3 Reasons Why Summer Is the Perfect Time For Music Lessons
Summer is the most wonderful time of the year (sorry Christmas).
There are outdoor festivals, backyard cookouts, long days, and warm nights. The kids are out of school, and have more free time than they know what to do with. That’s why summer is an ideal time for picking up a new hobby like music. Don’t get me wrong - any time is the right time to start learning to play, but these are the top three reasons why summer is the perfect time for kids to pick up an instrument.
1. Kids have more free time
Family life gets hectic during the school year. Kids these days have schedules as busy as their parents, and there are countless school related activities to keep track of. During summer, kids have time available to put in that extra bit of practice to get them over the beginner hump, without being distracted by karate, chess club, coding class, and, oh yeah, homework.
I remember it was the summer after 7th grade when I took advantage of that free time and started putting a ton of hours into playing the guitar. It was that Summer that I decided that music was not only going to be my hobby, but my career path. One summer of dedicated practice time can be a gamechanger for a young musician, and set them on the path toward success on their instrument.
2. Kids have more free time
No, that wasn’t a typo. While it may seem great for kids to have some extra time on their hands, it can be a parent’s worst nightmare. Hell hath no fury like a child with nothing to do. Music lessons can provide parents with a break not only when the instructor comes to the house, but all week long during practice time. Implementing a half-hour practice routine every day can provide some structure and peace to those long summer days. It also gives kids a chance to sit down and focus before or after running around outside the rest of the day.
Music is also a lot of fun. I can remember being a kid and being bored over summer. When music came into my life, I finally had something to do with all of those summer hours. Not only will your child have a new constructive way to pass the time, but they’ll have a new skill to show off to their friends when they get back to school. This can provide a huge boost of confidence heading into the school year.
3. Music lesson can help fight the ‘summer slide”
Music keeps kids’ brains active during their time away from the classroom. The average student loses about one month of overall learning during the summer break - otherwise known as summer learning loss or ‘the summer slide’. Music engages the mind in ways related to reading and math, and creates new neural pathways and ways of thinking.
Now, I’m not suggesting that practicing piano is going to make your child remember all of their times tables, but it is going to keep them in the problem-solving mode throughout summer. Practice time is a lot like homework time. It’s going to exercise their focus and keep them accustomed to working through assignments.
Let us provide the summer jams
At ATL Music Lessons we make things easy for parents during the summer months. We show up at a time that is convenient for your schedule, and make sure the kids have weekly assignments to keep them busy. Our goal is to help our students make as much progress as possible during the summer, so that when things get busy during the school year, they have a solid musical foundation to support them.
Over summer, weekly music lessons have to compete with camps and vacations, but finding a way to fit consistent lessons into your child’s schedule can have lasting positive effects on their minds, their confidence, and their self esteem. Reach out to us today to talk with us about how music lessons can fill in the gaps in your kid’s summer schedule.