Core Value: Creating Relationships

It's February, and that means Valentine's Day is coming, and that means you're thinking of all those you love. I'm thinking this is a perfect month to share another core value from Let's Play Music: we purposefully cultivate relationships by nurturing family connections and professional camaraderie.

Family: At the Heart of It All
No other social institution has as much impact on society as the family, and no one influences our students more powerfully than their families.  Not surprisingly, our amazing successes in teaching young students come about in large part because we recognize that families play a key role in children's lives as they establish habits, tastes, and values on the road to independence.  If the household has an attitude that "music is what we do" and "it's fun to play musical games" and "we relax and unwind with music", the children adopt those viewpoints! We really care how your family feels about music, and we really care that you are connected with your child!


Our goal in teaching music is to create musicians, but we also hope these three very special years give you a chance to strengthen your family and build some special connections with your child.  Even if your little one does not go on to a musical career, she'll have a special memory of these happy times with you!

A Strong Family

 Whatever structure your family has, you'll be spending time together, solving problems, and taking care of each other. That's good for life and it's good for music-learning. Here are some characteristics of what might identify you as a strong family:

• Adaptability: We cope with everyday and unanticipated stressors.
• Appreciation: Individuals feel and show appreciation of each other. We care about the well-being and needs of each member.
• Clear Roles: We're aware of rules, roles, expectations and responsibilities, yet flexible.
• Commitment: We're committed to the family, and have a shared purpose and values.
• Communication: We can communicate openly and honestly with each other in a safe and positive way. We're willing to listen to each member's views, and we resolve conflicts when they arise.
• Community Ties: We are connected to, and participate in, our community
• Encouragement: Individual development is encouraged
• Shared Time: Both quality and quantity time are shared. We are willing to spend time and energy meeting the needs of our family or problem-solving to improve our family.

Family Strength Strategies

Here are a few strategies that can help you strengthen your family, and I'll shamelessly suggest how participating in Let's Play Music can help you cultivate relationships with your children.

• Spend time alone with each child, each week: Quiet chats just before bedtime or a puzzle together after school ... and how about making a special weekly date for just you and your child to get LPM homework done and have some time to sing and snuggle? Your child will also value that you leave the siblings behind so you can go to class with just her and interact with her during class, then help her practice (the first couple practice sessions each week).
• Respond to children with patience and respect their feelings and abilities: I can guarantee that at some point, your student will be frustrated with mastering a tough piece of music.  You will practice using empathy and respecting his struggle. He'll know you understand him. You'll connect over the difficulties, struggle through together, and experience such joy when the song is finally perfect!  Helping your child get through something tough is fabulous! You'll both remember it and it will set a tone for how you respond to his struggles.
• Encourage family members. Share their accomplishments. You'll cheer delightedly with each small musical accomplishment all year. You'll help her prepare for the big recital and invite everyone you know to come. You'll take proud videos of her composition and brag on Facebook. She knows you are her number 1 fan.
• Visit and find ways to help at your child's school or activities. Get involved in something she does, and suddenly it's not her thing but your thing together. Coming to LPM class, helping her practice, and learning to play duets with her can't be beat! She'll remember it as time with you.
• Eat a meal together as a family, and involve family members in mealtime tasks. LPM won't teach you to cook, but I strongly recommend that you sing together as you set the table and/or put on some music you all enjoy.
• Hold family meetings that give all family members an opportunity to talk. Maybe at your next meeting, you'll have the kids weigh in on what practice plan (link for ideas) they would like to follow.
• Develop a family mission statement that includes your family's mission, goals, and objectives. I don't know what your goals are, but I bet they will affect your music practice. If "We strive to help each other" is on there, siblings might be prompted to help each other with practice time. If "We develop and share talents" is a goal, kids might be inclined to volunteer their music skills in the community or church. If "We respect each other" is your mission, you can encourage the kids to take turns nicely at the piano.
• Develop and maintain family traditions and rituals.  Tell me what your musical traditions are in the comments! I want to know! Is it: We sing together while we drive in the car; We always practice music before school; We listen to classical music at bedtime; We always have music playing while we set the table for dinner;  We always put on a puppet show on Sunday afternoon; Dad always plays soothing piano at bedtime; Mom always brings her guitar on camp-outs; Mom always plays with Sally in music class; Dad always sings in the choir. Having traditions can really define your family as your own, and let your children know there's a culture they belong to. If you don't have a musical family tradition yet, the good news is: it's never too late to start! Add music into your life and find out what your family want to do over and over...and it suddenly becomes a tradition.

