Early or Pre-Early Learner

In Tune or Still Tuning? Signs of Music Lesson Readiness

At A Kopp Music, we define Early Learners as students between the ages of 4 to 7 who are ready for formal private music lessons. Pre-Early Learners are students ages 4 to 7 who are borderline ready for formal private music lessons.

Why the distinction?

Over the years we’ve had more and more requests for lessons for younger and younger children. While we understand that drawing a hard line for any given age doesn’t allow for the differences in individual rates of development, we still believe it’s important for everyone involved, i.e. the student, the parents, and yes, the music instructor.

While one 4-year-old is deemed “mature” for their age and is relatively easy, another might still be firmly in the grasp of a toddler mindset.

For that reason we feel it’s important to clearly define our perspective on music lessons for this sub-group who are blossoming out of toddlerhood and into becoming a young child.

Early Learner Evaluations: First Measures

Before we enroll Early Learners, we perform an Early Learner Evaluation. During this assessment, we are looking at a child’s ability to answer basic questions about letters, numbers, and colors. We also observe how they hold themselves and if they have the ability to sit still for short periods of time. What this tells us is how they might do seated at a piano for a 30-minute lesson while interacting with us. Learning a musical instrument involves following directions, communicating with the teacher, and being able to control their own body, to a certain degree.

Pre-Early Learners are nearly there. These students might not do well with a 30-minute lesson, but might do better with a shorter 20-minute lesson. They also might still be learning their letters, numbers, colors, or shapes.

While it’s true for both groups that learning is largely play-based, the Pre-Early Learners can quickly be turned off of music lessons once they discover the work involved and then are less likely to want to participate now or in the future. Parents of these kids will often report push back when it’s practice time or even an unwillingness to want to come to lessons, despite the fun they have when they do.

Given those considerations, this is a population of students who might be best served by waiting a year or two before beginning music lessons so as to not create a negative association or sour their desire for a future music learning experience.

Traditional Music Lessons: Changing Keys

There was once a time when it was expected that students would be in the 2nd grade or 8 to 9 years old before they started any kind of private music lessons. This was a soft milestone in the growing up process. Most teachers would expect that by that time, the students would know more than basic counting, as well as have at least a grasp of fractions which are directly linked to the types of music notes we use to create rhythms.

They also would expect that the students would be able to read. This ensured they knew their alphabet, how to form words, and how to track with their eyes across the page. (Reading music is remarkably similar to reading a book, because it is very much just another language.)

Also, the expectation that these students could sit still on the piano bench without fidgeting was important. They wanted a student who was in control of their bodies and capable of paying attention.

I think it’s fair to assess that the private music teachers of years gone by were squarely private music teachers. They were not there to babysit and rear young children, or let very young children touch their expensive instruments.

While today these qualities in a child are no less desirable, I think there is a less strict and more accepting attitude for all levels of learners, as well as an expectation that all areas of learning are available to all ages on demand.

Once upon a time, Andy and I were more like the traditional teachers we had growing up. The conversations we had regarding taking on Early Learners were a result of seeing an increase in the demand and the realization that just because we might say “no” and explain why, that wouldn’t stop a determined parent from finding the person who would say “yes.”

Our whole philosophy toward teaching is one that fits well with working with these students to provide a positive and memorable experience. Over time we began to see younger and younger students, mainly younger siblings of older students who we had been seeing for years.

As we learned from these students what unique requirements they had that made them different from traditional beginning students, we eventually opened up our rosters to the Early Learner age group. But in our experience there are those that perhaps could have been better served by waiting a year or two before setting out.

Our continued education around working with Pre-Schoolers and Kindergartners has helped us serve this population with excellence. These are, by and large, the most involved and challenging lessons we have each day. They involve just as much, if not more, prep than some of our most advanced students, which is reflected in our rates.

The Parent’s Score: Introspection and Assessment

If you are a parent of a very young child and want to start them in private music lessons, we’d like to ask that you give some thought to the following questions:

• Why do you want your child to begin music lessons?
• Why now?
• Is there a family connection to music?
• Is there a sibling, peer, or other influencer pressuring them (or you) to start lessons now?
• Are you seeing signs of musical interest in your child to the extent that you believe you need to jump on this now to encourage their budding passion?

We ask these questions because we want parents to be introspective about their reasons why they want to enroll their child at this time, as well as to consider the process and the commitment.

Additionally, you may want to take some time to assess your child’s readiness by asking yourself the following questions about your child development and abilities:

• Can my child sit still and pay attention for 10-15 minutes at a time?
• Can my child follow simple step-by-step instructions?
• Does my child enjoy music, singing, or dancing to a beat?
• Has my child expressed interest or curiosity about playing an instrument?
• Does my child have the hand strength and coordination for tasks such as holding a pencil, using scissors, or building with small blocks?
• How does my child handle frustration or making mistakes?
• Will my child be open to practicing something repeatedly in order to improve?
• Am I ready to help my child with practice and encouragement at home?
• Do we have time in our household on any given day to commit to consistent practice even for short periods of time?

Is Your Child in Tune? Timing is Everything

Ideally, we begin music lessons with the foreknowledge that this is a long path. Starting earlier does not necessarily mean your child is going to be further along than the kid who starts later and is able to progress more quickly.

Children are only very little for a brief time. It’s important to ask if we are rushing to lessons with these little ones for them…or really for ourselves and our desire for them to be more independent big kids?

In a society that is hurried and fuels itself with instant gratification, practicing delayed gratification may be a better path in the long run. However, delaying formal music lessons for a few years doesn’t mean you have to forgo music engagement entirely. To that end we offer a few suggestions:

• Listen to music together. Introduce them to a wide range of genres — classical, funk, big band, rock and roll — and let them discover what moves them.
• Dance parties. Speaking of movement, dance parties are a great way to explore music, shake out the sillies, embrace togetherness, and maybe prompt a whole lot of giggles.
• Neighborhood schools or local college concerts and shows. Check your local schools’ event pages for upcoming choir concerts, band or orchestra performances, and even school musicals. This is a great way to expose your child to music as well as educate them on how we behave respectfully during other people’s performances.
• Community education. Seek out classes customized for little ones like Kindermusic, Music Together, and other educational offerings.
• Outdoor concerts. Plenty of communities host free outdoor concerts, especially during the summer. Plunk down a blanket, cop a squat, and enjoy the show. You can’t beat the price!
• Sing-a-longs. Turn back time to your own childhood classics. A surprising number of students don’t know the songs we grew up with — London Bridge, Yankee Doodle, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Wheels on the Bus, or even Home on the Range.

Find more information at our blog about What to Expect When You’re Expecting Private Music Lessons: Early Learner Edition, along with progress timelines, lesson frequency, and more music resources for little ones.