Do your DCs continue to have weekly music lessons during summer holidays?

[eliphant]

Summer holidays coming up and we're thinking of either stopping lessons for the 6 weeks and resuming them when school starts, or having infrequent lessons (say, once in 2 or 3 weeks). They are both Grade 1 piano and one is in Grade 2 violin. I know it could stall their improvement a bit, but it doesn't seem such a long break. What do you think?

Mine used to go on lots of music courses in the holidays. Our teacher said they needed a break from lessons but I think a gap sets them back a bit.

No lessons over the summer. I gather together lots of fun music and encourage them to play every day.

Yes, one because he's got two important music exams in September and now school pressure is off he can really get to grips with them. He also cycles over twice a week to practise loudly on the music school's piano.

The other because it's actually quite nice not to squeeze piano practice in between other activities but to take it at a more relaxed pace. One lesson every 10 days or so.

Yes DD continues with the lessons weekly during the summer as usual except while we are on holiday but We try to reschedule the lesson missed and same if/when her teacher goes on holiday.

I find it very hard to go back into routine if we give up the lessons over the summer and also I don't see why not having the lessons, the teacher lives close by, piano is her only activity that we keep going.

There would be 7 lessons missed if we wouldn't continue. Quite a few in my opinion.

My daughter will have a couple of piano lessons in the holidays. Music school is shut so no sax or guitar, but she is doing a 2 week residential trip where she will play both.

And her travel guitar will as always come on holiday with us!

No DDs teachers like the kids to have a break from lessons.

DCs borough music lessons finish before end of term and will resume several weeks into the autumn term. Drum lessons carry on over hols. It does slow progress but they practise in the hols and I am planning to get them both started on theory.

When DS was small we used to have a couple of private lessons with his peri teacher, just to keep him playing through the six week holiday. Once he started playing in a brass band we stopped doing that as he had plenty of playing opportunities over the summer.

Some are school based lessons, so obviously stop. Piano teacher offers a lesson over the holidays if people would like. She lives near us but has children and holiday plans too. DS is missing the last 2 so she will be working in some extra ones.

We enjoy the break from routine, but they do carry on with a degree of practising, especially the brass players. When they were younger I used to get them fun music to play. DS1 and DDs community band carries on all summer with concerts so they will keep playing anyway.

We've found they are keen to make a fresh start in the autumn

DS2 did a lot of theory last summer. This summer he will be completing his next voice for life book and writing the essays he needs to go for his Gold RSCM award in October.

Drums continue, piano stops except for daily practice and aural lessons with DH. I actually think it's very pleasurable for them to learn music outside the frantic school schedule. And without having to juggle homework! The joy!

DD has lessons in one instrument over the summer (and the other holidays) as she has the lessons at home. The lessons for the instrument she learns at school stop over the summer though she's generally good at practising.

Teachers vary a lot - some offer lessons during holiday times but a lot don't. As a teacher myself I'm always pleasantly surprised by what happens over the summer holidays - there are always a few who come back having taking big strides forward with their music, because they have had the time and energy to really get stuck in to it over the holiday (and it isn't always the ones who I expect to do well). I don't find that progress is particularly held up by taking a break. Remember that the ultimate goal of lessons is to produce independent musicians who don't need a weekly lesson, so getting used to working on their own is actually quite a good thing. You could ask their teachers to recommend some fun pieces that they can work on over the holidays, or even put it all down for a while and let them take a complete break - they will return to it refreshed and ready for action in September. Either way is fine. Another thing I did with my own children was to crack on with music theory over the holidays (lots of good online resources that could help you with this).