Connect Through Music

Now that you know we strive to make music-class time a really special time for you and your child, I hope you'll go to class with a can-do attitude: "I'm gonna seize opportunities to connect with my kid during class!" 

Here's an analogy: most parents stand BEHIND their kids while pushing them on a swing.  Sure, the kiddo enjoys a super-fun ride and enjoys having Mom at the park.  Some parents get more connection: they stand in FRONT of their kid while pushing.  That way they can make eye contact and smile every time the kiddo swings past.  

 
But, finally, SOMEONE went and took it to an epic level by inventing a swing that lets Mom get the most connection by actually participating in the fun.  Mom still smiles and makes eye-contact, but she also subtly teaches: "This is a fun thing to do. I like to do this thing with you and I like doing this because I'm with you. I like to participate/ learn/ practice this skill, and I invite you to join me." 

Being on that double-swing is like going to music class and actually singing along to the songs!  It's like doing the solfege hand-shapes and smiling at your child when you see she's doing them, too.  It's doing your best Frog-in-the-Middle dance and not worrying about sweat during Johnny's Haircut. It's being just a bit silly and being totally present, because you want to be there with your child.  And if you don't like skipping to Sally Goes Round the Moon? Tell yourself, "I like doing it because I am doing it with you." 

Three Things To Try In Class

Show your kiddo that he's your V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E by giving him some love with these three classroom ideas:

1. MORE HUGS: You'll be sitting directly behind your child during floor time. He can't always see you but for sure he can hear you singing along.  Look for opportunities to add in the hugs! After he answers a question, or puts a magnet on the board, or answers Echo Ed, give him a big smile and hug.  Silent and easy. It works at the keyboard, too: after she plays a piece, answers a question, or echoes Edison, give her a squeeze or touch foreheads to silently say "I heard that!"

2. SOLFEGE HIGH-FIVES: Soflege hand-shapes are fun and silly. I posted the solfege high-fives HERE as a fun way to teach hand-shapes, but I hope you'll use them in class all the time!  Whenever you find a chance, silently tell your kid "Nice job!" by giving one of these high-fives.  It's like a secret handshake between the two of you...you hold out two O-shaped hands, and she knows to plant her FA-lower (flower) thumbs into the pots and bloom those flowers.  It all happens silently and quickly and is a special moment between the two of you. A stranger on the street is not in-the-know about your secret handshakes! 

3. SOLFEGE KISSES: You may not have seen this before because solfege kisses are pretty intimate- which is why they are perfect for you and your child! Put your cheekbone against his so that your mouth is near his ear and his mouth is near your ear.  Very quietly sing "Sol-Mi" and have him echo "Sol-Mi".  Vary with "Do is Home" or "Sol-La-Mi" and other patterns.  Anytime (at home) you'd like some snuggles with your kiddo, announce "solfege kisses!" and do a few singing exercises.  You'll be able to hear and feel these notes being sung.

Since your face is almost in position, you could top it off with some butterfly kisses, but of course you'll want to blink in rhythm while chanting "caterpillar, grasshopper, BUTTERFLY, bug!" (Bring your eyelashes close enough to touch his cheek, then blink your eye so the lashes brush and tickle his cheek and feel like butterfly wings flapping against his skin.)

Okay! Go have some fun singing the V-A-L-E-N-T-I-N-E songs, and maybe give a bit of extra oomph this month toward building a bond with your child. Our track record indicates that when you are connecting with and having fun with your child, his music-learning increases!

-Gina Weibel, M.S.
Let's Play Music Teacher 

Core Value: We Ensure Quality to Preserve Integrity

Here at Let's Play Music, one of our core values is We Ensure Quality to Preserve Integrity.

