If you have kids, do you (or will you) push music lessons? How important is it that they learn a musical instrument, and do you care which one they learn?
gofar99 Messages: 1955 Registered: May 2010 Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, Hard to say. I was forced to take piano lessons for several years and have never touched one since. What I would suggest is that if you have a child that seems interested in learning to play an instrument, give it a whirl. If they really do like it, then they will want to continue. If they keep forgetting to practice and such you can probably be sure they really don't want to.
Wayne Parham Messages: 18793 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I share your experience, Bruce. Took piano lessons for years as a kid, and got to where I could play lots of classical pieces. But I put it down once I grew up and really never picked it back up again. I will say this, though, it greatly influenced my taste in music and probably had a big influence on my interest in high quality sound systems. I probably wouldn't be so involved in building sound gear as I am if it weren't for that experience in my youth. So I guess it was sort of a really involved music appreciation course.
I will join the club of Bruce and Wayne (sounds like a superhero separated into two persons ).
I also started to learn piano at a very early age, around 7 years old. I graduated from grade 1 but I never went further because my family moved often when I was young so my piano lessons were interrupted.
I agree with Bruce that if the child is really interested in playing an instrument then do your best to buy the instrument and let the child learn.
GuitarStrings Messages: 45 Registered: December 2010 Location: Ohio
Baron
I don't have kids yet, but I don't see myself pushing music lessons. At one point my own parents wanted me to learn the piano, but I just couldn't get into it. It took a few more years for me to actually develop an interest in playing music. I do think that a household should always be full of music though so the child can acquire what kind of music they enjoy listening to (and possibly playing).
The time I burned my guitar it was like a sacrifice. You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar.
Jimi Hendrix
Thanks for your input and advice. I would never push it if the kids had no inherent interest, but I can also see how pushing too hard (instead of encouraging) could drive even an interested kid away.
As long as the child shows interest, it's important to keep them on that interest. However, this means you have to be interested as well. I took piano lessons when I was younger, but my parent's weren't interested (my Grandmother, who lived out of state, payed for them). I ended up quitting because they just told me to practice, but they never wanted to hear me play. Maybe I was just awful at it, haha.
I think I would encourage my kids to at least try activities like music and sports. I would never force them to continue something they hated, but I would hope they'd find something they were interested in. I just think it's a shame when a kid spends all of his free time doing something like playing video games. Since video games these days are so cool, I think even more encouragement is necessary.
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