A lot can happen with 10 minutes of musical practice a day. Self-disciplined, compassionate, responsible, collaborative, confidant, and proud. These are all characteristics of children who play musical instruments. What's more, the benefits of music education reach far beyond the lesson and well into all aspects of adulthood.This book will help your child reap the rewards of opening that case; together, you will learn what music can teach:* Every child is naturally talented.* Consistent practice is the key to success.* Parents and music educators are partners in the learning process.* How to remove barriers to successful practice.* The importance of giving your child ownership of their learning.With the right approach, your child will do much more than grow in musical proficiency, they will become the person they were meant to be.

Does music make kids smarter? At what age should a child begin music lessons? Where should you purchase an instrument? What should parents expect from a child's teachers and lessons? How can you get kids to practice? Raising Musical Kids answers these and many other questions as it guides parents through everything from assembling a listening library for kids, to matching a child's personality with an instrument's personality, to finding musical resources in your community. Knowing that children can—and often do—get most of their music education from their school, parent and educator Robert Cutietta explores the features and benefits of elementary and secondary school programs, and shows how parents can work with the schools to provide the best possible music program. Throughout the book, Cutietta emphasizes the joy of participating in music for its own sake. The first edition of Raising Musical Kids delighted and informed parents to equal degrees, and this fully-revised second edition is a book that parents everywhere will treasure as a complete road map for developing their child's musical abilities.

This book of parent-to-parent advice aims to encourage, support, and bolster the morale of one of music's most important back-up sections: music parents. Within these pages, more than 150 veteran music parents contribute their experiences, reflections, warnings, and helpful suggestions for how to walk the music-parenting tightrope: how to be supportive but not overbearing, and how to encourage excellence without becoming bogged down in frustration. Among those offering advice are the parents of several top musicians, including the mother of violinist Joshua Bell, the father of trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, the parents of cellist Alisa Weilerstein, and those of violinist Anne Akiko Meyers. The book also features advice from music educators and more than forty professional musicians, including Paula Robison, Sarah Chang, Anthony McGill, Jennifer Koh, Jonathan Biss, Toyin Spellman-Diaz, Marin Alsop, Christian McBride, Miguel Zen?n, Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Kelli O'Hara, as well as Joshua Bell, Alisa Weilerstein, Wynton Marsalis, Anne Akiko Meyers, and others. The topics they discuss span a wide range of issues faced by the parents of both instrumentalists and singers, from how to get started and encourage effective practice habits, to how to weather the rough spots, cope with the cost of music training, deal with college and career concerns, and help young musicians discover the role that music can play in their lives. The parents who speak here reach a unanimous and overwhelming conclusion that music parenting is well worth the effort, and the experiences that come with it - from sitting in on early lessons and watching their kids perform onstage to tagging along at music conventions as their youngsters try out instruments at exhibitors' booths - enrich family life with a unique joy in music.

With unprecedented access to unlimited music, new generations are often being raised by music and artists as much as they are by their parents. But that doesn't have to be a negative thing, nor does music have to be a source of tension in families. Your teens’ relationship with music is different from the one you had at their age. This guide will help you Understand what’s changed—from access to artists, it’s a whole new musical landscape See how music can influence your teens’ actions Use music to connect with your teen and better understand their world Have positive, productive conversations with your teen about music This guide offers lots of practical helps for how to enjoy this God-given gift! Parent Guides are your one-stop shop for biblical guidance on teen culture, trends, and struggles. In 15 pages or fewer, each guide tackles issues your teens are facing right now—things like doubts, the latest apps and video games, mental health, technological pitfalls, and more. Using Scripture as their backbone, these Parent Guides offer compassionate insight to teens’ world, thoughts, and feelings, as well as discussion questions and practical advice for impactful discipleship.

Originally published: San Francisco, Calif.: Chronicle Books, 2006.

Suppose you're a parent who never had the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. You wish that your parents had made choices that led you to the piano, cello, or saxophone. Now you're determined to do better for your child. The only problem is you're not sure where to start. What instrument should your child learn? How does their brain develop differently when they start playing an instrument? How should they practice?THE PARENTS' GUIDE TO MUSIC turns the stress of all these questions into excitement and joy. This quick read will leave you confident about making the right choices for your child's music education. More importantly, you'll be delighted when you realize the depth of the musical world you're gifting to your child.

A guide for parents to encourage their children to take up and pursue musical abilities from early childhood through high school, providing detailed descriptions of different instruments, and offering tips and advice on getting and maintaining an instrument, helping a child remain motivated to practice and play, choosing and paying for a private teacher, and helping children deal with anxieties about performances.