Is my child too young?
What instrument is best for me / my child?
Is learning to read music a necessary part of learning to play an instrument or sing?
How long will it take?
What length of private lesson is best?
Is there more to learning music than lessons and practice?
Will I / my child receive a certificate or other qualification?
Am I too old to take up music?
The idea that if you haven't learned to play an instrument or read music by a certain age then you will never be able to is a myth. No one is too old to make music. Certainly young people absorb instruction more quickly – and sometimes more easily – than adults. But mature students have the advantages of greater concentration and a genuine interest in learning music for its own sake. There are two important considerations mature students should keep in mind, however:
- Adults simply have less time on their hands than young people, and getting the most out of your music lessons takes regular practice. Will you have time to do his?
- Mature students should also have realistic expectations about what they can accomplish. While you may not be able to make a career out of music, there can be great personal satisfaction and a real sense of achievement.
Is my child too young?
Although children’s natural responsiveness to – and appreciation of – music can and should be encouraged from birth, instrumental tuition should not be given until a child has the concentration for lessons and a genuine desire to learn an instrument. Children not yet old enough to begin formal instrumental tuition – or who haven’t yet got a clear idea of what they want to learn – begin at the New School with Music for Me, our pre-instrumental programme. Children as young as two are introduced to the elements of music, to a variety of musical styles and to some of the myriad instruments that make music. Afterwards, they can go on to our Introducing Piano/Keyboard for Children, Introducing Violin for Children or Introducing Guitar for Children courses, take group lessons with other children interested in the same instrument, take private lessons, or perhaps wait for a little while until they are ready for further tuition.
What instrument is best for me / my child?
Every instrument (including voice) has its own unique rewards and difficulties. And although some instruments are easier to play initially, in the end no instrument is easier or more difficult to play well than any other. Perhaps a better question to ask is: What instrument have you / has your child always wanted to play (regardless of what you feel might be the 'best' for you)? Another question to ask is: What style of music do you listen to and enjoy? The cost of an instrument should never be a deterrent to starting lessons. Waltons music shops offer reasonably priced starter instruments (see Recommend Instruments) and have also created payment plans that allow students to begin lessons without making a large financial commitment. Students without pianos at home may also hire piano practice rooms at the New School for a small fee (see Practice Facilities).
Is learning to read music a necessary part of learning to play an instrument or sing?
At the New School we believe that music reading is an extraordinarily valuable skill for any musician to have, regardless of the musical style within which he or she is working. For example, although traditional music is generally learned by ear, music reading also gives the traditional musician easy access to many thousands of tunes collected over the years. Learning to read music is also far easier than many people realise. Our Music Fundamentals and Sight Singing Made Easy courses provide thorough foundations in music reading for instrumental and voice students in just ten weeks.
How long will it take?
The simple answer is: That all depends on you. In other words, the greater your effort and commitment, the more rapid your progress. But the truth is that no one ever fully 'learns' an instrument. Every teacher in our school is still learning, the finest performers in the world are still learning, and anyone who feels he or she has learned everything is simply mistaken. This is not to suggest that learning to play an instrument or sing is impossibly difficult, or that it will be a long time before you'll be able to make real music for yourself and others. For example, our Introducing... Courses (for bodhrán, fiddle, guitar, harmonica, piano/keyboard, Latin percussion, singing, tin whistle and violin) are designed to provide 'foundation' tuition - enough to get you playing and enjoying your instrument - in just ten weeks. You can stop at the end with real skill under your belt, but there will always be more to learn.
What length of private lesson is best?
The right length of a private lesson depends on a combination of the student's level and the amount of time he or she is willing to devote to practice every week. Generally, a 30-minute lesson is adequate for beginning to early-intermediate students of any age – although even beginners will benefit from longer lessons if they are putting in regular practice. As the student develops his/her skills, longer lessons give teacher and student more time to spend on increasingly subtle aspects of musicianship – as well as theory in some cases.
Is there more to learning music than lessons and practice?
Yes! A music education should ideally consist of four basic elements:
- Developing your technique through lessons and practice.
- Developing your musical understanding not only through lessons and related courses (theory, musicianship, history), but also by 'educating your ears' (listening carefully to other performers and critically to yourself).
- Developing your practical musicianship by playing with others. (If you are willing to take the time, there are plenty of ensemble opportunities at the New School, including three string ensembles, two wind ensembles, two jazz ensembles, an Irish traditional group and a children’s choir (see Ensembles for more information).
- Developing your confidence by playing in front of others. (New School concerts take place at the end of each term in the school, with a year-end concert in the National Concert Hall.)
Not only does music learning outside the context of lessons and practice develop a more rounded musician; it also makes music a lot more fun.
Will I / my child receive a certificate or other qualification?
In classical, jazz, and more recently in traditional and popular music, the only widely recognised qualification for instrumentalists and singers is the graded examination. Students wishing to make careers of music generally pass through eight graded examinations measuring musicianship, technique and theoretical knowledge before going on to take a teacher’s or performer’s diploma exam. For classical and jazz musicians, there are several examining boards – including the Associated Board, the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Trinity Guildhall and the London College of Music – to choose from, and New School teachers are able to prepare students for a wide variety of exams from different boards. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann also offers its own teaching diploma for traditional musicians. Graded examinations are a useful way of measuring musical progress, but they are not the only way – and they are not for everyone. We prefer to leave the decision of whether or not to follow the ‘exam path’ up to teacher and student, or teacher and parent.
For more information, the Associated Board publishes These Music Exams, a downloadable guide to ABRSM exams for candidates, teachers and parents. Although the guide specifically discusses ABRSM exams, much of its useful advice is applicable to other exams as well.
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