Posts Tagged ‘Parents’

If you are in the market for a piano or you have found a great deal on one that needs some work, it is likely that your local piano dealer can help you out. Not only do they sell a variety of styles, but most of them also deal in restoration and repair of instruments.

Not all pianos are created equal and not all of them warrant the time and cost to have a complete restoration. Why is that you ask? The answer is because many newer brands and models have fallen prey to assembly-line mass production. Less attention is paid to sound quality and superior materials and more is paid to getting a nice-looking piece of furniture into the market. Sound quality and materials tend to fall by the wayside in this case. Now, not all new pianos are victim to this practice and your piano dealer can help you choose the right model for you.

When it comes to restoring a piece, anything that is less than 40 or so years old is not really a great investment. The best quality pieces will be at least 100 years or more and well worth the time and cost to return to its original state. That being said, if the instrument has been in your family for years and parents, children and grandchildren have learnt to play on it then restoration for sentimental reasons is definitely worth it. But, for a truly fine piano built back in the early 1900′s, experienced restoration can bring back the original sound and look that it had on the day it was built.

What does the restoration process involve? This is where it is extremely important that you research and find a reputable piano dealer who is familiar with your make and model. You may also want to research your instrument on your own so you have a little background on its history and craftsmanship. Piano restoration is tedious and time consuming and you want a technician who is very knowledgeable about your instrument. Basically, the process is like building the piano in reverse. Every component is removed, inspected and repaired or replaced. The hammers, the soundboard, the keys, the pedals, the strings, everything is suspect to intense scrutiny during the process. The outside is also refinished in its original color and given a sheen that will make you think it just came from the factory.

Make sure that the piano dealer and the technician (if it is a different person) understand that you want the parts that are replaced to be of the same quality as the original. There are no standards when it comes to restoration, but a reputable dealer will have his own standards. Unfortunately, some will try to cut costs by using cheaper materials that will lessen the expected sound quality. The Piano Technicians Guild recognizes those who meet their criteria and pass their exams, but that should not be your only reason for choosing someone. Shop around, get estimates, seek out referrals and interview the dealer before deciding on who you want to handle your precious piece of history or family heirloom. Quality usually costs more, but you will be much happier with the results and you will also have made a great investment.

Gallant parents who are too excited about their kids getting into violin lessons may just overlook the price of the instrument. But have you, as parents, ever thought about how long your kids’ enthusiasm on the instrument will last? Or better yet, have you considered the possibility that a cheap, ordinary-sounding violin may just be more beneficial to your child than an expensive, shiny one?

It is always good to start with a cheap, amateur instrument. Why? Only time can really tell whether you as an adult beginner or your child as a beginning violin student is into serious violin playing or not. If you are simply flirting with violin playing and decide to quit halfway into the year, you don’t lose much in terms of money spent on the instrument. However, if you decide you want to pursue violin playing as a serious musician, the amateur instrument will just give you a mediocre sound, thereby prompting you to coax the best tone and the best intonation from an average instrument. Once you are used to getting the maximum sound from a cheap violin, imagine how this ability for creating the best tone will sound in a professional violin!

There are many ways to make a cheap-sounding violin sound better: Buy a good set of average-costing string – Strings are bound to snap after a certain amount of use anyway. Again, there is no need to buy expensive strings neither is it necessary to buy the cheapest ones that are more likely to frustrate the child with the kind of sound it can produce.

Another way to increase the quality of tone from a cheap violin is to focus on the tone produced by the bow hand. The importance of the role of the right bow hand as far as tone is concerned can never be stressed highly enough. A good, solid yet pliable hold on the bow and a steady forearm can create strong and consistent sound from even from the cheapest violin.

Parents can play an important role supporting their child’s piano lessons and their piano teacher. However, about a third of parents do too much and try to take over responsibility for their child’s progress, which hinders their child’s ability to develop positive learning skills on their own. In contrast, about a third of parents don’t do enough, and fail to support and can get in the way of their child’s learning. The remaining 1/3 gets it right.

Take the survey below to find out which group you fall into.


1. Regarding your child’s progress, do you

a) feel personally embarrassed if your child is not progressing as fast as you think they should;

b) want your child to do their best;

c) feel that it doesn’t really matter how your child is doing, as lessons aren’t that important anyway.

2. When your child’s lesson is over, do you

a) come into the lesson at least five minutes before it ends so you can quiz the teacher about how everything is going;

b) pick them up on time and be available in case the teacher needs to talk to you about your child’s lesson;

c) try to get back to the studio within 15 minutes or so of the lesson’s end and figure that the teacher will come out and talk to you if anything really important is going.

3) Regarding bringing your child’s music books to lessons, do you

a) Send in other music books you would prefer your child play from;

b) Make sure your child brings them to their lessons;

c) Figure that the teacher has extra books in case you forget to bring yours.

4) if your child is going to have to miss a lessons, do you

a) demand an immediate make-up lesson to get your money’s worth;

b) call the teacher ahead of time to try to reschedule if a space is available;

c) figure it’s no big deal and the teacher will figure out that your child isn’t coming when they don’t show up.

5) When your child plays in a recital, do you

a) cringe with embarrassment if they miss a note and admonish them later for embarrassing themselves;

b) encourage your child to do their best but have fun with it;

c) tell your child it isn’t important enough to attend.

6) Regarding your child’s weekly piano lesson, do you

a) insist that your child practice and know every song perfectly before the next lesson;

b) know what they should be practicing each week and keep track of whether they are doing it

c) don’t sweat it if your child doesn’t practice during the week.

7) Regarding the music that your child’s piano teacher assigns, do you

a) want to be personally involved in picking the songs so that your child will play your favorites;

b) think your child’s teacher is the best person to assign music that is appropriate for your child’s skills;

c) try to avoid knowing what music your child is assigned.

Regarding your child’s practice, do you

a) tell the teacher each week in front of your child that they aren’t practicing hard enough to make them feel ashamed and spur them on to greater effort;

b) make sure you are home enough so your child can set a pattern of routine practice and make consistent progress over time;

c) Feel that your child shouldn’t have to practice if they don’t want to.

9) Regarding your child’s progress, do you

a) Compare how fast they are progressing to other children you know;

b) Encourage them to do their best and discuss their progress periodically with their teacher;

c) Believe that progress is all relative, so why worry about it.

10) If you are concerned that your child isn’t doing something right, do you

a) discuss it with your teacher in front of your child so they will know you are monitoring their progress;

b) discuss it with your child’s teacher, but not in front of your child;

c) don’t worry because it is the teacher’s problem.

If you find that you have answered “a” to several of these questions, you may well be taking TOO much responsibility for your child’s progress and can be viewing their progress as a reflection of your skills as a parent rather than your child’s own development. You may need to mellow out a bit and realize that your child’s piano lessons aren’t about you, but are a gift to them. If you find yourself answering “c” to several questions, you may well be abdicating part of your responsibility as a parent and may be missing out on a wonderful way to encourage your child’s success. If you find that you have answered “b” to most questions, relax. You are doing well as a piano