My daughter is 5 years old and she just started taking lessons for past 3 months. I really like her teacher's method and she seems to enjoy it at the lesson, but now that I want to reregister her for her next season/lessons she is telling me she is not interested. At home she seems to go to piano and plays some of her songs, I feel she is not motivated because these lessons are private and if it was more like group sessions she might have got more interested. What do you think I should do? also I practice with her at home but she dose not want to be told what to do or how to follow the teacher's advice.

-- M.G (mmojie@juno.com), February 03, 2003

Answers

I experienced the same thing with my son when he was 5. The problem was --- he was five. Most are not ready for private lessons in the traditional sense. Group lessons might be helpful at sparking her enthusiasm, but the real meat of the issue is that practice is difficult at this age anyway, and when Mom tries to help (i.e. correct things), it gets worse.

You might consider several things:

1. Discontinue private lessons but find a general music class for young children like Kindermusik, Orff or something similar.

2. Continue private lessons, but find a teacher that also offers group lessons as well.

3. Let private lessons go until she is 7 or 8. She will at least have had several years of school by then and that helps greatly.

Hope this helps.

Arlene

-- Arlene Steffen (asteffen@fresno.edu), February 04, 2003.