Why take Private Lessons?

So, why should we offer our children private lessons if they are already in a band class at school? Learning to play a musical instrument can be more of a daunting task than a child (or parent) may expect. Fingers, tongue, breathing, posture, note reading, and counting all come into play with this foreign object put into a child’s hands!

Private lessons are  for anyone, not just music-career bound musicians. A private instructor can maximize a young musician’s opportunity for musical success and fun

1. Working with a private teacher can help a student keep up with peers in the group setting. Every child learns at a different pace. Because of the many aspects of performing an instrument, children will progress differently. For instance, a child may have no trouble at all properly placing his/her hands on the instrument and quickly becoming dexterous, but may find it impossible to form the proper embouchure (position of the mouth on the instrument’s mouthpiece). There are many subtleties to embouchure formation, and if a student doesn’t get help from a private instructor, the wrong embouchure could become a road block to other facets of playing (such as note range) in the near future. 

2. Private lessons help to minimize frustration. I believe the less frustration the  better when it comes to learning; who doesn’t? Though frustration can create  determination in some people, it can discourage others. It’s sad to see a child  give up learning an instrument in the early stages when all was needed was a  little personal attention. Every child deserves the opportunity to enjoy and not  be frustrated with making music.

3. Private lessons set up the child for  success. With a private instructor, a child refines more quickly the fundamentals of playing. A solid foundation is built, and the child can keep learning, playing and succeeding. Succeeding is fun! The young musician builds confidence, and doesn’t give up.

4. The child learns how to practice. A young musician needs to learn HOW to practice. I often spend more time with a student on practice skills than anything else in a lesson; and not only with beginners, but advanced students as well. A student spends more time weekly alone in a practice room (or at home) with the instrument than he/she does with a private instructor each week, so that time needs to be well spent. By sending the student home weekly with the proper practice skills, the private instructor can help the student get the most out of practice time alone. Also, the student will not dread practice time, because he/she will have control over it and confidently expect results.

5. It is easier to stay motivated with the help of a private instructor. I find this benefit most applicable to students who have been performing more than a few years. Once out of the beginner stage of playing, a music student may not know what to do next. A private instructor is knowledgeable about different music literature and styles and can help the student discover what new music to learn, what goal to pursue next. The instructor can direct a student to certain recordings, because listening is so vital to becoming a good and motivated performer. Sometimes all a student needsin order to remain stimulated is someone to report to on a regular basis. It is always easier to work for something when you know someone is counting on you and  that you’re accountable to someone – your teacher.

To view the private lesson list - click here

To contact Ms. Karvelius for specific questions about private lessons, email her at jkarvelius@sd308.org