Stephanie Curcio is a teacher, composer, arranger, and publisher.
Stephanie Curcio is a teacher, composer, arranger, and publisher.

Children need a practice partner. You cannot simply set up a schedule, tell a child it is time to practice and expect them to know or remember what to do. Practice habits are learned over time and need patient guidance as they develop. Thus, I ask whoever will be available to partner with the child on a daily basis, to attend and observe lessons. Sometimes I work with the partner alone so they can be better helpers. Gradually, that parent or partner will be able to withdraw as the child becomes more independent and secure.

Children also need to learn that success takes time, consistent effort, a lot of repetition, and a lot of “repair.” When a student comes to lesson after practicing, there are accomplishments that must be acknowledged. But there are usually things that need fixing. This is not failure! It is growth, and it is sometimes very hard to accept. So, each week I try to set goals that are attainable. Then, as we progress I help students understand that it might take longer to learn a piece, but that is par for the course. Proper progression in keeping with each student’s abilities is paramount! Attainable success is usually the greatest motivator.
—Stephanie Curcio, Londonderry, N.H.

Julietta Rabens teaches harp and composition at the New Mexico School of Music. She has a D.M.A. in composition from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an M.M. in harp from Northern Illinois University.
Julietta Rabens teaches harp and composition at the New Mexico School of Music. She has a D.M.A. in composition from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an M.M. in harp from Northern Illinois University.

Young children are motivated by play, which is their natural process for learning. Practicing the harp is most like play when it includes games and make-believe. I encourage students to make up their own songs on the harp from the first time they touch the strings. Exploring sounds on their own encourages them to listen to the pitch and timbre of the instrument, and it engages more time with fingers on the strings. We also play both planned and spontaneous games like spelling words on the harp, making up story songs, or building sandwich scales with whole steps made of veggies and burgers, and the half steps are thin slices of cheese!

Children can become overwhelmed with too many instructions and details, so in our lessons we focus on one major principle each week for technique, like closing deeply or keeping thumbs up. Children also love playing in ensembles together—it is always more fun to play with friends. Whether structured learning or exploratory play, it helps to remember my own inner child and to have fun right along with them!
—Julietta Rabens, Albuquerque, N.M.

Megan Stout is a private harp teacher and freelance musician.
Megan Stout is a private harp teacher and freelance musician.

This varies for each student, but I find that the strongest motivation is actually more on a personal level. As a young student, I worked hard because I wanted to see true excitement and pride from my teacher for the work I had done. Most of my students respond in this way to me. Instead of struggling through notes, I get excited about being able to talk about musical or technical things with them, and I love to see the excitement and joy on their faces. I remind them that I want all lessons to be this fun for us both and how proud I am of their work.

I have a few resistant students, and for these I use a mixture of different tactics—physical rewards (I have a box of stickers, stamps, nail stickers, etc.), choice of pieces, working more closely with the parents, and performances that seem to drive them to practice. I show them how much we can accomplish in 15 minutes and encourage them to not skip days but just try to achieve small things every day, which will lead to a stronger lesson and quicker improvement. I try to get the parents to make sure the student practices—even for a short time—before playing video games. I take into account what kind of music they are really interested in. If a Disney or Beyonce song will get them practicing, then we do work on those songs in addition to the other pieces. Having goals of performances is key. They always practice more for performances in front of fellow students and their friends and families than for just general preparation. I host two recitals a year in addition to encouraging them to play for other events.
—Megan Stout, St. Louis, Mo.

Coming Up

My teacher won’t allow me to learn a specific piece. Should I attempt to learn it on my own?