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Parenting & Farm Kids:  Music Lessons  |
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Lieberkim
True Blue Farmgirl
839 Posts
Kimberly
Sunnyside
WASHINGTON
USA
839 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 14 2011 : 9:57:34 PM
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I'm just so excited I have to share.  My children had their first music lessons today. My son (5) is learning guitar and he is over the moon excited. He is diligently trying to do everything the way his teacher showed him. As soon as we got home he had to show his Daddy what he learned and then he asked for us to play instruments and sing. So my husband dusted off his bass guitar and I took out my accoustic guitar and we played and sang together.  My daughter (a month off of 4) is taking violin. She was so pumped she was wandering around with her violin in it's case saying, "I have a violin, I have a violin!" to anyone who would listen. She looks SO darling holding that tiny violin! When we got home I dusted off my fiddle and I'm determined to continue learning it (I got sidetracked with pregnancies!) Sigh, I'm looking forward to the family jam sessions I see in our future. 
Excuse the mess & the noise, my children are making happy memories |
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FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2011 : 05:55:27 AM
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It's so interesting how creative minds work. I took piano growing up and can still play, but it's more scientifically approached than creative. I've tried to learn other instruments but soon get bored or feel like it sounds so bad. Tin whistle= stepping on a cat sound, violin= sound of screeching metal. I can play a mean dinner bell, though! We have at last count 3 instruments in the house to encourage DD. There's a keyboard, several harmonicas, tin whistles, and the children's size guitar. I guess that's four. She doesn't hold an interest in them for long. I'm dreading when they bring the recorder home from school. Better get stocked up on Excedrin. I don't find it depressing because I know every family has their purpose and plan. I can definitely see you and yours playing at the county fair one day. Better start thinking of band names!
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
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edlund33
True Blue Farmgirl
1497 Posts
Marilyn
Renton
WA
USA
1497 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2011 : 06:59:15 AM
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How sweet - and what a great way to spend family time together! Kids are so open to new ideas and they learn so quickly at that age.
My nephew started playing fiddle last year at age 6 after discovering my violin case under the bed during a visit from VT when he was about 4 yrs old. He kept asking what it was so my brother finally pleaded with me to let him open it. (I played in orchestra through my school years and switched to fiddle music as an adult but hadn't played for several years due to a busy life and a cat who REALLY didn't care for violin music.) I played songs for him and let him try playing it - it became the entertainment of choice for the rest of their visit. After that he just kept pestering his parents about wanting a violin so last year for Christmas I got him a three month rental package and paid for his first lessons. He just took off like a rocket and hasn't looked back. Of course his sister has been itchin' to join in the fun, so I bought her an 1/8th size violin for her birthday in August. She isn't taking lessons yet, but the elderly fiddle teacher who is working with her brother will start her on lessons at age 4 1/2. In the meantime I "jam" with her on Skype once a week and she gets the biggest smile on her face. Her favorite phrase is also "I have a Violin!" and when someone comments about how cute or small it is she proudly points out that "It's a Baby Violin!" Enjoy the moments and take lots of pictures, they are precious!
As to you getting back in the swing of playing....go for it! I can tell you from personal experience there is nothing that will give you better determination to keep improving your skills than a 6-year old taking lessons who learns so fast you HAVE to practice to keep up with him! And the kids overlook the details we adults strive to perfect, so I've actually learned to be a better player by "loosening up" my standards which allows me to respond to the instrument and have fun as opposed to stressing out over tit tat details. In the end, it all sounds the same. Play on!
Cheers! ~ Marilyn
Farm Girl No. 1100
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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farmmilkmama
True Blue Farmgirl
2027 Posts
Amy
Central MN
USA
2027 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2011 : 1:03:57 PM
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Love these music talks. I would have to say that my seven year old becoming obsessed with instruments is what has made me play again. I think its great you could find someone to do guitar with your five year old. When we looked into lessons for our son, we couldn't find anyone who would do guitar with a child until they were ten - said they wouldn't have the finger strength. So we just started teaching our seven year old and I can't believe how fast he's picking things up and how well he's playing. And there isn't anything that gets mom and dad playing again like having a kid who wants to learn more...and more...and more!
--* FarmMilkMama *--
Farmgirl Sister #1086
Be yourself.
Everyone else is already taken.
