Who wants there kids to be a Musician?

[MarkMgibson]

Originally Posted by BassMom88

So many great discussions and points of view...I've really been enjoying this thread! My daughter has always been musical, but it wasn't until she found the bass that she knew for sure that music was what she wanted to pursue as a career. It's kind of the family business so to speak (on my husband's side) so she's fully aware of the ups/downs of this industry. She is so fortunate to have so many wonderful role models/mentors/teachers in her life who give her very solid advice and guidance.
We have always treated music like any other school subject. It has always been a part of her day on some level. We wanted her to have the option of playing something. It wasn't really ever a hard sell - even as a young child. If she was in a rut or didn't want to practice, we just reminded her that nobody ever says that they regret learning how to play an instrument. Even if she ends up in a different career, it's still a skill she can use throughout her lifetime. Our only rule was that she couldn't quit until it was fun. She tried lots of different types of activities, but through the years it has always been music that feeds her soul, so my husband and I are very happy to help support her dreams/goals as best we can. Now on the reality side of things, there's no way we can pay even close to the going rate of tuition for any college regardless of her major, so she's going to have to figure that out herself and we'll help by paying what we reasonably can afford. As someone who paid way too much for college and paid it off (but then couldn't save enough for my kid) I have learned that the person who gets out of college with the least amount of debt, wins. So she's been working on her music and schoolwork/activities, trying to be as well-rounded as possible and hoping that she earns a scholarship somewhere - and she's staying flexible about her plan. As far as finding musical endeavors to help her prepare, we don't have a performing arts high school in our area and her school doesn't even have a jazz band, so she's found a few in-school opportunities playing for the chorus and drama club and some after-school community and volunteer opportunities. During the summers she's been to some wonderful music camps that have really helped her growth as a musician. It's all worked out quite well giving her some great experiences and she's made some really good friends and contacts within the music industry. She's had successes and disappointments and she knows that's how it goes. Now, at this point in time, keeping her grounded and focused is our job as parents. Her first paying gig at 15 a few weeks ago was a trip to Las Vegas performing on national television and working with some incredible people..soooo she skipped a few steps there, but has resolved to practicing even more - because even though there's still a ton of hard work ahead, it's so much fun. She loves to play and perform and she definitely doesn't want to quit. She was lucky enough to have that amazing experience and she hopes it can happen again. You just never know what can happen or when the phone will ring or who you might meet, but she knows to be prepared.
So overall or the TL;DR version is. It's her life and her choices and as a parent, I really just want her to be happy/healthy and to be a good person who can make her way in the world and hopefully leave it a better place. The path of how to get there may change over the years, but right now it's music and as many of you know that's a pretty nice thing to have in your life - on any level. Enjoy the journey

Interesting post, but please use paragraphs. I'm not being picky, it's just that long posts with no paragraphs are nearly impossible for many people to read.

[Stick_Player]

Originally Posted by Roadkill

If all you all have been following the stories about all the kids graduating college with huge debts and no job prospects that ain't necessarily the way to go either .

Mostly due to having a degree in a non-marketable skill - such as a master's in jazz studies.

STEMs - science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Get a degree in one of those and greatly increase your marketability.

French literature - good-luck, a paper Micky-D's hat awaits you.

[kurosawa]

Originally Posted by BassMom88

You just never know what can happen or when the phone will ring or who you might meet, but she knows to be prepared.

She nailed it! Congratulations!

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by beggar98

My kids will be in piano lessons as soon as they're physically big enough to play. Never mind whether they pursue music as a career, I don't really care if they even like playing. Study after study shows that kids who have studied music fare far better in math and science, and that is where the future lies.

The reason I like this is the following:

Children are rarely in a position to make informed decisions about what is right, wrong, good, bad. They rarely look past the moment.

That's why they have parents, especially in the younger formative years.

I have yet to meet an adult who was required to learn a musical instrument as a child, who hung in there and achieved some level of performance-based proficiency, and regrets it or hates their parents for it. On the other hand, I have met many adults who can make music and are thankful for the experience and opportunity, even though they resented it at the time. Much like so many things we are required to do as children, resent it at the time, and come to find as adults how valuable they are. Likewise, I have met many adults who wish they had a shot with parents who expected them to make a good effort at being a musician.

The ability to make music is a universal blessing, one of life's few true joys, and your young children might not get that now. But they will almost surely get it later.

[troy mcclure]

I have given my kids everything I didn't have to encourage them and they both are musical. My son plays drums as his primary instrument and has toured the us and and eastern Europe before the age of 20. He plays guitar and writes all the music for his pop punk band. My daughter is in musical theater and has a singing dou that plays nursing homes while still in college. That being said I know this is just part of their journey and I encourage them to do what ever makes them happy.

[Bassist30]

Here is a talent that Jazz Pianist Chick Corea brings on stage. Now will the future only fullfill the very talented. Meaning one, will there be many places to play. Will technology (Computer music, future looping, easy to play instruments etc) make it impossible for multiple musicians the availability to express there talents?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlnwHDc8Rgk

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Stick_Player

STEMs - science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Get a degree in one of those and greatly increase your marketability.

The problem with STEMs is that the time to start thinking about how you're going to get a STEM degree is when you're about six years old.

[deeptubes]

My daughter will be 2 in 5 days. She already loves goofing around with my guitars and basses. In particular, she seems to get a kick out of the guitars. She's constantly strumming and pulling on the strings. I can't wait to teach her how to play. Will she grow rich from playing? Highly unlikely. Can she experience the joy of playing music? Absolutely. I get immense pleasure from playing music. I would love to share this gift with her. I think it would be selfish of me to do otherwise.

