Everyone has a dream, but very few are willing to truly chase a dream. I have seen that willingness, that zeal and that perseverance in Heer. Her choices over the years have been out of the box for a child her age. At times I did want to caution her for the fear of her not being able to achieve what she wanted. But I have tried to be supportive as I've always been amazed at her ambition to get better and her onus to complete.
Over the years she has shown interest in performing arts and music. I have let her pursue what she wanted by discussing the pros and cons, the future and more. She has always been extremely keen in learning and performing ballet and a musical instrument over the years. Last year, she has taken great strides in her ballet class and has gone on to perform with her ballet group too.
However, music education on the whole had taken a back seat for a while and we wanted her to pursue this interest as music plays a very important part in a child’s development. Research even shows that children exposed to music training from an early childhood develop an interest in exploring, they speak more clearly, have a larger vocabulary and have strong social-emotional skills. The psychologist Howard Gardner also pegged music intelligence above logical and emotional intelligence as it has the ability to strengthen the bond between the mind and the body.
We finally decided to trade her tiny little pink toy keyboard for a portable Roland E-X30 Arranger Keyboard. Investing in a piano is a huge decision and after scrutiny, we picked the Roland E-X30 Arranger Keyboard for its high-quality sounds that are ideal for music lessons. This keyboard seems to be a beautiful blend between western and Indian music as it has wide range of both Indian and western sounds and rhythms. Roland is also planning to provide local music styles for Roland E-X30 in future.
A keyboard - contrary to what people believe - is a relatively easy, interesting and social instrument to include in a child’s learning. It helps build a child’s musical expression and creativity, develop technique and rhythm while letting children play and create full-band performances. Roland E-X30 with features like a portability, onboard speakers and battery operation is convenient to carry anywhere.
I’ve seen my little girl blossom as the keyboard has sparked her passion and curiosity for music. She keeps setting her musical goals and revisits them from time to time. I think as a mother while I encourage her to chase her dream and soar high into the sky, my instinct also ensures that I keep her grounded and raise her as an individual true to herself. And as she gets older and begins to fine-tune her dreams, I shall help her keep an honest eye on reality which shall become her greatest assets in understanding who she is, what is she doing, where she is going, and how she will get there.
Let me know in the comments below how do you as a parent help in your child’s dream?
Until next time,
~ Heena
