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Out of the diverse range of instruments to choose from, percussion requires somewhat of an introduction. The German word for percussion (Schlagzeug) literally translates to ‘hit stuff.’ While this seems primitive at first, rest assured, there is a wealth of technical and musical challenges to be conquered. Having received a Masters in percussion performance, I can assert to the high level of diverse musical fulfilment that percussion can bring. Firstly, the main percussion instruments at the core of the family aside from drum kit are xylophone, snare drum, timpani and marimba. Each of these instruments require different playing techniques and progressively sophisticated music. The marimba offers a unique virtuosic quality with the use of 4-mallet technique (holding two sticks in each hand). This technique is introduced as an optional component of AMEB Grade Two.

Fortunately, one doesn’t need to invest in all of these instruments at the outset. A popular option is to hire/buy a percussion pack consisting of a small glockenspiel (metallic xylophone) and a drum practice pad (without the noise pollution). I am currently writing a method series catering to percussion students at various age-groups. The content is written specifically for those with access to this kind of percussion pack. Students learn the basics of rhythm and pitch awareness through short pieces covering drum kit techniques (played on the practice pad), multi-instrument solos and glockenspiel. Various activities develop sight-reading skills, aural, theory and analysis, as well as improvisation. The books are accompanied by groovy backing tracks, that make practising all the more enjoyable, whilst teaching ensemble-playing skills and keeping a steady beat.

Percussion is highly social in nature with many options available within school for co-curricular involvement. Orchestras and bands are always in need of skilful percussionists to help carry the ensemble because they add colour and diversity to the overall performance. There is also the percussion ensemble which offers students the opportunity to play chamber music within a close-knit group whilst receiving specific instruction on playing techniques. Uniquely, percussion crosses cultural barriers as it explores music styles from around the world, most notably Latin, African, folk music, popular and classical.

With a vast array of instruments, techniques and genres, percussion is a versatile group of instruments. It covers many fundamental music skills, making it an ideal choice for many students. It not only lends itself as a good option as a second instrument, but also as an exclusive art form. Percussionists develop both gross and fine motor skills, pitch and rhythmic awareness. They undertake a journey of discovery, both exploring an exciting sound world, as well as their own artistic expression. I invite you and your child to come and experience the exhilarating kaleidoscope of percussion.

Australia is a country that highly values sport. The warm climate and the wide variety of sports on offer mean that many Australians find entertainment as both spectators and participants. We glorify professional athletes possibly more than any other talent or vocation. According to an article by ABC in 2018, Australians spend roughly $11 billion a year on participating in sport. Franchisebusiness.com.au reported that 17.2% of Australian household expenditure goes towards recreation, behind rent/mortgage and food. We relish in an active lifestyle and idolise sporting greatness. When it comes to children excelling in a sport they love, it’s easy to get carried away with dreams, ambitions and what if’s. The question becomes about what to sacrifice to make the most of their obvious talent. But perhaps the question should be, what are we sacrificing for?

I see levels of sporting ability in 4 tiers. Firstly, the children who participate in a sport with minimal co-ordination and skill. These kids have just as much entitlement to participate as any other. Various divisions exist to cater for entry-level abilities so that they can enjoy the same socialisation and active lifestyle we Australians treasure. Secondly, there’s the bulk of kids where they demonstrate some aptitude for the game, but it’s more of a hobby for them, or even a compulsory co-corricular activity within school. Thirdly, there are those who demonstrate above average competence or even talent. These students often shine throughout training sessions and matches and are instrumental in the success of their team. They may compete in district, or even state competitions and get a real taste of success in their sport. The fourth tier are those elite few who blast the competition out of the water and rise up to become our revered athletic idols. Their talent may be labelled as ‘freakish’ and that’s the difference. These are an incredibly select few, making the third tier of ‘potentials’ a majority.

What is their potential?

I excelled at playing tennis during school. My first trophy came when I was 11 and then they just kept coming. I was well known in my area as strong competition and I even managed to make the cut and represent the CIS team at state level. I don’t know what I expected to come out of it, I just know that I LOVED the game and I enjoyed winning even more. I played tennis a minimum 4 days a week. I would even take myself down to the local tennis court and practise serving on my own. I was good, but I wanted to be even better. But I was never anything more than a big fish in a small pond. At the time when I was winning local round-robins and season grand finals, today’s professionals were being cherry picked out of international tennis camps and getting personal training sessions by the world’s leading coaches. They were already on the circuit, winning junior satellite tournaments, making their climb to the top.

