Every June 21, World Music Day, also called the Fête de la Musique, is celebrated around the world. The festival, which originated in Paris, France in 1981, speaks to the musician in all of us; all musicians, young and old, novice and expert, are encouraged to take their craft public for all to experience.

This is great question that was brought up by a parent of a student that performed in my schools recitals a few weeks ago.  The student is taking ukulele lessons from one of our teachers.  This was his first recital, and he played Happy Birthday perfectly!  But his mom said on the drive over that her son asked her, “why do we do recitals?”

So you or your child has been taking lessons for a while in one instrument, and things have been going well, but there is a desire to switch instruments.  Why might this happen, and is it a good idea or not?

Periodically we welcome guest writers to contribute. Today we’re featuring Ashly Williams, a frequent contributor to many music and other special interest blogs.

As with anything in life, we need a plan to tackle tasks.  Whether it's your daily to do list, a marathon training program, or sitting down to practice your instrument, success comes from a having a plan for small and large tasks alike.  

So your child has been taking lessons for some time now. Maybe it’s been just a couple years, maybe it’s been 10 years. At any juncture in a student’s musical journey, they will invariably question if they want to keep taking lessons.