Why does morning practice work?
• Studies have shown that sleep directly (and positively) affects the learning of a fine
motor skill.
• No matter how many activities your child have scheduled after school, morning practice ensures their piano is never forgotten, crammed in or done haphazardly. Frenzied or rushed practice results in negativity towards the piano, practice fights with parents and other things we piano teachers would rather avoid.
• The excuse of “no time” is completely eliminated. With a simple adjustment to the morning alarm, your child can have all the time they need.
• The discipline of getting up early and practicing every day establishes habits that are pro-active and that will carry over into other areas of your child's lives as well.
• The likelihood of parental involvement in practice increases, as your child no longer practice alone while parents are at work, driving siblings to other activities etc.
• As your child become teenagers, homework, jobs, friends and other extracurricular activities no longer pose a threat to your child's
piano progress (none of those things happen in the morning!)
• Parents who see regular practice occurring are less likely to “pull the plug” on lessons due to life being chaotic and practice not happening. The parental “guilt” from daily practice being repeatedly forgotten is eliminated, taking one more stressor away from busy families.
• Starting a day off with music starts your child's days with all of the wonderful benefits that music has been proven to provide such as mood improvement, stress-reduction, and mental alertness.