Scouts search for those potentials, handing out invitations to Summer camps with the promise of being exposed to club officials and a shot at getting on the road to the big leagues. But that child would be one of hundreds, possibly thousands of kids in the same pool with the same dream. The select few who emerge from that pool would be described as ‘freakish talents’. They are the ones with the potential to become professional athletes. But even then, it’s not in the bag.

Injury and rejection

At a crucial time when I was weighing up the importance of music and sport in my life, I got a rotator cuff injury. Excessive over-arm movement caused an imbalance in the development of my shoulder muscles and I was out of action. That was the wake-up call I needed to reassess how much I would prioritise tennis compared to everything else. For many however, it crushes dreams. Some may show an amazing level of ability and start their journey to becoming a sports star, but a critical injury is a possibility that can strike any talented athlete. The dangers of pushing developing bodies so hard is that sooner or later, something is likely to give. In contact sports as well, accidents happen all too frequently.

A debilitating injury can be a very difficult blow for a young person to take, especially when they have such high hopes for the future. But I’m willing to bet that being rejected can be even more damaging to a young person’s mental well-being. Competition, particularly in sport, is a unique field since it all hinges on being the best. If you’re not the best, you’re not successful. For the big fish who all of a sudden find themselves in a sea of other similar fish, it can come as a rude shock which can have a huge impact on a child’s self-esteem. Everyone has a currency that carries their self-worth. If we put so much weight on a young person’s success as an athlete, failure to be the best can have disastrous consequences on their mental well-being. In these competitions, there’s usually only one winner, so what does that make everyone else? I’ve heard of a child coming second in an advanced level race and responded to his mum’s encouragement with “Oh stop it mum, I just came first out of all the losers.” A child’s mentality doesn’t cope as well with ‘losing’ as an adult’s might. They are so much more fragile, searching for a way to be significant in the world around them. We need to be secure in our identity and character as human beings rather than beating everyone to the top of a ladder. Even if we do reach the top, eventually someone will come along as a replacement. Because “no matter how good you are, there’s always going to be someone better than you.”

Putting it into Perspective

When we say yes to one thing, we say no to something else. Pouring energy into one activity will leave less room for another. Asking the question “what is the potential outcome of this activity?,” will allow a realistic assessment of how to keep a balanced lifestyle. One that is conducive to focused academic education, exercise and a reasonable number of co-curricular activities.

Like the dangers of pushing overly-ambitious expectations on children in one area, they can just as easily have too much variety on their plate because they’re in a world of discovery. They want to try new experiences and be involved in the activities with all of their friends. But we all know the saying, ‘a jack of all trades, a master of none.’  Growing skills in certain areas can be a great way for a student to build confidence in themselves and to establish a good work-ethic. Children don’t necessarily connect school work with having a good work-ethic because most haven’t yet internalised that quality. Most do school work because they’re told they have to and co-curricular activities are often a casual interest. But if they’re encouraged to excel at something like music, they can learn goal-setting and self-discipline that feeds into a healthy work-ethic.

A balanced lifestyle for children is difficult to find, but it will help them develop as well-rounded people. Too often students give up something like music because they want to focus on sport or they’re spread too thin over lots of activities. By the same token, I wouldn’t want any child to give up sport, but to put it into perspective. A well-rounded education that challenges their thinking, develops their maturity and teaches them about our rich culture will give them a range of tools to become successful in life.

The big picture 

I’ve been involved in school musicals, both growing up and as a professional. It is a wonderful and memorable experience for students and teachers alike. Everyone puts in countless hours of hard work, late nights, high levels of stress and fatigue, juggling other school and sporting commitments. But after all of that, nothing beats the eruption of celebration and exuberant excitement of the cast at the final closing of the curtain. Every time, I see the same explosive cheer, full of pride that they have succeeded in performing a demanding production to their family, friends and school community. The feeling of such an awesome accomplishment is a unique joy that stays with you for the rest of your life.

This experience is a prime example of what we know as delayed gratification. It’s a long term goal where the payoff seems like a distant concept. The journey didn’t start when there was an expression of interest to be involved in a school production, but at the very early stages of their musical development. This is years and years of hard work, gaining knowledge, experience and skills as a baseline for embarking on such an ambitious performance. It comes from a long-term commitment to a journey full of challenges and character-building achievements. I wonder if children grasp this concept. They seem absorbed in the present, taking each day as it comes and mainly being concerned with their immediate surroundings. As educators and parents, it’s up to us to rectify their forgivable short-sightedness and broaden their minds to consider the rest of the world and the future.

“What should I play with, my iPad or my instrument?”

