Giving the Gift of Music Lessons

You promised yourself that this year was going to be different.

This was the year that you were going to find that one gift that your kid was going to love and cherish for the rest her life. You scoured the ads and looked for that perfect gift for the perfect price to give to your perfect kid so she could have the perfect Christmas. Everything was supposed to be… perfect.

But no matter how early you woke up or how much of a deal you got, the whole experience seemed to extract every bit of joy from your soul and right now as you read this you can still hear those words as they haunt you like the clanging of Jacob Marley’s chains:

“This year’s going to be different.”

It wasn’t.

But what if you could give your kid a gift that she wouldn’t get tired of and forget about after a couple weeks?

What if there was a gift that encouraged communication and interaction with you and the rest of your family?

For me, there was one gift that I received that has outlasted all the others and continues to add value to my life to this day, and that gift is the gift of music. So if you’ve been thinking about giving your kid the gift of music lessons this Christmas, allow me to give you three reasons why I think that’s an awesome idea:

1. Music Lessons Appreciate in Value

The first thing you need to do when you think about music lessons is to stay away from the word “expense” and use “investment” instead. While most toys or gadgets can break, get lost or just get worn out, music lessons build on themselves over time and coupled with practice and hard work, are designed to increase both your kid’s knowledge and skill level.

2. Music Lessons Create Conversation

There aren’t too many gifts out there that actually encourage communication between you and your kid. And unlike some of the gifts your kid might be asking for (phone/tablet/headphones), music lessons demand a certain level of communication in order to function properly. Your kid learns to communicate with you and her teacher and each week you get a new batch of questions to ask about what she’s learning and what she needs to do in order to improve.

3. Music Lessons Build Character

There aren’t many character-building activities hidden in a gift card or a PlayStation game. But because music lessons are inherently difficult and will force your kid to work hard to see results, there will be many “opportunities” for her to build character. Whether it’s a nagging sense of discouragement or a less subtle desire to throw the instrument in the trash, your kid will have the chance to build character in the way she responds to adversity and the challenges of learning an instrument.

As a parent, just remember that none of these things happen naturally. But as you help your kid grow as both a musician and a person through music lessons, I believe you’ll be convinced that there’s no better gift that you could give her this Christmas.

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This guest post was written by Josh Atkins. For more great work from him about helping your kid learn to fall in love with music, check out his blog (www.guitarforyourkid.wordpress.com) or follow him on twitter (@guitar4yourkid).