I've been thinking about quality amid the holiday season. The flashy sales are all around, tempting me to buy all sorts of stuff at a super-discount price. But wait a minute, is this stuff really what I want? Maybe I should examine it a little more carefully first.

Do I really want this stuff?

Has your kiddo ever begged for something that looked tempting and pretty in its packaging, but it fell apart after she played with it a few times?  Perhaps that super-saver-discount deal was no deal at all.  We don't want to get bamboozled into buying junk.  We want to invest our time and money in quality items and experiences.  (Read our post on Smarter Spending to maximize happiness this season.) 

That applies to shopping for gifts and investing in your music classes!


Cheap Toys vs. Quality Toys

Broken already?

You're a pretty fantastic parent (I can tell because you're reading this blog), so I don't need to help you identify low-quality toys.  They are the ones that seem to pile up in the toy bin for "random items." They don't get played with after the initial burst of interest, and they fall apart easily. Before each birthday party, you secretly pray that there won't be a lot of these things showing up.

When you buy toys for your children, you'll be able to find quality items by considering:

• Does the toy have open-ended play possibilities? Open-ended toys get played with imaginatively as your child invents new scenarios.  Specialized toys leave less room for imagination and tend to becoming boring quickly.
• Is it durable and safe? Can it handle rough play? If it is going to get tossed out next week, why buy it in the first place? Well-made toys have better resale potential, too!
• Is the item a pleasure to look at and handle? 
• Does it match your child's interests? Quality toys can often be used by children of various ages, in various scenarios, and maintain interest for years.
• Consider buying fewer items, but get high-quality ones you really want.

Music toys can offer  creative play
if you teach your child to be inventive with music.

Don't forget to consider toys as an experience. A key point from our article on smart spending is to focus on experiences.  A toy that you plan to use as a launching point for spending with your child (musical instruments you'll play together, a craft you'll do together, etc.) will have special meaning.  Don't forget to follow through and spend the time together. 

If you'd like some musical gift ideas, check out our musical Gift-Giving Guide. Don't forget that enjoying these gifts with your child  is the best part of the gift.

Quality Experiences?

At Let's Play Music, we don't sell toys.  We deliver a high-quality musical education.  You're a savvy shopper and carefully choose how you spend your time and money on experiences for your family. Here are questions you'll want to ask about any program you enroll your child in:

• Does the program train the teachers? At LPM, our teachers attend training for each year of curriculum, where they learn the games and songs as well as philosophies and reasons behind the games. At training, new teachers demonstrate that they can accurately lead our activities and accurately explain the theory.
• Does the program have a certification process? After teachers are trained, how can you be sure they stay true to the vision? At LPM, teachers have videos of their classes reviewed regularly to achieve and maintain certification year after year.
• Do the teachers have a network of support? How do teachers get ideas and solve problems? At LPM, we have an extensive support network: each teacher has a training team of our executives backing her up, as well as a huge network of other LPM teachers in constant online communication for support. Most teachers attend our annual teacher meeting for further education and training.

• 

  Teachers from around the country came together for the 2015 LPM Symposium

• Do you agree with the program's values and philosophies? Whether it's soccer, karate, or music, find out what defines the program and sets it apart from your other options.  I love that the LPM philosophies are based on research about how and when children learn music best. Browse through our blog posts and our website to learn more about us.
• Consider pursuing fewer activities but choose ones that are high-quality and important to your child's development now. Give the activity enough focus and attention to really make it successful. The LPM curriculum gives your child a musical foundation (preparatory to any musical study) that will have a powerful and specific impact specifically during these formative years. Get the most from the program by attending 100%, doing homework, practicing, and making it an experience with your child! In our post on abundance, some families shared that they can't do it all right now, but their child does get to experience a lot over the years of childhood.

Wherever You Go

I appreciate that the Let's Play Music program is high-quality and consistent everywhere.  I had a student move mid-semester to another state.  Happily, he found a new LPM teacher, so after taking Yellow Lesson 4 with me was able to move across the country and take Yellow Lesson 5 from his new teacher without missing a beat.  

I've also had emergencies when I couldn't teach, and had another LPM teacher substitute for me.  She knows exactly what will be needed to teach Purple Lesson 12, to answer my students' theory questions, and to help them with the tricky parts of the song they're working on. She's been through training, been certified, and is up-to-date on the always-improving curriculum and teaching methods. 

