Named one of "Publishers Weekly's Best 100 Books of 2006.""" Providing guidance for parents who want their children to enjoy learning to play a musical instrument, this resource teaches parents the best ways to encourage children's musical talents. Key guidance is provided for the trickiest hurdles of all: helping children learn how to practice and navigating their impulse to quit by encouraging them to take pride in their progress despite the frustrations of the learning process. Commonly taught methods--including Suzuki, Kodaly, Dalcroze training, and the Orff approach--and instrument selection are discussed in detail, as are tips for choosing the right teacher. Up-to-date resources and references for youth orchestras, national and regional organizations, outreach programs, and school advocacy organizations, and supplementary materials for various ages and stages of ability, are provided.

Stephanie Stein Crease is the author of Gil Evans: Out of the Cool, a winner of the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award, and Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz. She is a music journalist who has contributed to the New York Times, Down Beat, JAZZIZ, Pulse, and The Oxford Companion to Jazz.