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Friday, August 18, 2017

How learning a musical instrument can enrich a child's life experience

When it comes to learning a musical instrument the top questions I get from fellow parents are,

  • ·       Will learning an instrument help develop better academic or creative skills in my kids?
  • ·       Can kids get credit in their college application for private music education taken?
  • ·       How long does it take for a student to learn the drums or a musical instrument?
  • ·       What is the best teaching model or methodology to learn instruments like the drums?


Thus, I thought I would write this blog to provide my perspective to these questions

Yes, learning Music or a Musical Instrument can develop better academic & creative attributes!

         I.    Develop a Creative Spirit that not only enhances a child’s brain and development long term but also stays with you as a lifelong ability than can become your way to enjoy a wonderful social life adding joy to your near and dear ones!

Iam sure you have seen such people around you.. that Dad that can sing like a Rockstar at New Year bash, or a Mum that teaches an Instrument at her home etc.  These ‘accomplishment’ or ‘milestones’ add a lot of good memories and experiences as one paves through the journey of life! See this blog post I wrote for more details

       II.     Becomes an example to showcase a Student’s well roundedness in preparation for your college application process. This requires being able to show consistent perusal of the art form and some notable accomplishments (Certifications, Notable concerts or Ensemble performances etc) along the way to be a real talking point in your application

There are plenty of online College Application planning sites that talk to this subject in more detail. All parents who are planning their kid’s higher education journey should proactively spend time to read these details and then build this road-map. Just google to get started on this subject 😊

      III.   Builds foundational facility of Harmony, Ear Training & Theory that are required aspects if one is aspiring to pursue a professional career in the Music Arts field

Getting into a top music college like the Berklee College of Music or similar prestigious musical programs requires years of learning and practice as depending on your art form or musical instrument of choice the availability and acceptance rates can be very small

Learning the drums or any musical instrument is a lifelong journey, focus on what your goals are!

At Kidsdrum we focus on taking our kids through 5 levels of learning, practicing and enjoying the art form. This can be completed in 4-5 years depending on how regular the students are at practicing the art! Focus areas are,

1. Learning Drum Rudiments : a rudiment is one of a number of relatively small patterns which form the foundation for more extended and complex drum patterns. The Percussive Arts Society has defined 40 International Drum Rudiments. These consist of the traditional 26 rudiments along with a number of drum corps, orchestral, European, and contemporary drum rudiments

At KidsDrum students are taught how to play rudiments from the basic to the more advanced ones on the Snare drum first, then around the drums and finally with various beats and in fills/rolls in musical situations

2. Understanding and Interpretation of Time Feel: In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece or subsection thereof, how fast or slow. Tempo is related to meter and is usually measured by beats per minute. The ability of understanding and interpreting the various common time signatures is a foundational requirement to be a strong musician and drummer

At Kids drum we focus on setting up a strong foundation on the popular music genres in both common and odd time signatures with a focus on being able to perform and play the same in a musical setting appropriate to each learning level

3. Reading Drum Notations: Percussion notation is a type of musical notation indicating notes to be played by percussion instruments. As with other forms of musical notation, sounds are represented by symbols which are usually written onto a musical staff

We learn Basic Drum representation in Level 1. Then begin to read foundational notation books like Stick Control and Syncopation from Level 2 onwards. Key focus we have at KidsDrum is to get the student truly excited and serious about playing the drums along with reading and writing aspects of musical notations

4. Playing Musical Song forms: The ultimate joy to most musicians is the ability to be able to play along with a piece of their favorite song or better still play in a band their favorite songs! Learning song form structure and being able to interpret it in their playing often shows how good a drummer is

At KidsDrum we introduce students to Rock in Level 1 and progressively two more new genres at each new level. Additionally, they start reading and writing and performing with song structures in Level 3 but are encouraged to be playing along with songs right from Level 1 to develop their listening, counting and feel skills

5. Performing a unique piece of drum music: Performing a new unique piece of music is really about putting your best feet forward i.e.: Playing your favorite drum beats and rolls within a clear musical structure that has a beginning/middle/end and tells a story or is a Question/ Response act

Students at KidsDrum are expected to be building their unique pieces of music/solos etc by end of level 5. We aspire to see one of our students being recognized at competitions like the Guitar Center Drum-Off or better still making it big with their own band 😊


I hope this blog provided insights into getting engaged on this wonderful musical learning journey. You can get in touch with us by clicking here now to get your child started on the drums!