Hi, you’ve already understood the advantage of learning music and chosen a musical instrument to learn. If you want to select a lesson for your kids, should you choose a group or private music lesson? The classic answer is: It depends on your objective.
Both group and private music lesson have their disadvantages and advantages. Understanding your child’s potential and goals can help you arrive at the best decision. Generally speaking, private music lesson is usually far more beneficial to your learning curve and bring to the next level. Group classes are preferable for socializing and learning musical skills such as improvising or playing in an ensemble. I’ll give you all the information you need to decide which one is best for you down below.
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Different Factors for Group and Private Music Lessons
First of all, both group and private music lesson can help children with their holistic development and opens doors to opportunities to further hone one’s talent are just some of them. Meanwhile, music lessons can also help children discover their passion. It is an excellent extra-circular activity that can help boost their confidence and use their time more productively.
Many factors can influence the value of music lessons. Thus, many are having a hard time deciding whether to engage in group lessons or get a dedicate teacher for one-on-one teaching.
The cost of group lesson is lower
If we are talking about the same location, course complexity, and student level, group lesson is cheaper than private and group lessons. Since most music teachers charge per hour, teaching more students at a time allows their rate to be divided among everyone in the class.
Sometimes, music schools or group classes include the use of the instrument in the class fee. This ensures that the equipment is fine-tuned and the course uses the same kind. This saves you money further from renting or buying your own. This is more advantageous for beginners or people still exploring if they’d like to push through with the lessons later.
Group lesson has more options
Some of the musical program is compose of pillars, for example singing, music instrument, dance. It provides a good opportunity for students to try different options in a decent period. They can decide to focus one or two option in a later stage. In this situation, private lesson is limited with the option.
Private lesson has flexibility of schedule
It is easier to negotiate the schedule with a private music teacher. For example, if you encounter an emergency or an important event that you cannot pass to, you can ask to re-schedule the session at the next most convenient time. However, it is hard to consider all the students’ availability in the group lessons, where you are following a designated schedule.
Private lesson offer customized learning progress
Everyone has different pacing when it comes to learning. And in group lessons, you are as fast as the average learner. Whereas in private lessons, you can be comfortable with your pacing and go as fast on the lessons you already know or devote more time to those you need to work on.
In group lessons, since the lessons are already set for the day and the whole program duration. It could hamper some kids growth if they are eager to learn.
However, if you or your child is not that pressured to excel, or is still looking for the best music instrument to focus on, or simply taking the lessons mainly for socialization, there’s no problem with the pacing.
Meanwhile, private lessons offer more room for growth. Because you are the sole focus of the lessons, your music teacher can make an individualized learning approach. They can also tweak the process along the way as they get to know you.
Also, each learner has a different learning style, and private lessons can work around yours, including schedule, pace, and comfort/challenge level. Being the lone learner can also lift the pressure from comparing students (in a group class) and performing in front of others.
Assessment or feedback
Private lessons allow you to gather feedback only from your mentor. As an advantage, they provided you with complete attention throughout the whole learning process. With that, they could see only all the details of your progress and setbacks and immediately tune in to the following sessions so you can catch up quickly.
Meanwhile, it is challenging to receive an individualized assessment from group lessons. Your music teacher’s attention is divided among many students. And some teachers will inevitably give out more attention to excelling students than those failing so as not to veer away from the schedule or hamper other students’ progress.
However, group lessons can also have an advantage in this area. As a learner, you can also get feedback from your peers and learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, there are more opportunities for feedback.
Deciding Factors for Group or Private Music Lesson
There are two major factors to consider when deciding between private and group lessons:
- Kids Age
- Learning Objectives
Kids ability
Children from 3 to 5 should take group lessons. At this age, kids are still developing fine motor abilities, learning to read, sit still and pay attention to the teacher. They probably lost focus in a private lesson after a short while. The fun group lessons with singing, clapping, and rhythm games with their other toddlers are probably the best venue for these kids.
Learning Objectives
If you want to excel or master a skill, trudging the one-on-one class route is the best. This provides you with the sole attention and focuses you need. It also gives you to learn according to your style, at your pace, and receive individualized learning programs and assessments.
Meanwhile, if you are more comfortable learning from a teacher and your peers, you will thrive with group lessons. It can allow you to interact and socialize with people with the same talent or interest as yours.
Conclusion
Private lessons are geared not just to teach you to play a musical instrument but also to help you excel in it. If you are looking to master one, you have to have someone to guide you with their eyes, focusing on your learning style and helping you get out of any setback as soon as possible. Having a focused mentor also enables you to gain the proper discipline and push you to work harder.
Meanwhile, group lessons also provide opportunities for interaction and socialization with people who have the same talents or interests as you. This broadens learning opportunities; aside from learning the instrument itself, you can also learn about teamwork, empathy, etc. You can also connect with different people in the same field that you can, later on, benefit from or can widen your social circle.
Did above answer your beginning question: should you choose a group or private music lesson? Let us know!
About Me
Hi, there. I am Lin. Together with my husband and two kids, we live in the beautiful Netherlands in Europe. I am dedicated to self-development, creating quality time for the whole family, and fully supporting kids with their potentials and possibilities with all I have learned from engineering, MBA, and 10+ years of working experience in the energy sector.
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