In this digital age, society is continuously redefining itself. In some ways it connects us, gives us knowledge at our fingertips, simplifies day-to-day processes and cures us of boredom. The latter is a troubling trend which I see having negative consequences in our lives, particularly our children’s. iPads in particular have made an increasing appearance at dinner tables, in restaurants, schools and even in prams. This instant gratification spares adults of the impending frustration and outburst by an impatient child having to wait for something interesting to happen. It robs children of the opportunity to be self-sufficient, use their imagination and to engage fully with the world around them while building social skills. There have been questions raised as to the affects excessive screen time has on children, especially their focus and patience. Recent recreations of the marshmallow test, where preschoolers resist eating a marshmallow for 10 minutes so that they receive two as a reward, have shown that children are more patient and self-controlled than they were in the 1960’s. But perhaps they perform better when they have an immediate incentive to resist temptation. If a school child had their musical instrument next to an iPad, what would they likely engage with? I suspect for most it would be the screen since it offers instant fun.

Sport is a popular activity for many kids and so it should be. It has many health benefits by getting kids active and social, while building their gross motor skills. It is, however vastly different to playing music, which in contrast is a disciplined study. While some children are involuntarily signed up for violin or piano lessons, others choose to learn a musical instrument because it looks fun to play. Having this outlook needs to be coupled with the understanding that it is both an educational journey as well as delayed gratification.  It’s not the same as playing sport where the ‘happy chemicals’ released are always immediate, no matter how seriously the child takes their chosen sport. Some children may excel in sport and demonstrate intrinsic motivation and discipline to be strong competitors. But many children participate as a hobby to socialise and keep fit. They are able to just show up and have a go. For these kids, the nature of playing a sport means that showing up to training or matches is the only ‘practice’ required. Most children are not asked to do training at home so their commitment and discipline are not challenged. The level of skill required to participate in sport does not need to be high, nor does it need to be progressive. No matter what their level of skill, participation is always possible and enjoyable. With music however, the level of skill reflects not only the success, but the enjoyment of music. In private lessons and ensembles, the music progresses in difficulty, requiring ongoing ‘individual’ practice, not expected by the majority playing sport. Having a casual attitude towards sport is much more successful than in music. As cringe-worthy as underperforming in a grand final might be, doing a messy performance of a well-known tune takes so much enjoyment out of the art.

What happens when children ‘dabble’ in music

Unlike sport, which is an activity offering instant gratification, music for the most part is an example of delayed gratification, therefore needs to be approached differently. Learning music is not designed to be a casual venture meant for complacent attitudes. If one has a passive approach by just turning up for music sessions, it usually leads to a loss of interest due to impatience and inadequacy. ‘Just having a go’ doesn’t work in music for several reasons:

1. In a school setting where students are part of a band or ensemble, there are immediate and direct consequences if they don’t play their part well. The quality of music will diminish, other committed children won’t have as enriching an experience and that child is more likely to feel inadequate and overwhelmed when they can’t keep up with the progress of the group. Unlike having subs available in a game, a child’s physical or mental absence is obvious and has a direct impact on everyone involved. There are few immediate options available to fill this kind of void or come up with a solution.

2. That momentary challenge of trying something and not succeeding straight away can be met with impatience and frustration. That is a critical learning moment for the child to persevere with attaining a skill, even in the short term. If they are not willing to increase their effort, their interest in the activity dwindles.

3. Weekly lessons require consistent reinforcement on the home front in order to overcome musical challenges. If this part of their learning isn’t supported at home throughout the week, their ‘hardship’ and discomfort will be prolonged and the activity will lose its appeal. By the same token, forcing a child to stick at it for another year without positive change can be just as damaging. Persistence is not the some as perseverance.

4. Feelings of inadequacy for not putting in the work also lead to lower self-confidence. What if they took on a challenge and overcame it instead of avoiding it? Parents don’t want to see their kids uncomfortable but they won’t learn coping skills if they’re allowed to avoid difficulty. They need to tackle challenges head on. Many adults regret giving up playing a musical instrument as a child and wish their parents had encouraged them more in their musical interests.

5. Possibly the most damaging consequence of ‘having a go’ at music is the likely outcome that the students will find music too hard to continue with little to no effort. When students are allowed to give up, they are learning that it’s ok to expect results with no work and when they don’t get results they want, it’s ok to give up. This does not make way for a healthy work ethic. Likewise, relationships in all their forms are not always simple or easy and yet they are one of the most rewarding blessings in our lives. Sometimes we need to work hard at relationships but they’re all the richer as a result. Hard work is one of the determining factors for success in many aspects of life.

