Your child has a piano practice tank. It’s usually about 3/4 full; fun pieces, enjoyable lesson activities and a love for music keep your kiddies motoring. But occasionally that Piano Practice Tank dips below half… and the indicator light comes on telling you that a fill-up is in order. But how do you fill this Piano Practice Tank? How do you avoid finding your child stranded on the side of the piano bench with an empty tank and 4 flats?
The key is in having your child truly see that you value piano; that you understand the commitment it takes to learn an instrument and, most of all, that you are proud of his or her efforts. And while kids who are involved in sports get a lot of “proud parent moments” to boost them as Mom shrieks encouragement from the sidelines and Dad is ready with a enthusiastic pat on the back… piano kids don’t get this as much. But let’s change this!
Share This With Your Piano Families And Let The Fun Begin!
You’ve invested in piano lessons. You believe in the benefits of music education. You love to see your child enjoying music. Ramp up your involvement each time you notice that Piano Practice Tank running close to empty and watch his or her tank swell immediately! Try these 15 ideas…
1. Surprise with Piano Pancakes – On a Saturday morning, surprise your child with Piano Pancakes topped with chocolate chip “quarter notes”. For each pancake on the plate have your child perform a piece for your family while you all watch in your PJ’s.
2. Balloon Surprise – Fill your kitchen cupboard with balloons that will spill out as soon as it’s opened. On each balloon, write something you love about your child’s piano playing (i.e. “I love hearing your music when I’m making dinner” or “You play your piece with so much expression”.). Ask your child to help you with dinner and wait for the cupboard to open. Read each balloon message aloud together.
3. Monday Morning Mirror Message – Use a white board marker to leave a surprise message on the bathroom mirror for your child on a Monday morning before he or she wakes up. Write “It makes me so HAPPY to hear you play the piano!” or something to that effect.
4. Sneak a Practice – Leave your child a note on his or her pillow on a weekend night that says “Tonight you get to stay up late! When everyone else is sleeping you and I are going to sneak downstairs so I can listen to you play the piano.” Serve warm milk and cookies in the piano room and light it by candle light only. This will be a memory not soon forgotten.
5. Take it to the Highway – Kids who are involved in sports get a lot of glory. Piano kids.. not so much. Make your child smile by writing a message on the back window of your car that says “My Kid Rocks on the Piano! Honk if you love music!”. Roll the windows down and let your child wave to the honking fans.
6. Build Excitement – Before recitals or performances, build excitement with a countdown. Use a blackboard or white board (or a piece of paper on the fridge) that says “___ More Days Until Max’s Piano Performance!” Showing you value involvement in performances ensures participation well into the teen years.
7. Surprise Sheet Music Shopping – Pick your child up from school and head out on a surprise trip to your local music store, offering the chance to choose any music book or piece of sheet music. The key is in looking with your child… spend enjoyable time browsing the books and finding just the right thing to take home.
8. Exclaim with Pleasure – You don’t always need to be fancy. Sometimes a genuine, enthusiastic and unexpected “Holy smokes that was AMAZING!” mid-way through his or her practice is all it takes!
9. Buddy Practice! – Piano practice can be lonely, but if there’s a buddy on the bench it can be a lot of fun. Even if you don’t have an ounce of musical knowledge you and your child can easily complete the activities found in this book which are designed to make piano practice fun, motivating and unique.
10. Make Piano Practice Time “Tech Free” – Whenever your child sits down to practice, turn off the TV, the cell phones, the computer, the Nintendo… everything. Allow your home to be filled solely with the music they are creating and allow yourself to be fully present.
11. Start a Warm Fuzzies Bag – Hang a pillowcase from the top of your piano. Each time your child practices during the week, handwrite a note about something you noticed was done well, a favourite song he or she played, how it improved your day to hear music etc. At the end of the week your child can open the bag and read your notes.
12. It’s UnBEARable – Find some Teddy Bear stickers and, using post-it notes, attach a bear sticker to 10 post-its. Write “It’s UnBEARable without your piano music! Play for us!” and hide them around your house in unexpected places. Your child will delight in finding these in the oddest places.
