child throughout his/her life. Note
recognition, rhythm reading, and ensemble skills are all necessary for music
study. If your child is a graduate of a
program like this, now is the time to review materials and re-familiarize
him/her with concepts of music notation.
However, this is not a requirement for private flute instruction! It
simply gives the child a bit more confidence and information going in. If I have a student who is brand new to music
study, I like to spend a couple of weeks going over music fundamentals before
we introduce the flute in lessons.
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