Children need parental support in their musical studies

Children are made to do homework as an obligation, whether they like it or not. Why would music be any different? Do kids enjoy school work? Not always. Is it beneficial? Absolutely. Music is a rewarding educational study, comparable to the effort required in other class subjects. Furthermore, it directly links to their success in other school subjects. Children need a parent’s perspective to guide them to persevere with music in order to improve their skills. As adults we know that skills are built, acquired and added to. The more work someone puts into improving these skills, the more progress they will make and the more enjoyment they experience. It’s not necessarily the case that the rate of improvement is slowed when a child doesn’t practise, it’s that they go backwards because in most cases the student doesn’t remember what they learnt a week ago. This is then compounded with the expectation and inevitable frustration of trying to play a passage of music straight away. No matter how carefully planned out each progressive step is structured, there is always a brief moment of unfamiliarity and even this can be too much for impatient children to handle. If my students get frustrated by not mastering a pattern, I ask them how much they’ve practised it. When they say “not much”, I respond “well then you’re not allowed to get frustrated by your own lack of effort.”

While music is supposed to be enjoyable, it usually only comes after varying degrees of effort. The study of music is not designed to be ‘instant fun’ like sport and iPads. Improvisation and other music games are certainly enjoyable activities to give the lessons variety, however they provide only a fraction of what progress and study of mastering an instrument involves. I perceive my role as an instrumental music teacher as not only to teach children to appreciate different kinds of music but to educate. This involves setting challenges that are unfamiliar at first so that they can develop as musicians and build on their skills. There is also a difference between telling a student how to do something and TEACHING them how to do something.  The latter involves making sure the student understands their task so that they can become independent learners. This again can put a strain on students’ patience, but the reward of empowering the child’s mind to understand and problem-solve is a much more valuable accomplishment than “just play it like this…”

How parents can help

Enrolling a child in music can be done with the best intentions but if not supported adequately, can actually be damaging to the child’s maturity and growth. It is expected that an instrument be made available to them. But don’t expect children to practise just because one is available. They need encouragement and reminding to practise what is prescribed by their teacher in a music journal. An immediate reward system may be appropriate as positive reinforcement (see related article http://1xg.789.mywebsitetransfer.com/2018/05/24/supporting-your-childs-musical-progress/). Additionally, it’s always a good idea to be aware of what the child is supposed to practise, so that you can help provide support and guidance with individual tasks. Just like prescribed homework is sent home, specific practice activities are also provided. That doesn’t mean students will take the initiative to practise exactly what is asked of them. There is a misconception that most of a student’s progress is made during their lesson with revision and follow-up made at home, but in fact individual development during practice is the most vital aspect of learning a musical instrument. It’s more than an interest, it’s a discipline.

A young musician may not have aspirations to perform on stage or even in the orchestra in a musical. But there is a journey available to them that offers greater benefits and triumphs if they have the courage to pursue it. Instant gratification may be at our finger tips but working for one’s personal best in musical expression is a much more valuable reward. And all the while they’re building countless skills, as well as strength, character and maturity. As someone once said, “nothing in this world worth having comes easy.”

Some key points I will be covering include:

• Be ready to prompt children to practise on a regular basis with lots of encouragement.
• A reward system may be a good option for children who are used to instant gratification.
• A lack of practice often means most of the lesson is taken up by relearning material from the previous week.
• Is your child practising efficiently?
• Use the music diary to keep informed of your child’s progress and interact with them during practice sessions.
• Choosing the right instrument for your child to learn is essential to musical success and enjoyment.

1. Choosing the right instrument

When it comes to choosing what particular instrument a child should learn, the first port of call is typically the violin or piano. I myself started learning the violin when I was three years old and after the initial novelty wore off, I showed little progress and even less interest in making music on this particular instrument. Coming from a musical family seemed to hold no bearing on my seeming lack of talent. It wasn’t until I reached high school that I was thrown into the percussion section of the concert band and soon after my passion for ‘hitting stuff’ took over. I am of the firm opinion that the instrument chooses the individual. We obviously want children to learn to love creating music but they need an instrument they can identify with, so a brief introduction to various stringed, wind, brass and percussion instruments is recommended as a starting point to get them on the track to enjoying musical success.

2. Motivating your child to practise

Even though I was passionate about percussion as a child, I did not always feel like practising. A common assumption may be that when a teacher instructs a child to practise that this will inherently make a child become disciplined enough to practise on their own accord. For some youngsters this may be true but in my experience, finding an independent learner who takes the initiative to strive for mastery on their instrument is uncommon. Children are familiar with the notion of instant gratification whether they realise it or not. It is evident with computer games, movies, television and social media, where visual stimulation is at their fingertips, story plots are quickly revealed and resolved and relationships are easy to maintain. Music is one activity where hard work and persistence has a delayed pay-off. Results from practice are sometimes immediately visible but the gratification of achieving mastery over a piece is often a later accomplishment. For this reason, students need all the more encouragement from parents to persevere with their hard work. A teacher has very little sway over convincing a child to practise when left to their own devices.