13. Host a Piano Picnic – Invite the entire family to a Piano Picnic Dinner. Spread out a blanket on the floor beside the piano. Serve cheese and grapes, yummy crackers, and tea and cookies. Have your child provide the dinnertime music in between bites. Drink your tea with your pinkies raised and speak in a very dignified manner (“Ohhhh… that piece was simply splendid my dahling… simply splendid I say.”).
14. Check In – When you’re on your way home, call your child from your car (using hands-free of course!) and make a special and heart-felt request for some driving music as you make your way home.
15. Post-Office Piano Package – Create a small package of treats and a note about how proud you are of your child’s piano accomplishments. Mail it to your child and allow it to be discovered it in the mail box.
Full Tanks = Happy Piano Kids
Do these take a little bit of effort? Yes. Does it take a whole lot of effort on the part of your child to master an instrument like the piano? Absolutely! By demonstrating just how much you care about their involvement in piano you lay a very strong foundation for years of musical enjoyment. Beyond that, you also help to strengthen self-esteem and self-image. So pick a “tank filler” and give it a try!
LeeAnn says
Awesome ideas!! I will be sending this to my parents for sure!!!
Andrea says
Thanks LeeAnn! Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if all piano parents did this? I have a feeling that we’d see some really amazing things from our students 🙂
Christina says
Wow! This is one of the most unique posts I’ve read! Awesome ideas:-) Thanks.
Andrea says
Thanks for commenting Christina! Happy teaching!
Heather Byars says
Perfection. I needed this!!!
Milla Gotlib says
This ideas are great for younger kids, and I definitely will share them with the parents.I can only hope that it will change their priorities. Some openly tell me that they are very happy with what the child get at the lesson but they can’t sacrifice other activities to make piano practice time.
Diann says
This is THE best list of ideas for encouraging piano practice that I have seen yet! Thanks so much for sharing! I definitely plan on sharing this with my student’s parents.
Syndi Russ says
Incredible ideas! Thanks so much for sharing this! I can’t wait to share with my parents as well! Thanks for all of your wonderful ideas and your generosity in allowing us to share.
Natalia says
Oh my gosh, really amazing ideas!!
Nicole C says
Those are really great ideas! I’m in the midst of working on a blog post about practising incentives and may quote a couple of these (if that’s ok?!). I’ll also be using your 88 day practising book as a challenge after Thanksgiving, the kids are excited!
Miriam Higginson says
These are great! Starting a new notebook with ideas for parents – keep the ideas coming, thanks!!!
Lucia says
This is so true! I love it! Already done, send a link to all my parents.
Thank you so much Andrea, you are my pond of never ending inspiration!
Joyce says
putting these ideas in my next few month’s newsletters
Leia says
I’ve shared these on my Facebook page – one tip every day! Thank you for always having fabulous ideas that you share with us.
Emily says
Is there any way that you could make this into a PDF that I could print off and give to my parents??? These ideas are fantastic!!!!
Becky says
This is the most amazing article ever! Thank you for all you share! I also LOVED the video of your family singing! Beautiful and so inspiring! I also wish I could print this off as a pdf. Is that alot of trouble?
Andrea says
Hi Becky! Anything for you 😉 I made up a pdf and you can download it here https://www.teachpianotoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PracticeTank.pdf
Evelyn says
You and your husband are amazing! How do you find time to do all you do?! Thanks for sharing with the less talented!
Laura says
Absolutely brilliant ideas! Plan to share these with one of my piano student’s parents. These ideas even make ME excited to go practice, even though I’m the teacher!
Andrea says
That’s awesome Laura! 🙂
Darcie says
I can’t wait to do these with my kids! So creative and helpful. Thank you! We also have a small chart we regularly replace when filled by the piano-when the kids fill it, they get a date with mom or dad. We have a bin of fun and flashy stickers that they’re excited to use. Sometimes my child will practice multiple times a day to get that date sooner. And I’m happy to make time for that special occasion right away! It’s a treat for both of us. I look forward to a full chart as much as they.
Andrea says
Sounds like lots of fun Darcie!