Latest Posts  •   December 2, 2019

Oh, come, little children, oh, come, one and all: Christmas time is the time for music! At least in Germany, Christmas is the time when parents want their children to show how far they’ve come on their instruments. You’ll see many kids performing festive songs in front of the Christmas tree – and the rest of the entire family.

Besides recitals and competitions, the holidays are a time to take stock of the progress their children have made during a year of music lessons. If they can’t play at least one song now, they must not have learned anything. At least that’s how some parents see it – and unintentionally put a lot of pressure on their kids. Pressure that’s neither good for the kids, the teachers or the learning process itself.

Learning success can’t be reduced to a single achievement. Learning an instrument takes time and comes with many ups and downs. Focusing on a single moment in time doesn’t do it any justice.

When parents get stuck on this idea, they can easily forget how much their child’s hearing, feel for rhythm, social skills, resilience etc have improved – all positive side effects that stay with them well beyond the Holidays. At Modern Music School, we welcome frequent exchanges with the parents. We love gaining insight into their wishes and expectations and always try to accommodate them – especially if they benefit the learning process and wellbeing of the child.

For us, successful children are children who found something they really enjoy. Something that makes them curious, creative and willing to work really hard. Something they look forward to and that makes them happy. We ask parents: Isn’t it wonderful that your child isn’t another Mozart – but happy?

Our tip for playing music during the Holidays: Don’t force it! Make it fun and turn it into a family affair. If you, the parents, pull out your instruments or sing enthusiastically your kids will be excited to join in!