W
e decided to enrol
our nearly five-year-
old son in piano
lessons because he
was intrigued by the grand pianos
he saw on display at our local music
store. He stood there banging at the
keys, telling us in no uncertain terms
that he wanted to learn how to play.
His sense of urgency and seemingly
genuine interest led us to believe he
was ready for a musical instrument.
We researched a few studios, enrolled
him with a private tutor and sat back
to watch our budding pianist bloom.
How do you nurture your child’s musical ability?
Aquin Dennison-Mathew
finds out.
After the first few lessons, his
interest began to wane, manifested by
a daily struggle to get him to practise
the pieces before the next week’s
lesson. A few months later, he had lost
interest altogether. Deciding to end his
piano lessons was a relief for him, but
I struggled to understand what had
gone wrong. Did this mean he would
never learn an instrument again? And
had my approach been short-sighted?
Research has undisputedly
demonstrated that musical education
is an essential part of early childhood
development. And parents are
embracing the core idea that music
education
is
basic education. In Hong
Kong, it’s easy to label parents who
sign up babies as young as six months
for music classes as tiger mums who
do so only to further their child’s
school application portfolio. But the
fact remains that, apart from all
the associated benefits that come
from early music exposure, seeing
your child appreciating music and
understanding rhythm is a gratifying
goal in itself.
Long-term, experienced Hong
Kong-based early childhood music
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