As you go shopping this season, remember to look for quality in the objects you bring into your home, and quality in the programs you invest your time in.

-Gina Weibel, M.S.

Let's Play Music Teacher

We Value Generosity and an Abundant Mindset

It's November: a month of thanksgiving and gratitude and the perfect time to highlight another of our core values at Let's Play Music.  We value generosity that fosters an abundant mindset and leads to shared success.

Abundance Mentality or Scarcity Mentality?
These terms were coined by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 

Most people are deeply scripted in... the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else.

The Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing recognition and credit, power or profit... They also have a a very hard time being genuinely happy for the success of other people.

The Abundance Mentality, on the other hand, flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody...It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity.

Your mindset in this matter has a profound impact on your physical and emotional health, as well as your relationships and your future.  Adopting an abundance mindset can significantly improve your life!

Teachers Feel Abundance
First I'll point out how this value percolates through our program, starting with our superb teachers.  

You might have expected competition between neighboring teachers in a program like ours.  "There are 50 kids in this town. They can either register for class with her or me so I'll do what I can to show that I'm the best choice!" Ah, that's the scarcity mindset talking, but we're adopting a new mindset.  

Natalie, Kira, and Allison: teachers working together.

"I'm glad this parent values music education.  I want her to find the teacher, class time, and location that works best for her family.  Of course I hope they'll register for my class, but I know that either way, they'll be happy with the experience and share it with ten new children."  We have an abundance mindset that there can be enough teachers to reach the students, and enough students to support our studios.  There is not a zero-sum balance of students who can learn music (when teacher A gets a student, teacher B has one less), but rather there is a snowball effect when we practice abundance (when teacher A registers a student, teachers A,B,C and D are all more likely to reach more students.)  Music class can be for every child, and our abundant mindset leads to the reality of a more musical community.

Let's Play Music teachers also exhibit abundance within their amazingly generous and supportive network. "I have lots of my own ideas for making class special. I could keep them to myself and try to become the best teacher ever, but nobody does that. We share our ideas and answer each other's questions and we create a whole nation of best teachers ever. Another teacher always had students with really great compositions and I wanted to know what she was doing that worked so well for teaching this, so she shared it with me. We made it into a class for all the teachers. Just freely sharing- just being generous."

Parents Feel Abundance

As music parents, do we ever slip into the scarcity mindset? How could it look different?

Has this scarcity mentality thinking entered your mind? "Our teacher is fantastic, but some of those kids in class always need extra help.  When she helps them, my daughter doesn't get as much attention." 

I challenge you to change to an abundance mindset. "The teacher divides her time among the children, and it's okay if the time is not exactly equal.  It's fair because the teacher is giving each child what is needed, and that looks different for different kids.  ALL of the children are progressing as musicians.  I recognize the huge benefits for my child to have a musical community of peers to perform with.  I want to foster our success as a class and be happy for them as a group. The teacher shares time with other students, and in the big picture, that makes the experience better for us, too."

Here is another example of scarcity I have encountered. "Resources are tight. There is just not enough time or money to go around to pursue everything we are interested in.  If we pursue one activity, we drop another, and it's really sad." Is it possible to change this zero-sum thinking to a more abundant mindset? I think it is but yes, I have balanced a checkbook, too.  Consider a list of the things you really value and want to pursue with your child.  In this case it might be soccer, ballet, swim lessons, music lessons, or private school tuition.  

Truly, there isn't time or money to have it all!  "I realized we could not make everything happen, at least not all at once.  Some of those activities are still things I want my daughter to try, but I realized there would not be much harm in waiting a few years before getting involved.  We also decided that she wouldn't do any one sport year-round, in order to free up time to just try other things.  When she's older she can get focused if she wants to.  As for music, we recognized it would be a loss to miss out on joining LPM during the age when it is most impactful, so we gave it full priority and found ways to barter and babysit to help pay for classes. We don't feel like we gave up anything, we just take turns, really."  

