Why music lessons for kids are important and an opportunity for lessons in your home

From the time my kids have been in the womb, they have been listening to music. I used to play classical music through my discman's head phones {yep, I am that old!}  into my big 'ol pregnant belly. I took music classes with my kids and have been singing them made up songs about anything and everything. There were songs about getting dressed, waking up from our naps and poop. Lot's of songs about poop. My oldest son Aidan was six when he started taking music lessons. He wanted to start on the guitar.

I had two other small children at home when he started lessons,  so it was easiest for me to pay a little extra and have a local guy come to my house to teach him. Aidan moved on to the clarinet in the fifth grade, while continuing to play the guitar for jazz band and then switched to the drums when he was in seventh grade.  Aidan's only been drumming for a few years now, but because he could read music when he started lessons it allowed him the opportunity to pick up drums much quicker than he would have otherwise. My daughter Isabella is constantly singing. She loves folk music mostly. So does her mom. My youngest son is 8 and would love to play the drums like his big brother. He's picked up the guitar a few times, but he seems to have rhythm on the drums like his brother. I have a background in child development and during my studies at Purdue University, the benefits of children {and adults} learning and playing music were certainly not kept a secret. Math and music are intertwined.  I know we all wondered {o.k. maybe it was just me!} why we had to learn fractions and thought I'm never going to use this, but musicians use it every day. Rhythm and pitch are two of the most common elements of music and they are best described using mathematical concepts. Music not only helps children academically, it also helps them in developing patience  {it take a lot of practice to perfect a skill, or a song, or a beat} and creates discipline for practicing on their instrument. Practice is the only way to improve in most skills and carving out time in a child's day for practicing their instrument is important. Now that you understand why music lessons are so important to us as parents, I want to introduce you to a company that I had the opportunity to try out first hand. Lessonface is an on-line music lesson site offering lessons for all ages and skill levels over live video. My 8 year old son Owen, tried out two drum lessons with an amazing drum instructor named Shawn. We are in the Seattle area, Shawn is in North Carolina. Isn't technology great?!

I know a thing or two about drum lessons.

I have been sitting through regular drum lessons on a weekly basis for the past 2 years with my older son.

I was very impressed with lessonface and in particular Shawn and the things that he was able to teach while we sat in the comfort of our own home.

We simply went to the lessonface site, 

found the instrument and skill level we were interested in and were matched with an instructor.

Once a time for a lesson was set up, we installed the software about 15 minutes prior to our first lesson and received several pages of music for Owen's first lesson through our lessonface dashboard.

Owen could pull up the music on the one side of the computer screen while his instructor was on the other side.  After our on-line lesson, we could print out the music and use it to practice.

During Owen's first few lessons, he learned how to read drum music, was made aware of whole notes, quarter notes and half notes and learned various counting patterns. Shawn was very patient with Owen, he praised Owen when he mastered something and used positive affirmations to correct Owen rather than to discourage him.  I was quite impressed! Summer is coming, and I know that as mom's we are looking for activities to keep our kids busy. Maybe you have been thinking about music lessons for your son or daughter. Lessonface is kind enough to offer a coupon code for $15 off your first lesson. Try a lesson and see what you think. Simply use lf15off at checkout. Lessonface is also offering a giveaway for a spot in a summer guitar class {geared for teens 13-17} called the Power of Three Chords. It's easy to enter. Simply comment below.  A winner will be selected one week from today.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don't have a child that is in the age range for the summer guitar class, no worries!
You can also win a $60 lessonface gift certificate! Simply enter below: a Rafflecopter giveaway Good luck! And happy tunes to you! disclaimer: I was given two free music lessons to try from lessonface.  All opinions are 100% my own.  I won't tell you I love something if I don't.