“I am bored”. The three words that are the bane of a parent’s existence. Boredom is not to be trifled with – it is well established that the greatest threat to success is not failure, but rather boredom. Unfortunately, it is also well established that learning how to play an instrument involves repetition, an obvious precursor to boredom. It would certainly seem that combating boredom is mission critical for any parent of an aspiring musician.
Allow us to introduce Novelty Theory. “Novelty Theory argues that children’s behavior during an activity is initially determined by the degree of novelty inherent in that activity. As novelty diminishes, children habituate to or become bored with a particular activity, their concentration on that activity wanes; unless prevented, they will eventually seek novelty by switching to another activity.” (School Recess and Playground Behavior: Educational and Developmental Roles by Anthony D. Pellegrini). So how does the beleaguered parent insert novelty into music practice? While you may not be able to change the content of the music practice, you can change the circumstances. For example, your child could “go on tour” and practice in every room of your house. They could go on a “play date” and practice at fellow musician’s house. They could play while dancing, marching, by candlelight, or to a pet audience. They can make a game out of the repetitions, rewarding each correct one with a treat. The list goes on and is only limited by your imagination.
So, parents of young musicians the world over can pause for a collective sigh of relief. A little novelty is the cure for the three words no parent ever wants to hear again.
