Parent Best Practices

Best Practices for Parents With Young Children Attending Their First Lesson

A guide to setting your child up for a successful start in music.

Table of Contents

  1. How to Prepare at Home Before Attending Our School
  2. Encouraging Your Child to Thrive with Music
  3. Preparing for the First Arrival
  4. What You Should Have Received From Us (And What We Need From You!)
  5. Tips by Age Group
  6. How to Handle Lack of Practice at Home While Staying Encouraging
  7. Troubleshooting Common Challenges
  8. Guidance on Lesson Frequency and Expectations

1. How to Prepare at Home Before Attending Our School

Fostering a Love for Music
At Horizon, we believe that music is a language. Much like speaking, it starts with listening and imitation before reading or writing. We encourage an “ears before eyes” approach—starting with singing, clapping, and dancing rather than focusing on sheet music.

Create a nurturing environment for your young musician at home. There should be no pressure to perform or demonstrate skills. Instead, let music be playful and natural. If possible, introduce an instrument in advance and give it a special place in your home. Talk about it often and celebrate it!

Examples:

  • “Wow, that ukulele looks so amazing right beside the TV!”
  • “That piano sure makes our space look better.”

Fun Preparation Ideas:

Rhythm Practice: Play We Will Rock You by Queen at 75% speed (you can do this on YouTube) and practice “stomp, stomp, clap.” This develops rhythmic awareness.
Ukulele String Names: Teach the strings with the mnemonic “Good Cats Eat Apples” (G, C, E, A), singing it until your child giggles!

Pro Tip: Teach your child that music is something we play, not something we work at.
The focus should always be on joy, not routine.

2. Encouraging Your Child to Thrive with Music

Expose your child to music in everyday life—watch concerts, enjoy YouTube performances, and talk about how exciting it is to see an artist on stage. Celebrate whatever music they love, whether it’s Taylor Swift, The Beatles, or theme songs from shows like Bluey and Paw Patrol.

Support Repetition: If your child wants to listen to the same song repeatedly, encourage it! Repetition helps them internalize the language of music.

3. Preparing for the First Arrival

Your child (and you!) may be nervous—that’s completely normal. Remind your child that the teacher will be just as excited and a little nervous too. Tell them:

“The teachers are so friendly and love working with children. They can’t wait to meet you!”

When you arrive:

  • Look for your child’s name on the welcome board.
  • A team member will greet you and walk you to our studio, sharing stories about the school to help ease nerves.
Pro Tip: Arrive early so you can relax and breathe. A calm start helps set the tone for an enjoyable first lesson.

4. What You Should Have Received From Us (And What We Need From You!)

You should have received an introductory email introducing you to your teacher. If you didn’t, please let us know so we can connect you before the first lesson.

In that email, we ask you for some additional details about your child. The more you can share, the better! Examples include:

  • What are their favourite songs? (as many as you can list!)
  • What activities does your child love? (e.g., soccer, dancing, science)
  • What’s their personality? (e.g., shy, energetic, self-critical, funny)

These insights help us create a personalized and engaging experience for your child.

5. Tips by Age Group

4 to 5-Year-Olds

  • Shyness is normal. Don’t draw attention to it—your child will open up in time.
  • Praise them no matter what happens, even if they cry. Tell them, “Wow, you were so brave. I can’t wait to get home and tell everyone how good you did!”
  • Normalize the experience with validating statements like, “I cried during my first lesson too!”

6 to 8-Year-Olds

  • These kids are sturdier and often able to learn a simple melody within the first few lessons.
  • It’s okay if it takes time. Every child progresses at their own pace.

9 to 10-Year-Olds

  • Shyness may return at this age. Encouragement and support go a long way.
  •  They’ve already gone through a number of ups and downs in life at this point, so building trust and rapport with the teacher is key.

11 to 16-Year-Olds

  • This age group can be “too cool for school”; they don’t like to show their cards easily.
  • It takes time to build trust and gain their approval.
  • Teachers must find ways to connect through shared interests like video games, movies, or books. Anything that helps break the ice can be a huge advantage.

6. How to Handle Lack of Practice at Home (While Still Encouraging Them)

It’s true—almost no child practices entirely on their own, and that’s perfectly normal. The self-discipline to practice regularly usually develops around age 14. Until then, the key is to foster a love for music rather than turning practice into a chore.

Encourage them by saying, “Let’s try that song together!” or simply celebrate when they pick up their instrument, even for a few seconds.

Children also learn by watching others. If you play an instrument, let them see you enjoying it. The more music feels like a joyful part of life, the more likely they are to embrace it themselves.

7. Troubleshooting Common Challenges

Out-of-Tune Instruments
String instruments often need tuning. We can provide ongoing support and best practices for keeping your instruments in tune.

Be cautious with big-box store instruments, as they may not hold tune well. Please talk to your teacher about the quality of the instrument to make sure that as your child progresses, the instrument progresses with them.

Illness or Missed Lessons
If your child is sick and doesn’t want to come in, it’s a great opportunity for them to jump online for a short chat with their teacher. This will keep the habit of talking about music alive.

Similarly, if you were stuck in traffic and can’t make it here on time, you can still make the lesson up virtually on Zoom, Google Meet or FaceTime.

Slow Progress?
Create a playlist of the songs they’re learning and play it often in the background. Make sure they hear their songs often in casual settings—while driving,
cleaning the house, or just hanging out.

The more they hear the music, the faster they’ll develop the opportunity to play it.

8. Guidance on Lesson Frequency and Expectations

For young children, weekly lessons are ideal for building habits and nurturing a relationship with their teacher.

The bond your child builds with their teacher will be something they remember forever. Our teachers are chosen for their empathy, validation, and musical expertise—ensuring your child’s success and love for music.

Pro Tip: Exposure to multiple teachers over time can help your child adapt and thrive, especially if a teacher moves on.
Kris Schulz

Final Thoughts from Kris Schulz, Owner & Founder

We’re so excited to be part of your family’s musical journey. If you ever need additional support, resources, or just someone to chat with about your child’s progress, we’re always here to help.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our wonderful team at hello@horizonschoolofmusic.ca

Or, you can book a phone a complimentary phone consult here:

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