I think it is fair to say that most parents will do virtually anything for their children. As adults we don’t want our kids to miss out on the opportunities that we missed as kids. Also family sizes don’t tend to be as large these days so there is more time and money to put into their education also. I say education in the broad sense of the word here as a new trend is emerging where more and more families are taking off for 3 or 6 months to see their country (or another) and appreciate the ‘real world’.  I wish that trend happened when I was young. What a great way to learn!

For 30 years information has been released of literally thousands of studies that have proven time and time again that learning music from a young age accelerates brain activity. It utilizes both sides of the brain and develops co-ordination in a specific way. These studies have shown that students perform up to 30% better than other students of similar mentality in many other subjects at  school. In light of this I have noticed that more and more kids are learning music in their primary school years. Certainly in the schools that I am involved with there are very few grade 6 students that I haven’t had something to do with at some stage.

It is fantastic to see that parents are really supporting their children to get involved in music and given that music is often delivered at the school itself, the pressure is taken away from parents to move the kids around after hours. It adds up in many ways. The bottom line is this:

1. Music is fun.
2. Kids love fun.
3. Parents love their kids to have fun.
4. Music offers a unique experience. Therefore…
5. Kids become students of music. And…
6. Big kids (adults) now have opportunities to join in on the fun using the internet.

Whilst it is commonly believed that kids pick music up quicker than adults I believe that adults comprehend learning methods and certain understandings quicker than children. This is simply because of the life experience factor. Adults are more understanding that:

1. Learning requires commitment.
2. Mistakes are simply that; mis-takes. Adults tend to have developed greater patience.
3. Life experience is a valuable asset when learning music.
4. A student needs to participate in the direction that they are going so as to remain focused on their goal.

Adults are also able to sustain their practice sessions for longer periods of time however adults are also much more likely to get caught up in work commitments unwittingly let life get in the way. Herein lies the great modern opportunity for adults. They can learn online, for little expense, in their own time. It is really the ideal model for working adults to become a ‘kid again’.

Many adults say to me “I wish I still played music. I learned for a while when I was young but had to give it away”. Well I completely understand that there are time (and money) issues when it comes to learning music. 1:1 learning with a respectable teacher will cost between $25-$35 per half hour and will generally be conducted on a weekly basis with the exception of school holidays. This equates to around $1000 per year. The question is… Is it still worth it to learn in the traditional format when we now have online alternatives?

The answer to this question is becoming more and more blurred as time rolls on. Without question it is most beneficial  to have access to your own tutor who can watch you, assess you and work with you on your own level. However situations on the internet are such now that students can have access to many resources and the once large difference between learning in a live situation to that of a ‘virtual’ nature are being bridged at alarming rates.

The reality is that students in many ways can get a more thorough learning experience from the use of the internet if the tuition is delivered in an appropriate way. Given that learning music is not as simple as picking up an instrument and being shown how to execute sound using a certain technique, it is now in a student’s interest to utilize the resources available on the internet by gaining appropriate tuition in video format covering the various theoretical components. Remember… Music is a language that has many layers. Many of them need not be taught by one person alone. In fact learning all of your ‘tricks’ from one person alone is essentially limiting by today’s standards. Why not use both private tuition and online tuition. This may appear to cost you more but it will actually cost you quite a bit less. Let me explain: When you have access to online video information, you won’t actually need to see a regular teacher every week. Of course you can if you prefer but the reality is that you will become a lot more self sufficient and as such you should only need lessons on a more periodic basis. That needs to be determined by you. It is also worth mentioning that you can also get live lessons online and you can book those in just as you need them. All you need is a camera with sound options and it can be done using Skype.

My suggestion for adult students is to go one of two ways:

1. Gain access to a teacher that can be visited on a regular or semi-regular basis and use those lessons in conjunction with a quality online course covering the technical workouts of music. The technical workouts will maximise the live sessions and allow the student to get more mileage from the lessons.

2. Try out an online only course to get started. Make sure it comes from a source that not only covers the live playing in full detail, but also covers the theoretical components that are essential in bringing the live aspects together.

Consider this analagy:

Look at a bodybuilder. They have a balanced workout routine that covers all areas of their body each week. With persistance they will eventually bring about a fine body sculpture. They also eat a specific diet that works in accordance with their desired outcome.

A musician needs to work through the various aspects of the musical language each week. This will allow them to grow and develop consistantly to become a fine musician with broad understanding. The ‘musical diet’ comes in the form of the music that you will aspire to play. Only by drinking in the sound will you hone and fine tune your skills to that level.

The hard truth is that you have to put in some time if you want
to master your instrument (or anything else, for that matter.)

Did you know that it’s been estimated that it takes 10 years or
10,000 hours to truly MASTER any skill?

A best-selling author named Malcolm Gladwell wrote a fascinating
book (“Outliers”) on this very subject. He reported that the
Beatles had been playing together in dive bars for SEVEN years
before they became an “overnight” sensation.

Estimates are the band performed 1,200 times before their big
success in 1964. By comparison, most bands don’t perform 1,200
times in their CAREERS!

Neurologist Daniel Levitin has studied the formula for success
extensively and shares this finding: “The emerging picture from
such studies is that 10,000 hours of practice is required to
achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class
expert in anything.”

Over and over again, no matter what the field, experts are finding
that PREPARATION counts more than TALENT.

Sure, no one wants to hear that it takes a lot of time to get
really good at something.

But let’s not forget that the “10,000 hour rule” applies to those
aspiring to be world-class masters.

If all you want to do is get good enough to play in a band, play
for your friends, or anything in between, then obviously it will
happen a lot faster.

Here’s the big takeaway you should get from all this . . .

The good news is that ANYONE can get really good at playing music. All it
takes is putting in the time.

Let me put it another way: TALENT IS SECONDARY.

Hey, if you have talent, fantastic. But even if you don’t, you
WILL get there if you simply continue playing.

As Gladwell puts it, “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re
good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”