Does Your Child Have American Idol Dreams? The American Music Conference Offers Parents Tips on Nurturing Their Child's Musical Talent.

CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Now that American Idol is over there are millions of children and teens across the U.S. who are gearing up and having dreams of musical fame and fortune in the hopes of becoming the next star. Maybe your child has the vocal chops to be the next Taylor Hicks. Perhaps his or her immense talent at playing an instrument will lead them to a band like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, or to play with the New York Philharmonic. Whether or not your child "makes it" in the music industry, parents should understand that music making is still a valuable pursuit with scientifically proven social, emotional and academic benefits.

"As a parent of a young singer or musician, there are many important steps you can take to help support your child's aspirations while allowing him or her to do what they do best--be a kid," says Laura Johnson, associate executive director of the American Music Conference (AMC), one of the nation's leading non-profit organization that supports the benefits of music, music education and music making. "Parents need to think about their child's development needs and look at their musical desire in terms of their social and emotional growth and identity development."

Contrary to popular belief, parents do not have to support the L.A. star-making myth in order to encourage their child's musical dreams. "Encouragement and follow-through are the two most important things I can say to a parent that has a musical child," said Aaron Dworkin, founder of Sphinx, a national non-profit organization that encourages African-American and Hispanic students to get involved with classical music. "Parents need to create opportunities for their child to express and be involved in his or her art form. Also, parents want to create excitement around the instrument that is ongoing."

There are many options for musicians these days--and creativity has no bounds! To help parents along, the AMC offers these tips on nurturing your child's musical talent.

Look into quality musical instruction. "If you have a child who has shown talent, it's important to nurture this with really good music instruction," says Amy Nathan, author of The Young Musician's Survival Guide. Tips from Teens and Pros and the soon to be released book Meet the Musicians. "Before you make any arrangements, it's important to realize that your child has others aspects of his life to develop and mature. You want to prepare them for a life rich with music, but you also want them to find others ways to achieve happiness and success. The main thing to realize is that you have an extraordinary child, but it's a child. Make sure your music instructor is on course with you."

Every family will want to base its selection on compatibility in terms of both personality and teaching style, and professional and educational qualifications. You want to choose a teacher that makes an effort to understand his or her students' musical tastes, ambitions and goals. What's more, make sure your child has a good rapport with his or her teacher. It's important that the relationship always stays fresh and positive.

"A good music teacher will help your child with technique and teach them the right way to practice to prevent future injuries," adds Nathan.

Set realistic goals. "During youth, aiming high is a sign of self-confidence and vision," said Jessica Baron Turner, author of Your Musical Child. Inspiring Kids to Play and Sing for Keeps. "It only gets risky when a young person keeps dreaming to the exclusion of developing other employable skills. As a parent, you would be wise to help your child avoid locking oneself into a narrow concept of musical success. Keeping your child constructively engaged and growing in the direction of his or her dreams are appropriate goals. If your musical child sticks with lessons, learns to audition and perform, and forms and follows a realistic plan of action, perhaps her or she will be able to make those dreams come true."

Make music a priority. With the help of a music teacher, create a schedule for your child to commit to music each day without taking away from your child's non-musical interests. Also, research the personal and professional options available to your child while they are still in school, and always give them your vote of confidence.

"It's the nurturing of that musical talent that falls upon the parent," says Sphinx Vice President of Programming Afa Sadykhly. "Encourage your child to practice and persevere."

Let kids play. Help your child set up a safe situation in which they can make music with other kids without a lot of adult intervention, but with the necessary supervision for when kids get in a tight spot with each other.

Learn what matters. Ask your son or daughter to take you on a journey into the music that matters to them--and take that journey with a really open mind!

"I followed Diana's lead, but sometimes I intervened and set limits," says Brenda DeGarmo, mother of Diana DeGarmo, the Season Three American Idol runner-up. "I always told Diana that there are certain things she could do later on in life. It was important for her to be kid first. I saw that she could be missing things that she could never go back to. I always made sure I asked her what she was getting out of her musical pursuits. Her reply was always, I love music, I love to sing and perform for people."

Ask a lot of questions. This stimulates open dialogue and allows music to be an active part of your family life.

Remember that artists need privacy to create. Find a way to provide your child the privacy they need to release their creativity without turning it into isolation.

Stimulate musical exploration outside of school and throughout the year. Plug into the many after school programs and summer camps throughout the U.S. to open the doors for your child creatively and socially.

Seek guidance locally. Most music retailers got into the business because they love making music and they want to share its benefits. Retailers really understand the importance of supporting young musicians, and they can be a valuable guide in terms of finding quality music instruction, buying a sheet music, instruments and accessories to suit your child's skill level, and providing advice on just about anything related to music.

The American Music Conference is a national non-profit educational association dedicated to promoting the importance of music, music-making and music education to the general public. For more information, visit www.amc-music.org.

For more information or to set up an interview with a music education expert, music retailer, or music teacher near you, please contact Jodi Burack at [phone].