1. What do I need to know about renting a musical instrument?

Renting a musical instrument is a cost effective and low commitment way to start your musical journey. High quality musical instruments can be very expensive to buy outright, so renting can be the right decision for the first year of playing. If your child is on the fence about committing to playing an instrument, renting can take the pressure off. Most rental companies have a 4-6 month minimum rental period and often have a rent to buy scheme in place.

Playing a high quality student instrument when starting out will enhance your child’s learning experience. There is nothing worse than a cheaply made instrument that doesn’t work properly. Your child will want to quit before they have even got going!

It can be tempting to buy a $250 french horn made in China on Ebay, but let’s consider the true RRP of a quality student model french horn. You are looking at around $3000. That’s a huge difference! So consider the difference in quality between the cheap Ebay brand and the premium brand.

If you’ve chosen an instrument that is particularly expensive to buy outright, then renting is definitely the way to go.

2. Have we chosen the right instrument?

Renting an instrument will give your child the flexibility to decide if the instrument they have chosen is the right one for them.

Flute or clarinet? Trumpet or trombone? How do you know what your child is going to like!

Spend lots of time on YouTube listening to clips of professionals performing. Since Covid there are also lots of online “instrument demonstrations” from professional groups. These are great resources to help you make your instrument choice

If your child changes their mind about the instrument they have chosen, you can simply return your rental instrument and choose another! It’s a win win for everyone.

3. Do children usually stick to learning a musical instrument?

There can be many factors at play here. Often parents say to me, “I’m not musical at all! How can I help my child learn to play an instrument?”

It’s important to find a great teacher! Your child’s one on one lesson will make or break their learning experience. You want a fun, engaging and qualified teacher with great communication skills. Someone that motivates your child to practise and perform.

One thing I always suggest is attending your child’s private lesson. The age of Zoom lessons has made this easier for busy parents. Parents can sit in safely on their child’s Zoom lesson and listen to the lesson.

Or make the time to attend their lesson if it is during or out of school hours. You can learn a lot from attending a lesson and this will mean you can assist your child with practise at home.

Practise is the key!

To give your child the best chance to succeed when learning an instrument, you must set up a good practise routine.

Your private lesson tutor should have a practise log that they fill out for your child each week, setting goals and tasks to cover at home.

Regular practise is the best way forward. 10-15 minutes per day will set your child up to succeed. I recommend a morning practise session, as your child will be fresh from a good night’s sleep and ready to take on the day.

Reward them!

It’s hard to keep motivated! Set up a practise chart and rewards system to keep track of your child’s practise efforts. Young or old, children respond to structured learning. Whether it’s stickers, toys or just the visual aspect of the practise chart, your child will thrive if they can see the progress they are making.

Perform!

Encourage your child to join your school’s ensemble programs. Being part of a group can be the best motivation of all. This will teach your child to work as part of a team.

Performing regularly will inspire your child to keep practising.

Perform for family and friends! Are the grandparents coming over for lunch? How about a little concert from the kids to make the day even more special.