If you’re a current student or parent of a student at the Lewis Center Music Academy, you may have seen some shiny, colorful medals hanging on our wall by our front desk. These medals are for participants in our Level Up music program. Have you ever heard of the black belt program in karate? This is just that, but music-oriented! The Level Up music program was created to bolster motivation in our music students, and it sets us apart from other music schools. Our instructors carefully craft ten specific musical goals that their students must achieve, and once they achieve all ten goals, they complete Level 1, receive a medal and certificate, and move on to the following level. The goals can be anything from memorizing scales and songs, to just playing a song correctly through ten times. What’s most important is that our instructors make sure to create goals that make sense for their students.
Practice no longer has to be monotonous or meaningless, with goals and a clear purpose now imbued in your child’s mind. Moreover, this program creates progress. Kids make meaningful progress in their musical journeys with us through the Level Up program, and they now look forward to practicing, reaching a goal, and knowing what the next step is. The Level Up program creates structure and a positive routine.
Goal-setting is so crucial for everyone, of all ages, but here are three reasons why goals are so important, especially for children:
Confidence
Learning to play an instrument is a daunting task -- that, and it can also be something that understandably makes every beginner nervous. Music has its own language and rules, and instruments can be complicated and confusing to handle. However, being able to conquer the task of learning to play an instrument can be immensely rewarding and help build much-needed confidence in all kids, timid or outgoing. Additionally, performing in front of others at our summer and winter recitals helps bolster children’s bravery, that sense that they can do anything they put their minds to.
Focus
Bruce Lee once said, “The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” According to him, mental focus is what separates people from being normal vs. extraordinary. If we’re able to perfect our mental focus, we can achieve that much more and become successful and phenomenal. Here’s the catch: We’re only able to better our mental focus when we practice it, and we can only practice focus through structured programs that encourage people to hone in on a specific goal. That’s exactly why we love Level Up, as it’s designed to help kids learn mental focus.
Perseverance
Arguably the most important trait any child or adult can have is perseverance. It’s not giving up. It’s tenacity, persistence, strength. It’s doing something and doing it until the very end, even if it’s difficult. We all want our kids to learn perseverance because a person with perseverance can tackle anything and handle anything the world throws at them. The Level Up program physically rewards kids for persevering and conquering their ten goals, which can be incredibly motivating. It’s a physical reminder that hard work will always pay off!
Give us a call today to start your child in music lessons and get musically motivated with our Level Up program!