Blog Post

Summer Music Lessons – Yes or No?

Ah, the sweet freedom that summertime brings! No school, longer days, warm breezes; freedom. There’s time for swimming and riding bikes, time with friends, time to read, time without a schedule, time to do absolutely nothing at all.

Freedom is wonderful, but an idle mind is not: kids need a bit of structure. Music is considered a language as well as a fine motor skill, so if you don’t use it, you lose it. In the land of swimming pools and Xbox, it can be all too easy for kids to forget all the songs they’ve learned in the last 9 months, and rapidly lose the agility and technique they gained.

After a two-month long summer break from lessons, it can take up to one month to recall the skills previously learned and re-establish a practice schedule.

No matter what instrument your child plays, it is important not to stop music lessons for too long. Students should try to keep a practice routine to keep up their technique, dexterity and reading skills.

While summer music lessons are optional, they are the perfect opportunity for parents who want to accelerate their child’s learning, or alternatively, let their kids “take a break” from the classical repertoire and try some pop music.

Since the school year is usually tightly booked with homework and after-school activities, the summertime can allow kids more time to practice and advance in the basic skills of music while still enjoying something “fun” and different.

You can shake up the routine and work with music the kids choose, work from a fake book, try jazz, or maybe even take up a new instrument. Summer lessons are a great way to give your child a head start on their instrument before the next school year starts.

For students shuffling between visits, camps and vacations, a flexible lesson schedule can be ideal. The summer session is designed with your schedule in mind, meaning courses can be planned around your other summertime activities. It is possible to register for a whole summer session of just a few classes.

All in all, summer can be a time for strong musical growth.