by Sean Stone-Ashe
As a music teacher, I often reflect on the purpose that learning music serves in the lives of my students. While there are many potential answers to this question, one of the most general purposes I assign to learning music is that it endows the learner with a skill they will have for the rest of their lives. This skill can be used for their own recreational enjoyment, to form connections with others, or even for some gifted musicians, it can become a career opportunity.
Lately, I have been going a step farther in my reflection and asking myself what is the ultimate goal of these purposes listed above. Why is it important or beneficial to have this musical skill? While this question can also be answered in a multi-faceted way, I think one of the most powerful purposes of learning a musical instrument is ultimately to give us the opportunity to form positive memories of our life’s journey in music.
With the goal of making strong positive memories in mind, how can we as musicians, teachers and parents facilitate these memories?
The best way to create memorable experiences for young musicians is to consistently allow for new experiences in music.
This feels like an obvious statement to make, but constant novelty is to a degree counter-productive towards one of the main tenets of a successful music education – consistency. I spend quite a lot of energy preaching consistency with practice, lesson attendance and performance expectations, all of which are areas that are imperative to a successful music learning trajectory.
However, whatever happens in a child’s upcoming music lesson will largely be forgotten in a decade’s time. Maybe the lesson provided a valuable lesson, or progress was made on a piece towards being able to perform a tough piece of music. But, the time spent in the lesson itself will largely be forgotten.
Even if you are regularly enrolling your child in performances, if those performances all feel the same then they are bound to be more forgettable.
If you are consistently attending lessons, practicing and doing performances, you are doing everything right on paper to become a good musician. But, if these activities are the only ways in which a young musician engages with music, then some of the most valuable opportunities that music gives us are being left on the table.
Accordingly, what are the sorts of unique experiences that are readily available for young musicians that will form positive memories to be cherished long in the future?
The answer to this question is relative, because it’s all about finding things that are out of the ordinary. If any of the following ideas are regular occurrences for a young musician, then they would be less likely to become a fond new memory.
One of the easiest ways to form a positive memory while sparking inspiration is to attend a concert, especially if it’s the same style of music that a child practices. When I was a young classical guitarist, it was mesmerizing to see professional-level players execute virtuosic repertoire right in front of me. Not only was this a motivating experience to make me want to work harder but I can vividly remember parts of the earliest concerts I attended so many years later.
Another great way to create a memorable musical experience is to attend a music summer camp. Summer camps always create the opportunity for fantastic experiences because participants are surrounded with totally new people in a new setting. In a music camp, everybody starts with something in common as well!
Attending solo music lessons each week can make you feel like you are the only one in the world learning your instrument, and summer camps can help to break this isolation in a fun and memorable way.
A final idea for a novel and memorable musical experience is to simply play your instrument in a place that is new. This could mean performing in a location where you have never performed before. But, it could also mean taking your instrument to the park and playing outside. Maybe if you have an upcoming vacation where you can bring your instrument with you. If you travel to see family, they would be so thrilled to hear you play your instrument if they don’t frequently get the opportunity.
No matter what, make sure that every year you are doing a few things that will be memorable for a long time. Yes, music learning is about consistency and repetition, but what is the point of learning to play an instrument if it doesn’t give you something to look back on fondly many years from now?