-Oscar Wilde
www.farmfoodmama.blogspot.com
www.thehmmmschoolingmom.blogspot.com |
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buggysmum
True Blue Farmgirl
110 Posts
Shelly
110 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2011 : 4:47:32 PM
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| Love to hear of all the little musicians! |
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Lieberkim
True Blue Farmgirl
839 Posts
Kimberly
Sunnyside
WASHINGTON
USA
839 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2011 : 05:29:12 AM
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Not until 10!! We're getting him a smaller guitar but other than that there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to play now. He's doing really well. She also said that she started her granddaughter on violin at 18 months! In our case I think 4 is young enough. :)
My budding musicians:
Excuse the mess & the noise, my children are making happy memories |
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edlund33
True Blue Farmgirl
1497 Posts
Marilyn
Renton
WA
USA
1497 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2011 : 07:04:49 AM
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Kimberly you truly are very lucky to have an instructor that is willing to work with your young kids. When my SIL was looking for teachers to work with my 6 year old nephew in VT, she started out trying to find a guitar teacher and gave up as they all told her 8-10 years old. none of the fiddle style teachers were willing to start before age 7 or 8. She found a Suzuki method teacher who started violinists at age 4 (the Japanese start their kids on Suzuki at age 3 or 4) but Eric is very enthused about fiddle music and has no interest in classical music at this time. She was finally able to convince a family friend who is also a well known fiddler in her hometown to work with Eric. He was hesitant but once he realized that Eric had the focus needed to learn he decided he loved it. He's excited to start working with Charlie but she needs to grow into her instrument a bit further.
Cheers! ~ Marilyn
Farm Girl No. 1100
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson |
Edited by - edlund33 on Oct 16 2011 07:06:12 AM |
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Sourceress
True Blue Farmgirl
76 Posts
Elisabeth
Thurmont
MD
76 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2011 : 5:58:18 PM
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My youngest (10yo) son started taking piano lessons last year, and absolutely loves it. I think he would have liked to start when he was younger, and I would have liked him to start when he was younger, but we just couldn't afford it (plus we didn't have a piano). Last year, my mom offered to pay for his piano lessons in lieu of sending him Yet Another Toy for Christmas/birthday. He was delighted, and I think he's gotten a lot more mileage out of it than he would out of more "stuff" that he doesn't need and has a hard time keeping picked up and put away. So far, he's still excited about it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to make some time to sit down and brush up myself - I took piano for 13 years as a child, (from age 5 until my senior year of high school, when I quit because I had too many other things going on, and my piano teacher was starting to get a bit senile) but I haven't actually played a piano in several decades at this point, so I'm a bit rusty. <Insert picture of the rust icicles hanging off the wreck of the Titanic here..>
He's just generally enthusiastic about music - he loves any kind of musical instrument or rhythm instrument or noisemaker - so I'm hoping we can combine that with his interest in learning carpentry and generally making things, and maybe try our hand at making various instruments and musical devices. (We've found several really interesting ideas in Make magazine, including instructions for making an old-fashioned Diddly Bow, and instructions for making a flame tube that visually demonstrates the pressure wave differences in sound. Fire and music, what's not to like? :D )
I just wish I could get his older brother (12yo) intersted as well. Oh well. One is better than none. We have an old upright piano that came out of a church basement in Ohio, and which we got off of Freecycle for the price of the Uhaul it took to pick it up, and a 6-pack of beer for the co-worker my husband recruited to help him move it, and we have a really nice electric piano that my mom gave us when she upgraded to the one she has now. What makes the electric piano so great is that it's responsive to how hard you press the keys, just like a real piano, so playing it is actually very similar. The upright really needs to be tuned and restored quite a bit, but that's not in the budget at the moment, so oh well. At least we have the electric to fall back on. |
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Sweet_Tea
True Blue Farmgirl
194 Posts
Tara
Newberry
SC
USA
194 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2011 : 08:00:17 AM
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I have played the piano for about 20 years, I remember begging my parents to get me lessons, and when they finally did.. I was in love with the piano.
I think it is the best thing for children to do.
Tell them to keep it up!
Farmgirl Sister #2974
~ http://notsosweettea.blogspot.com/
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears"
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Lieberkim
True Blue Farmgirl
839 Posts
Kimberly
Sunnyside
WASHINGTON
USA
839 Posts |
Posted - Oct 24 2011 : 7:41:38 PM
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My son is over the moon excited right now. His first guitar just arrived today. He said, "Am I dreaming????" He's pretty excited and it's a really nice guitar. It's a Yamaha 1/2 size. We bought a kit with a bunch of extras so he's set up and ready to go. Then he informed me that he wants to play dobro. YEAH!!! I told him if he did well with his guitar and proved he was going to do a good job of it we'd get him other instruments. Dobro, be still my beating heart. Now I just need him to fall in love with the mandolin!!!
Excuse the mess & the noise, my children are making happy memories |
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Parenting & Farm Kids: Music Lessons |
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Music Lessons
