Many people are embracing the benefits of learning how to play a musical instrument. According to various studies,
improves memory, reading, and mobile functions.
Unfortunately, students who begin musical instrument lessons quit at some point. People of all ages end up dragging their feet to go to piano lessons, eventually wanting to quit.
Why Do People Want to Quit Music Lessons?
According to a study by the University of Ottawa, most music students drop before reaching a moderate mastery of an instrument. They surveyed 55 former piano students who quit their lessons, as well as several parents.
The study came up with three main reasons for stopping lessons:
Learning how to play a musical instrument from lessons is not enough. The student must practice mastering an instrument. Unfortunately, with school, work, and personal life, it’s difficult to build practice into a daily routine. When they return to their lessons and are unable to play well, they become frustrated.
Several music instruments end up wanting to play another instrument in the middle of the lesson. For example, a child taking a piano lesson caught interest in the guitar. They would then quit piano lessons in favor of guitar lessons.
A variety of reasons cause a loss of interest in music lessons. Some students realize that playing an instrument is more than hitting keys or plucking chords. Others might be frustrated with their lack of progress. Or, they get bored after a couple of lessons.
How to Encourage Students to Stick to their Lessons
A music teacher and their students both have essential roles to play in minimizing dropouts in lessons. Parents should also be involved if the music lesson involves young children.
Here are the methods that help improve the retention rate in music lessons:
Both student and teacher must set expectations at the beginning of the lesson. The teacher needs to understand why a student wants to learn how to play a musical instrument. Doing so will help them figure out how to engage the student in future lessons.
For teachers with young students, it’s essential to communicate with their parents. They can tell the parents how their children are doing, what they need to work on, and how the parent can help. With parents involved, they can encourage their children to practice and work hard on their lessons.
Integrating the learning material into something students like could encourage them to play the piano more. Instead of teaching them to play the classics, adding a few contemporary tunes could pique their interest.
Parents and teachers must encourage students to practice outside lessons. For teachers with young students, they can work with parents on how to fit practice into their daily routine. Adult students should do the same, allocating at least an hour of every day to play the instrument.
Students are more motivated to play the musical instrument when they feel their efforts are appreciated.; Teachers and parents can reward the student on good behavior, perfect attendance for a week, or mastery of playing a piece.
It’s common for a person to want to quit learning a musical instrument for reasons such as loss of interest or lack of practice. However, letting them quit makes them miss out on the benefits of playing an instrument. These tips can help teachers encourage students to complete a class and possibly move up to the next level.