[BassMom88]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

I have yet to meet an adult who was required to learn a musical instrument as a child, who hung in there and achieved some level of performance-based proficiency, and regrets it or hates their parents for it.

We said that so many times, we should have put it on a pillow!

Last Friday night, my daughter, 15, was doing a phone interview and the reporter was asking her about how she stuck with music through "all these years"...I was so proud to hear her say almost those exact words and then she added that we always told her she'd thank us later and she said that she really appreciated us encouraging her to stick with it.

@Bassist30 - Beka G. is a Grammy Camp Alum - I think he was in the 2012 Jazz Camp. I highly recommend any serious high school musician sending in an audition.
My daughter is also an alum from NY 2012 and then they just called her out of the blue to play with Keith Urban at the ACAs on Fox a few weeks ago along with a few other alums from the past several years. It was a surreal experience!

It's difficult to say what the future will bring, but we need all these young kids to be introduced to music so there will be both future players and audiences to support them.

All the parents here have very lucky kids, because you all "get" music. So no matter what you wish for them career-wise, music will always be in some corner of their mind because they heard the music you listened to with them, or saw your basses and gear about and hopefully saw you playing/practicing or even gigging. Not everyone gets to have that experience.

I've loved every stage of parenthood so far, but I envy all of you with little ones. Enjoy, because it goes by way too fast!!!

[Stick_Player]

Originally Posted by fdeck

The problem with STEMs is that the time to start thinking about how you're going to get a STEM degree is when you're about six years old.

I completely agree. The same goes for "becoming" a pro-musician. You have to start at about 4-5 years of age and learn: to play, to read, theory, composition - all at a very high-level. And, continue on a very disciplined and focused path.

Otherwise, you can enter the lottery of pop-music -- a very few win, almost all lose.

The lottery route, I'd discourage.

[kurosawa]

Well you don't have to start DOING anything that young in anything. If we start kids in, say, sports at 4-5 we're putting the cart before the horse. We don't know if the huge investment will pay off, or if we should have put the time and money into academic efforts or the arts instead.

But much more fundamental to success in any of these rudimentary specializations is the greatest possible exposure to great works of music, painting and sculpture, literature, engineering, scientific thought.

Of course some things can't be avoided, like teaching them mental math, logic and rhetoric, history and so on, but kids can understand much more than they can DO while they are struggling to get their little bodies and minds together.

There many stages of rational, moral, emotional and physical development--especially, in that last, full myelination--before a child's potential in any specific field may be accurately assessed, and the truly remarkable identified and nourished especially.

Just as importantly, through exposure, you've gifted the child with a deep and abiding interest in everything you've exposed him to, so whatever determination is arrived at, he can go at it with fierce dedication and find that happiness that only accrues to the fully committed.

[Stick_Player]

Originally Posted by kurosawa

Well you don't have to start DOING anything that young in anything. If we start kids in, say, sports at 4-5 we're putting the cart before the horse. We don't know if the huge investment will pay off, or if we should have put the time and money into academic efforts or the arts instead.

No you don't have to start anything. But if you are familiar with what is going on with the state of early childhood music, you would agree. Sports is different than music, maybe wait til 7-8 years of age - although a lot of soccer/baseball parents will disagree. And, I would not expect a 5 year-old to play a wind instrument, for physical reasons. But violin, 'cello, piano, harp are good starting possibilities for a 5 year old. As far as any investment ($$$), with a good program and contrasting against other kids' progress/abilities - you'll know where your kid is going. And how much to continue to invest?

Originally Posted by kurosawa

But much more fundamental to success in any of these rudimentary specializations is the greatest possible exposure to great works of music, painting and sculpture, literature, engineering, scientific thought.

A child (4-5 years) exposed to a discipline such as music at this very early age will have better capabilities to grasp the fundamentals of great works of music, painting and sculpture, literature, engineering, scientific thought. Evidence abounds.

Originally Posted by kurosawa

Of course some things can't be avoided, like teaching them mental math, logic and rhetoric, history and so on, but kids can understand much more than they can DO while they are struggling to get their little bodies and minds together.

You made my point.

This early exposure and continuance GREATLY relies on parental involvement, is very time consuming, and does require a $$$ investment. This creates a huge hurdle for most - I get that.

[Bassist30]

Originally Posted by Stick_Player

I completely agree. The same goes for "becoming" a pro-musician. You have to start at about 4-5 years of age and learn: to play, to read, theory, composition - all at a very high-level. And, continue on a very disciplined and focused path.

Otherwise, you can enter the lottery of pop-music -- a very few win, almost all lose.

The lottery route, I'd discourage.

Very True. Back in the day there was a band in the garage on every block. Tons of musicians working 6 to 7 days a week. 80's studio's were beaming with work. If there wasn't Broadway shows there were tons of off Broadway shows to work. Ever talk to an older very successful musician. You treasured a day off. Today Even a great musician has to have a business background. You have mp3 both legal and illegal. record company are not doing as well and Big studio's are moving out of big cities and closing. I hate to be the one who takes the other side but I think at this time Music is going into a transition. Similar to the industrial revolution. Its moving very fast in many directions and has not settled yet and very hard to see where it is going. But as a musician I like to see or have some kind of say where its going. But the direction is going in places where the people in charge are not all musicians.