Another perspective is, "I'm just so very grateful we live in a community bursting with knowledge and opportunities for my child. It's amazing to have the problem of too many opportunities to pursue.  But, just about everything can be sampled during childhood. There is enough time to experience it. It's a good idea to remember that kids have an entire lifetime to focus down and build up excellence.  I give my kids this basic foundation of music and a bit of basic athletics and they can choose where to go with it next."

Teaching Abundance

These are some tough questions (sadly based on some real life tantrums) I put to my own children, to help them see the difference between scarcity and abundance. I encourage them to make a conscious choice to think about situations in an abundant and thankful way.

• When your sister gets a new winter coat do you feel upset (scarcity) or do you feel happy that she has what she needs to be warm (abundance)?
•  When your brother opens his birthday presents do you feel angry (scarcity) or do you feel happy to see that he is happy on his special day? (abundance)
•  When you ask for an ice cream cone and you get one, but then Mom offers one to your sister, too, do you feel angry (scarcity) or can you feel happy that your request was honored? (abundance)
• When you have a swim race with your brothers and sisters, do you get mad whenever you don't win (scarcity) or can you feel happy for whoever wins? (abundance)
• When we have cookies for dessert do you try to hide some for yourself to eat later (scarcity), or let everyone share them and because we can make more another day? (abundance)

When you notice your children (or yourself) feeling jealous of someone else, beware! The scarcity mindset tells you that others' happiness must somehow diminish yours.  How is the other person's happiness, success, or possession preventing you from getting your happiness, success, or possession? It's usually not.

When you can be happy for your friends and family because they have what they want, and still be content with what you have, you'll be recognizing abundance.  I hope you have some time this month to look around and feel a sense of thankfulness as you recognize our abundant lives, in music class and everywhere.

-Gina Weibel, M.S.

Let's Play Music Teacher

Commitment and Consistent Effort at Every Level

So, you've been in classes for a month now, and the shiny newness of practicing is morphing into the actual habit of music practice. Another of our Let's Play Music Core Values is: We expect commitment and consistent effort at every level. 

How Do I Become a Master?

In a recent blog post, I wrote about helping students crystalize dreams for future musical study by taking them to all kinds of musical performances. They have a chance to hear different instruments and styles and discover what they want to do with music. Those performances are also a sneaky time to open this discussion I hope you'll have with your child: "How do you suppose those performers became master musicians?"

Students are relived when I tell them it's way easier than they think. Becoming proficient at an instrument is easy because, first, you don't have to be born naturally great. There's a load off your mind! I'll admit that there are some who learn things more quickly, but the vast majority of us find a new instrument to be a huge challenge.  No matter! Humans were designed to create music.  You can do this.  As long as your feet are pointed in the right direction, you're on track. Hooray! 

The Magic of One Little Stone

The second reason it's easy to become a master is because any progress is still progress.  I send my LPM students home each week with the confident message that they can accomplish the practice assignments by the end of the week. Parents and students are surprised when we learn Bounce and Roll in the 3rd year of class, and at first I ask them to learn only the first line!  That's so little, they say.  Yes, if every day you get marginally better at playing one line, or one tricky measure, or one drill, you're that much better.  After days and days, these little bits add up. Soon you know several songs.  Then you start learning more challenging songs.

Click here for video

Playing a tricky song (like this Debussy piece by 9-yo LPM grad, Truman) can seem as crazy as moving a mountain.  Here's an analogy for you to share with your child: If you wanted to move a huge pile of rocks from the front yard to... the piano room (no excavating tools allowed), it might seem impossible.  But if you take a small stone or two from the pile each day and carry it to the piano room, and repeated every day for three years, you will have moved that mountain!  

The Hard Part

If everyone started from zero and took increments of progress, everyone would eventually become a fantastic musician. What happens? Other things come along and we forget to save time to practice (or help the child practice).  Often moving single stones is too small for our commitment. The day-to-day progress is too boring, not to mention challenging. "Why should I sit and practice for 10 minutes? I'll hardly improve!? What fun is that?" 

The hard part of mastering any skill is consistency to keep at it, even when the progress is incremental.  It takes commitment and consistent effort at every level to master an instrument.  Looking down at the small stone (or listening to the simple song) might seem hardly worthwhile. And maybe boring. And possibly frustrating. "I'm working so hard, and I hardly seem better."

