I am teaching 2 pre-school siblings. The older is doing reasonably well, although I think he'd rather be elsewhere. The younger has a VERY limited attention span, and would rather bang on the keys and run around the studio than sit and play. He is on his 2nd set of method books (the first ones were too 'old') and while he's learned a BIT, I get frustrated at almost every lesson. The older child has the longer lesson time, and he has the shorter time. ANY HELP in how to interest him in actually playing is MUCH appreciated! I use a variety of little percussion instruments and lots of colouring (theory work) but still need help!! I don't really have the option to let him go as a student. I don't know how much/if the parents work on the music with them at home. THANK YOU!

I will offer this from a parent's perspective. I have learned alot from preschool teachers. Is the younger one in a regular preschool? perhaps consult with the teacher if so on succesful methods to engage that child. What is the child interested in?

How about smaller goals at the lesson, with a reward - a sticker or stamp for sitting and copying the lesson - of whatever is a special interest - cars, sports, nature, etc.? Or dance time at the end once he has achieved lesson goal? My child's preschool has set routines, and if you can ask parents to reinforce your expectations for behavior. Could you run your lesson in a similar pattern to a typical preschool lesson, for example, my child's program has first, a few minutes unstructured playing, followed by "circle time" where concepts are reviewed and/or introduced - during this time, a child is expected to sit quietlly to answer questions about calendar, weather, letter of the week, etc., then there is story or craft related to theme of the week, followed by more free play. Could you let him play nicely whatever he wants, then you teach, and then when he is done, he has a bit of free dance/ music time?

I would tell the parents to come back in a couple of years. They sound like they're too young for piano lessons.

I remember when I was first brought to the music lesson, I was six, and we did no keyboard for a long, long time. It was something like three months of musical activities that involved singing, guessing notes struck on the piano, tapping on percussion, and hugging my mum ( ), and it wasn't until later that I was taught to play "G----C" at appropriate times (i.e. whenever there was a perfect cadence) to a long soundtrack. And it wasn't until much later that I was taught "three blind mice". But I think encouraging development of other musical skills save keyboard is a good thing before letting a very small kid having a "full" go on the keyboard.

Just speaking from personal experience as one hyperactive kid that frustrated an army of teachers between 1992 and 2000

There are some great preschool music programs out there that would probably be more beneficial at this age:

www.harmonyroadmusic.com
www.musictogether.com
www.yamaha.com
www.myc.com
www.musikgarten.org


The focus on teaching preschool age kids is getting to them to 'experience' many musical concepts without doing a lot of explaining. Then, when they're a bit older they're ready for piano.

You say letting them go right now is not an option, but what if what you are doing is detrimental? Would you let them go then?

I think you probably need to really re-evaluate how young you will take them, and what you will do at such a young age. Teaching really young ones is a totally different animal than even a 5 or 6 year old.

So far we don't know how old the children are.

I start teaching notes from the first lesson, and I do it with the help of a parent. If I do not have such cooperation, or if a child clearly is not able to match three notes with a keyboard chart I use, I won't start lessons.

I start children as young as five. But only if we (the parent and I) decide the child is ready.

If lessons go badly in the beginning, it can turn into a horrible experience that makes the child unwilling to ever try lessons in the future.

Your students sound very much like my sons. When my older son was 4 years old, I signed him up for Kindermusik. After our 2nd lesson, the teacher told me to reconsider coming back again because he "was not suitable for music". At 6 years old, he started piano lessons. Well, he is 11 and excels in piano and has won competitions. As a parent, I think maybe your students just need to wait a couple of years. Why drive yourself crazy?!!!

Thanks so much everyone! I do appreciate your help and your thoughts and ideas. They are young boys and seem to be learning a bit (the older especially) so I will look into more 'non keyboard' type activities for the younger, as he has retained some knowledge from what we taught in the very beginning. I think it will help me to not be as frustrated either!!

As a former Kindermusik teacher, this statement made me cringe. That was terrible and not in lines with what the Kindermusik ideal is. They believe every child can learn things from music, and the class is structured around the learning process through music, not music for art's sake. What an awful comment! Probably it was best that you stopped going to that class!!

Every teacher should have a student profile of the kind of student we will accept at certain ages, and at specific levels.

Starting new students as beginners means you set the pace, verify the work, and produce a successful introduction to music/piano for the student. We have responsibilities toward a successful outcome.

Certain things - attitudes, behaviors, immaturity, ability to focus, being ready are part of what you look for in a student.

Indications that you and the student are going to be able to accomplish what you set out to do with as little impediments as possible.

Add a few "quirky" things that are obstacles to your progress, and you are totally undermined, and you did it to yourself. In addition, a bad experience for the student closes doors for his musical future, and it undermines his potential.

Avoiding frustration and deadends is part of our job. Making it fun, making it desirable, is how you get and keep their attention.

Sometimes we accept students for the wrong reasons. We get too enthusiastic about offering early starts to students who are physically and mentally not ready for the work and the challenge.

At an older age - at or after 1st grade is much better, in my opinion, to start piano lessons.

A lot of people are making great income from fostering early childhood music education. I'm not sure this is proven that these experiences really produce good results when it comes to one child developing from what he has learned in in group early childhood experiences.

Piano is an instument requiring the piano player to develop high thinking levels, physical and mental stamina, and diligence-patience. It is a mind-body coordination, a choreography of specific impulses in movement and touch. The reading of the music symbols and the organization of the grand staff and note value durations and accidentals make this really a high level of interpretation and logic.

Most of us are not wired for these activities until we are about 9 years old.

Yes, you do make a lot of good points Betty. This is one of my youngest students I've taught in over 11 years of teaching. Just today I did find a lot of helpful non-piano musical activities to keep him learning music per se, just not on the keyboard. I do think he has it in him to learn, but at this time he is too energetic to sit and just play at the keyboard. Maybe that will come as he gets a bit older and can see how his brother is progressing, or maybe we'll just keep at percussion instruments, while learning rhythm, etc. I don't want it to be detrimental to him or his family, but realize at the same time that the parents want him to learn something and I don't think they're too overly concerned that it's strictly piano (but music overall). Thanks everyone, I appreciate your help and the constructive comments!

I am still on the fence about taking young, young pupils. Which is funny because I used to sell myself as a young child specialist at the piano. (Ages 4 and up, I would brag)...I use puppets and drawing and rhythm instruments, etc...and I find it much harder work than starting an older child. And I'll tell you the main reason I was accepting younger students: $! Right now I encourage interested parents to wait...I guess I might be a little burnt out in this area..

By the way, I've experienced younger students getting up and running around the studio (or run off to their room to get a toy), banging on the keys, refusing to put their hands in the correct position, sit in silence and ignore me, put their feet up on the keys, get up and try to STAND on the keys, bring their snacks over to the piano, spend their first 5 minutes crying until mom makes them sit down...ETC. (And some, of course,did not have further lessons...)

I told a parent who called about lessons this week that I would be happy to take her child in the 2nd grade. She was actually relieved! She was afraid her child would miss out on something if she didn't start her in lessons at age 5.

I told her to do lots of things: encourage piano exploration and play, attend concerts, and music play groups, play good music in the car and at home all the time.