Inspiration instead of pressure

Allow children to be children! Don’t make them prisoners to practice and homework. We all want our children to experience a childhood that they will look back upon and be grateful for!

Have classical music in the background at home and attend concerts. Discover and research music history and interesting facts about famous musicians and composers so your child will be inspired to practice more to achieve their dreams.

Learn together

You are welcome to get a violin for yourself and learn together with your child. If you attend 45-minute lessons your attendance will be at no extra cost. You will be aware that this is a long period of time to concentrate for a little one, so if your child is 5-8 years old, I’m happy to split your lesson into two parts so the parent can receive their own guidance (last half of the lesson) after completing the joint lesson with the child.  Learning violin together with your child will not only be beneficial for your child's home practice, but also strengthen your relationship as you will have one more activity you have in common with your child.

Parent support

If your child is aged 5-10, it is expected that you will attend lessons and practise daily with them at home. They will need your help in establishing good posture, maintaining focus for 20-45 minutes of practice, and scaffolding their learning in a way that effectively builds their skill. If your child is still in primary school, they will undoubtedly benefit from some gentle parental oversight in their practising. Once they have developed the necessary organization, self-awareness, and discipline a student will be able to practice fully independently.

Practice area

It is highly recommended to designate a specific area in your home that is reserved for music practice. A dedicated practice area helps your child (and you) focus more fully on your practice time, without other tasks and distractions competing for your attention. The area should be relatively quiet and free from distraction from other family members. Ideally, the area should include just one chair (for you), a music stand and a pen/pencil. Removing comfortable furniture from the practice area will help your child build the discipline to stand during their practice time.