What we must cultivate is the ability to see past the small task asked of us today and recognize the greater whole it creates.  Perhaps the next time your child want to skip practice, remind her of the analogy of the stones- you may even want to keep a jar of stones in the piano room!  

"It seems like today you don't feel like you can do a boulder, but could you do a 5-minute pebble? It will really help the jar of stones fill up."  "Even if you only have 5-minutes, I bet you could help your fingers get better at playing the chords on this page...and the muscles will be that much stronger." 

I adore recitals (read our post) because they let us look at the hypothetical pile or jar of stones and bask in what has been accomplished! Recitals get students motivated and excited to move the next big pile.  These moments prove to the students that the cycle of effort and reward does work.

Body Building

I just realized that my stones analogy may have a little flaw.  If a student forgot to move one stone per day for several months (or years) he could decide to pull an all-nighter and do nothing but move stones until he was caught up on stone-moving.  Can we catch up on missed piano training?  

Well, we can make practices longer and more frequent, but because piano training involves muscle memory and creation of neural connections (read our post), the repetitive days and months of practicing cannot be replaced by cramming.  Long practice sessions usually lead to mental fatigue and limited learning, anyway.

Weight-lifters can't spend two straight days in the gym and expect to build muscles they haven't worked for months! Neither can pianists.  On the same note, just as a body builder takes a day or two off, pianists can do the same.  During your rest day, your brain assimilates your efforts and commits them to memory.

The take home message? If you have 5 or 10 minutes to practice, do it! If you find 5 or 10 minutes later in the day, practice again! It will be more beneficial  than waiting for a day when you have 40 undisturbed minutes.  Those teeny-tiny pebbles are going to be your key to success!

A Life Lesson

Consistent effort in music, school, and life

Let's Play Music is not just about making every child into a superstar (although that's pretty nice). We also believe in helping educate well-rounded humans.  Music lessons offer a perfect venue for teaching the value of consistent effort applied to long-term challenges. The discipline practiced and learned here can be applied to every pursuit your child chooses to embrace. Embrace this teaching opportunity.

A child who learns to reap rewards from her long-term efforts is, not surprisingly, a better student and worker.  Many recent research articles have delved into the benefits of music lessons and found the ways that the mental workouts achieved in music lessons strengthen areas of the brain and improve a variety of skills. 

Music students are better students, scoring higher on tests and getting higher grades in school.  Is it because the music made them smarter or because their music study helped them learn consistent effort? 

Stay tuned for other articles encompassing all of the Let's Play Music Values.

-Gina Weibel, M.S.
Let's Play Music Teacher

Facing Challenges With Optimism

A new school year is under way. For some students this is their first experience with school or Let's Play Music, but for ALL students there will be many new situations, skills, and challenges to work through this year.

As a matter of fact, we're counting on it!  Learning to persist in the study and practice of music is a great challenge your family has accepted.  Good choice! Innumerable students have found that this choice helps them become stronger, more resilient people.

You won't be left alone. An important core value at Let's Play Music that we will instill throughout the year is: We face challenges with optimism.

Teaching A "Can-Do" Attitude
Most experts agree that a resilient mindset can be taught to kids. This is possible because being coping with adversity is dependent on what we think when faced with challenges.  Resilient kids react with a "can do" attitude because they think of themselves as capable and competent. They think they can influence their lives, so they take steps to solve their problems. Resilient kids think of mistakes as opportunities to grow; they bounce back and improve.

A resilient mindset can be taught, so let's give this gift to our kids. Music class is the perfect venue to find opportunities for teaching. Here's how we do it:

What are You Saying To Yourself?
Developing an optimistic attitude requires some awareness of the inner monologue and the self-talk in a child's mind.  When you see your child struggling, you might ask, "what are you saying to yourself, in your mind, right now?" He might not always have the words to answer, but your inquiry raises awareness. 





I Can Do Hard Things: 
We teach our students to declare, "I can do hard things." In class we will ask them to do MANY hard things, and we have 100% confidence that they can accomplish them. Help your child start to develop an inner monologue that says, "I might need a lot of time, I might need some help, I might need to practice it over and over...but I CAN DO this HARD THING!" Remind him that he is never expected to do hard things instantly.

