What Actually Happens in a Child’s First Music Lesson? (And Why It’s Not Scary!)

Your young child clings to your legs, unsure of what happens next.  You feel their anxiety, and you wish you could dissolve it. But truthfully, you aren’t sure what happens next, either.

This is how any “first” often feels for a parent of a young child: First day of school, first day of soccer, and definitely the first music lesson. If you want your child to feel confident trying new things, it’s important that you have the information you need to support them. 

But what I hear from so many parents, especially if they didn’t grow up learning an instrument themselves, is that they feel out of their depth in supporting their child in this new musical journey.

Or worse, many of us parents who did take music lessons throughout our childhood didn’t necessarily have a positive experience. It’s hard to not transfer that anxiety to our kids, even if we know music lessons are supposed to be “good” for them.

Let’s first set something straight: Your child’s first music lesson at The Lane School of Music is usually a free trial lesson (book yours HERE). We know that most families want to see how lessons feel before committing long-term.  So we invite all new-to-us students to test the waters with a 20-minute trial lesson: Visit our space, meet your teacher, and find out what actually happens in a music lesson when you combine a wiggly child with a cello/ piano/ violin and a professional teacher.

Here’s what to expect at your first music lesson at The Lane School of Music:

1. You’ll be greeted in the waiting area. Our front-desk staff will let you know what studio you’ll be meeting your teacher in, and you and your child can peruse our bookshelf, Lego table, and FAQs handout while you wait.

2. Your child’s teacher will invite you to sit in on the lesson. You don’t have to go into the lesson studio if you don’t want to, but you are absolutely welcome to watch the lesson and support your child. This is true of every music lesson at LSM, not just the first one.

3. The teacher will not force your child to do anything. Will they invite them to sit on the piano bench, or trace a foot chart on the floor? Absolutely. Will your child be encouraged to make sound on the instrument, clap rhythms and stomp their feet to music? Probably.  Will they be asked questions about music they like, and what they want to learn? Almost certainly.  But they won’t be forced to do anything.  

4. Your child will feel success. Our teachers are experts at gauging attention span, coordination, and comfort level in children.  They will employ suitable activities, songs, and games based on your child’s ability. While this may be a first lesson for your child, it certainly isn’t for their teacher! Our teachers have each taught hundreds of lessons - most of them to wiggly children - and are trained in how to make each lesson special and each child successful.

5. You’ll leave knowing next steps (and with a sticker). We’ll make sure you have a list of needed supplies - books, instruments, etc - and where to find them.  We’ll also share what your child can practice before their next lesson, so that they can get started right away. And, because we know that all “firsts” are worth celebrating, your child will get a sticker just for showing up! 

Are you ready to begin your child’s musical journey? Start by booking a free trial lesson HERE.  We’re committed to making this a joyful experience for both you and your child.