Karen Farrell is the mom of three sons and a daughter, three of whom currently study piano with Ms. Becki Laurent at The Music Studio in Lubbock, Texas.
Though Karen isn’t musical herself, she knew that learning to play instrument was beneficial for her children; not only for them but also to help and serve others.
How do you schedule practice at home?
As a home school mom, Karen is able to incorporate music into her children’s curriculum. Nathan, 15, prefers to practice first thing in the morning. Oscar, 12, practices from a personal sense of duty. Her youngest child, Olivia, 8, benefits from reminders to practice and help from her older brothers.
Piano kids often experience mountains and valleys in their piano study; times when learning new music is easier and times when it is a real challenge. Parents can be a huge influence on helping their children work through challenging times.
What struggles have your piano kids overcome through piano study?
Oscar is very athletic and sports comes naturally to him. Studying piano has been more of a challenge and that has helped him learn to stick with a challenge.
Nathan truly enjoys the process of learning new music. He enjoys the challenge.
Mountaintop Experiences through piano study –
Karen’s oldest son has diabetes and is pursuing Music Therapy in college. He hopes to use music to help children.
A word of advice for new piano parents:
Make practice less of a chore and more of just part of your routine.
Resources related to this episode:
Texas Music Teachers Association
Find a piano teacher in the United States through Music Teachers National Association
Be the "Just Right" parent
Click here to get the free tip sheet mentioned in this week's episode.
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