Inch by Inch, It's a Cinch (Mile by Mile takes a while):
I like this phrase. I use it to remind students that because an entire song is like a "mile", it's going to take a while to learn it (not instantly!). To reduce frustration, let's tell ourselves, "I know I can do this if I take it one inch at a time. I think I was feeling frustrated just now because I was trying to go a mile all at once." One inch might be just a measure or two, or just one hand or one tricky bit.  Each day we master one little tricky part and soon we can play the song.

Practice Makes Easy:
The first time we practice new material, it's tough! Each day we practice it again, and it seems a bit easier. By lesson day, we can feel pretty confident. This may seem logical, but new students need reminders. Help them learn to say to themselves, "This is tough today, but I'm going to do it again tomorrow and I know it will be a little easier. I know I can get a little better each day." On that flip side, when a student has not practiced for a while and sits down, playing can seem a bit scary. He might be saying, "I stink! I'm a terrible musician!"  Suggest that he say to himself, "This is hard today because I haven't practiced for a long time. That doesn't mean I'm not a good musician. Practice makes easy. I can enjoy easy and fun playing again after I practice a few times."

If You Think You Can't, You're Right: 
What happens when you ask, "what are you saying to yourself?" and you hear "I can't do it! I'm never going to get it! I'm terrible at this!" Unfortunately, negative self-talk is just as powerful as the positive talk. Ask your child what he is saying in his mind. If it turns out to be one of these phrases, coach him to replace the negatives with positives. "I can't do it NOW...but I CAN do it if I work on it bit by bit."

What Makes Us Stronger: 
Every student will experience some set-backs.  Perhaps he won't be confident in class, or he may even make a mistake during pass-off day.  The resilient student can say positive things to himself, and grow from the experience. "I wish I hadn't made that mistake, but I'll bet next time I won't be as nervous- I'll be able to do better."  Or, "Well, at least I can see that I need a bit more practice before pass off day! Next time I'll prepare better." 

Be a Role Model: 
For some children, thinking this way and talking this way to themselves does not come automatically, but it CAN BE TAUGHT.  Does it come naturally to YOU?  Be aware of how you handle your own challenges in life, and listen for the self-talk going on in your mind.  Find a positive "can-do attitude" phrase and say it out loud for your children to hear.  This modeling will give an amazing boost to your child's ability to hear and correct his own self-talk!

What might you be saying to yourself in YOUR mind (that you could say out loud) when:

* You're cooking a new recipe/ driving to a new place/ learning a new song?
* You're preparing for a big dinner party/ event/ recital?
* You're working on an important piece of work/ project/ craft?

-Gina Weibel, M.S.
Let's Play Music Teacher

It's About TIME! We Value Time and Balance

It's finally summer and you may find yourself with lots of time to fill, or you may find yourself over-scheduled with dozens of summer activities to plan!  As you sit by the pool, take a moment to read about another of our Core Values at Let's Play Music: We value the efficient use of time and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Time In Class

Marianne Barrowes practices Ear Training using Echo Ed.

You may have noticed that your Let's Play Music teacher squeezes a LOT into the short lesson time: she pre-plans activities to be presented in specific order, and carefully notes of key points she wants to emphasize. She smoothly transitions between games, and without a pause the class is suddenly singing "Let's Say Goodbye!"  

Class time flows swiftly, but you may not realize exactly how carefully timed and balanced the activities are. We value the time you have given to come to class, and we value our time with your child, so we've planned every minute for its best use. Your teacher always takes time before class for a practice run through the lesson to make sure precious minutes won't be lost!

Ann Cue gives each student a chance to sightread

The National Association for Music Education identifies a host of skills comprising complete musicianship, the essence of what we offer at Let's Play Music.  A typical carefully-structured Let's Play Music class touches upon many elements, giving your child a broad education in musicianship.  Here are some skills you'll see, artfully presented within our limited time together each week:

• Singing, alone and in groups, a varied repertoire of music.
• Performing on instruments, alone and in ensemble, a varied repertoire.
• Improvising melodies, accompaniments, and variations.
• Composing and arranging music.
• Reading and notating music.
• Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
• Evaluating music and music performances.
• Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Repetition is necessary for mastery of these concepts and skills, so semesters are carefully constructed so each skill or activity will be repeated just the number of weeks optimal for learning while allowing for layering complexity into songs and activities as they become familiar. 

