My pedagogy blog on instagram, monthly editions of Parent Newsletter here, on this platform, and my daily work with young musicians in piano classroom is basically dedicated to one topic only:
Practicing (sustainably, please).
And still, (!..) the topic of the last parent newsletter of 2024 will be as follows:
We can’t just focus on practicing only.
We have to explore the art.
“What does visiting a museum have to do with piano lessons?”, you might ask..
And here comes my answer and my message to all the great parents that will be surrounded by classical music together with their children in the new year 2025:
Practicing at home means repeating the main elements of your weekly piano lesson.
Practicing at home regularly means to reinforce knowledge received during piano lesson and ensuring that that knowledge will be truly encoded to the long-term memory (hence learnt, hence mastered in future by your child).
Practicing classical music instrument with sustainable methods means enabling your young musician to have as healthy and as firm future as possible (this one is a special duty and chance for all of us, music pedagogues).
But when all of those points just mentioned above are done, the music work is still not finished..
.. because when we go to a masterclass, or a competition, or an exam, in the feedback we hear more than often:
“.. the tone could be more interesting, for example like that of a clarinet”
“.. the sound could be more alive, like the green color shade on that picture over there”
“.. playing should sound less mechanical, and more musical”
I have heard this as a student, I have understood it as a pedagogue.
While teachers take care of the technical, academic and artistical skills and knowledge of your child, you as a parent can definetly help by introducing art and culture to your child, in order to near their perceptions closer to the requirements of understanding music – therefore understanding Art.
When you will go together to an art gallery, or a museum, or a forest, you can discuss what you experience there:
“What do you really see?
How does it sound to you?
What does it look like?
Why?”
You will teach your child that there is always an inner dialogue between them and art. You will break the walls and ice ceiling, because suddenly they will be experiencing art within themselves meaning that.. they can Think (critically), Reflect, Understand and Act in art, even meet contemporary artists and have a chat with them about creation process of art – they can learn understanding how artists think.
And one day become artists themselves.
So, check the nearest galleries, museums, parks and book stores; make it a wonderful routine that brings all of you closer to exploring art and world. Certainly it will make your new year better.
Happy New Year 2025!
signed by Maria teacher
