When a parent of a student calls me and says, “Johnny is really resistant to piano practice lately,” the first question I ask is, “Where is your piano located?”
More often than not, I’ll learn that a student’s piano is located in a cold, damp basement or in their bedroom, leading the student to feel like he’s “missing out on the action” when he goes to practice piano.
This doesn’t mean your piano practice space needs to be a Pinterest worthy room of expensive decor and laminated practice charts.
What SHOULD a piano practice space look like? Read on for my tips…
- Choose a welcoming location for the piano. I encourage parents to utilize a room that has traffic — but maybe not a place where everyone in the family is hanging out all the time. This helps students not feel as though they are being punished and sent off to practice piano all alone! Think of rooms that are well-lit, electronics-free and utilized by the family.
- Have seating in the space. This is because I encourage parents to be a PART of their student’s practicing. Even if your student is practicing independently, it makes a world of difference to your kiddo if you sit in the room and read a magazine while your child is practicing instead of watching TV loudly in the next room over.
- Keep the space organized. Piano books that your student isn’t currently using can clutter up a space really quickly! Try to ensure that teacher notes and current assignments are easily within reach so that digging through materials to find a book doesn’t become a barrier for your student when it comes to practicing.
- Make the space cheerful, so that it is an inviting place for your student to spend time. If it’s too dark, add lamps. Hang colorful art work on bare walls. Cut fresh flowers and place them in a vase on a table or dresser in the room (BUT NOT ON THE PIANO!).
Here is a “tour” of the practice space in my home to give you an idea of how I created an inviting room with these ideas at the forefront.
Enjoy! creating a cheerful, engaging and inviting piano practice space in your home!
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