Another assumption may be that exams provide an effective extrinsic motivation to practise. While exams can provide a fitting option for goal-setting and an indication for a student’s current playing standard, they are only effective with the reinforcement and commitment from parents. Children are less able to see the big picture and recognise how their level of practice will affect the outcome. Whether or not you choose to enroll your child in exams, the underlying factor of their success more often than not comes from the support of the parent in reminding the child to practise.

We want to make practising for children a habit to get the best results. Assigning a fixed time for practice into your child’s day-to-day routine will engrain this level of commitment into their musical activity. When consistent practice is lacking, most of the instrumental lesson is taken up by repeating material already covered in the previous week. A student cannot be expected to remember material from week to week without consistent revision at home, just like with any class homework.

Another key factor is organisation, which not only comes from habitual practice but coming to lessons promptly and prepared with materials. I tell my students they have three items on their checklist to bring each week: instrument, music and music diary. Bringing all three things to each lesson is critical to keeping up the momentum of progress and maintaining a record of material to be covered. The latter will greatly impact the successful goal-setting for each student.

3. Practice time and goal-setting

The length of practice sessions can be simplified or extended depending on the musical maturity and focus of the student. For very young children such as kindergarten to 8-yr olds, 5-10 minutes five days a week would be a good starting point, especially with other competing extra-curricular activities. There may be a small window before dinner or in the morning. Another strategy is to require a practice session before screen time. Other reward systems can be put in place to add to the motivation to practise.

It is ideal for a child to practise in small increments throughout the week so that it becomes a routine. For example, 5 x 10-minute practice sessions during the week is more beneficial than 1 hour on the weekend. That way, they retain more information and make steady improvements each day. Children generally need reminding of the necessity to practice, especially when they are still developing time-management skills. Students who have parents regulating their practice, inevitably make the most progress and learn self-discipline.

While fulfilling a minimum time quota for each practice is a good starting point, practice sessions should be goal-oriented as a general rule. They may not get through all of the tasks in the music diary each practice session, but a scale/technical warm up or two for a few minutes plus one of their pieces would provide enough material in one day for a young child. Setting a goal for the session will depend on the standard that the piece is already at. Playing 8 bars accurately and musically may be sufficient, or one section without any errors. You can use a metronome tempo marking as a benchmark or playing through a piece with accompaniment, without stopping.

4. How to practise

The art of practising is often neglected in a child’s musical education so I have developed some guidelines which have proved effective within my own teaching studio. Through a child’s eyes, an entire piece may be very daunting at the outset, especially when it involves several technical or musical challenges. Breaking the piece down into small sections is necessary to help them digest the overload of information. For instance, when a particular bar or section is proving difficult for the young musician to play fluidly, ask them to play the bar with a metronome at a slow enough speed that they can get through it without any mistakes. Have them make four attempts at playing the bar accurately in a row. If, for example they make an error on the third attempt, they then start from one again. After playing the bar four times in a row correctly, it may be necessary to repeat the process with the metronome at a faster speed until they reach the original practice tempo. Then it is a matter of playing the bar in the context of the piece, or as I like to call it, ‘the approach’. This can usually be taken from the previous bar. If the pupil can play both bars correctly, then they can continue on without stopping. If they make a mistake, they have a second chance, but if they make another error, then they should play both bars accurately four times in a row as before. On the fourth correct attempt, they should continue on with the piece without stopping. In practice, this quickly becomes a relatively simple method and helps to empower pupils to take control of their progress. It gives them a sense of clarity in their learning process and teaches them how to get from one level to the next.

5. Find out what your child should be practising

The diary provides an avenue of communication between the teacher, student and parent. This allows you to be more interactive with your child’s musical development. Ask them to explain the tasks required of them in the latest lesson entry. If they have trouble explaining anything, a quick note in the diary to the teacher will help close any knowledge gaps in the future. Not only will this help hold the student accountable in their progress, but it will also assist the teacher in their job of explaining the concepts and skills on their instrument. It’s important to be openly encouraging when overseeing practice sessions rather than being authoritative. We want practice to be enjoyable for the student, as well as empowering.

Enrolling a student in music lessons is an investment in more ways than one. It’s not only an investment in a new instrument and weekly tuition, but also time and energy from the parent. With the right amount of communication and support from parents, learning a musical instrument is an invaluable benefit to a child’s emotional, intellectual and personal growth.