You can walk into class and declare, "This is going to be time well spent!"

Time Out of Class

By 3rd year she's practicing 30 minutes

Your commitment to Let's Play Music doesn't end when we sing, "Let's Say Goodbye."  We value your time at home and want YOU to have a healthy balance with other activities, too.  Weekly homework and practicing assignments are thoughtfully planned to help your child retain material and master new skills without becoming overwhelming.

Our commitment to making music practice fun and making music part of daily living is a strategy for helping your family enjoy music while getting the most from your time spent at learning.

During the first year, it's a smart investment of your time to do something each day touching upon music class lesson, so that students don't regress in what they learned at class.  Perhaps you'll chose to do the homework, play a game from class, listen to the CD, or perform a puppet show together.  Practice is informal; the goal is to infuse music into your daily family routine.  These small, happy, moments are time efficient and fun!

At the beginning of the second year, time at the piano takes only 2-5 minutes, and eventually builds to 15-20 minutes per day.  We've found that it's just not worth your time to ask a very beginner to sit at the piano for any longer: you don't achieve more by forcing it.  Once his finger dexterity has caught up to his mental ability and ear-training practice, he'll be more interested in working longer.  Instead, an effective use of home time continues to be puppet shows and playing games from class, including our Alphabet Pieces games.

During third year, a smart time investment continues to be for you to sit with your child during the first few practices each week to make sure he understands the tricky bits.  Practice time grows longer and more intense, so starting on a good note on Monday means you've paid your dues and can listen from the distant kitchen on Friday.

Time Of Our Lives
Many parents ask, "Is it worth my time and effort to learn everything my child is learning?" By the end of second year, and definitely in third year, that will probably require some practice time of your own at the piano. 

I tell my clients, "Congratulations! You've won a wonderful scholarship! Even though you are only paying for lessons for your child, we have granted you a scholarship to have music lessons for FREE!"  It's a wonderful gift, so be sure to think carefully before turning it down.  You have already invested the time in attending class with your child, and you already sit with her for at least a few of her practices each week.  Your teacher sends emails that explain the theory and logic behind exercises (which are not often shared with the students up front) and she's available to explain it again if you need extra help.  

Parents in Katie Wilson's studio have invested the time to come to class with their children.

You've already put in 75% percent of the commitment; this is the sweetest opportunity you're going to get to finally learn to play AND it will give you a chance to bond with your child over music.  Ask HER to show you how to play a tricky part, and then play a duet together!

Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended that you invest the time to master the second year material.  These skills will be invaluable as you help during home practice.  If you fall a little behind during third year, we understand: you need some life balance!
After three years of Let's Play Music, you and your child will have amassed hundreds of hours of memories spent enjoying class together, working at a new skill together, smiling, laughing, and bonding.  Yes, your child will have become a musician, and she'll have the experience of getting there with you, and that's time well spent. Time For Our Teachers
The majority of our teachers are mothers with young families to care for, households to run, dinners to prepare and carpools to drive! We want YOU to have a happy, focused, sane teacher when class time begins, and we want HER to be energized by seeing her students each week.  We value her relationships with her children as much as we value and strengthen your relationships with your children. This is why we make great efforts to coach our teachers on balancing work and family life. 

Each year in June, we host a weekend teachers' symposium filled with workshops, planning, and playful time spent with fellow Let's Play Music enthusiasts.  In 2012, our theme was It's About Time; the entire weekend was dedicated to strengthening our teachers by helping them manage their studios alongside their precious family commitments.  

A strong network of connection and support is in place to help teachers efficiently master the workings of a studio and quickly manage business details so they can stay balanced in all aspects life.  If you've been considering using your talent for music and teaching to start a business, Let's Play Music provides a warm and nurturing that cares about YOU and your family.


Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our Core Values.  They define how we operate and who we are as a community.

-Gina Weibel, M.S.
Let's Play Music Teacher