The Wisdom of Youth

Andy Allen · #1 01-01-2005, 01:50 PM

I live in a small apartment, and I was practicing in one bedroom to keep the noise down while my wife put our son down for his nap in the other.

I'm playing, slowly, through some Blanton arco stuff, and doing pretty well - I'm either getting intonation or bow-tone right on each note (that's a big improvement, and I'm looking forward to when I can get both right on some notes

)

But just as I'm feeling good about myself my 4 1/2 year old daughter comes in from the living room and says, "Daddy...your playing is giving me a headache...can you play a different song..."

Ohh, well, I guess I better do some pizz practice instead.

Matt Ides · #2 01-03-2005, 10:25 AM

When my GF hears me practicing with the bow, she always asks "when is the next lesson"

mikemulcahy · #3 01-03-2005, 01:15 PM

My wife threatens to turm me into a popcicle.

Mike

neilslorance · #4 01-06-2005, 04:45 PM

my family pretends to be nice about it, last night when i was working through the first few pages of the evolving bassist(all the open notes) my mum came through and 'i dont think we've heard that tune before, what is it?'

Williams · #5 01-08-2005, 08:32 PM

yeah when ever im praticin... my family in unison will just sorta twitch all at the same time. Kinda just cringe. its weird... like im doin somethin wrong

ggscifi · #6 01-09-2005, 09:50 AM

My family pretedns to like my playing and for a while, I believed them. Then my dad made the mistake of saying "That sounded great. What song was that." after I had tuned.

John Sprague · #7 01-11-2005, 09:09 AM

My cure for all this: give those people instruments!
Few pleasures in life can top when my son sits down to my old drumset, which is set up next to my new one. Quality time to the third power. And nothing beats driving in the car and having a 9 yr old say "Dad, they're playing a shuffle, right?".

Andy Allen · #8 01-16-2005, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Sprague

My cure for all this: give those people instruments!

Absolutely - my daughter, the same little girl who caused this thread, asked for, "a real guitar, that I can play" for Christmas. She had been given a plastic toy a few years earlier, but never took to it.

I wanted to make sure that she got a real instrument, and was pleased to find a small Yamaha acoustic at a local music store.

I'm teaching her how to play it - which, since she's only 4 1/2, consists entirely of encouraging her to explore and enjoy it. Here she is doing just that (I'm proud of her

):-

John Sprague · #9 01-17-2005, 08:34 AM

Good job Andy! Tell her the folks at TB say Go Girl!

Matt Ides · #10 01-18-2005, 12:01 PM

I see 1/8th bass on the horizon...

Mike Goodbar · #11 01-18-2005, 07:10 PM

My family (wife, two daughters) copes with my practicing by saving all questions, requests, emergencies and favors for the moment I play the first note. When I complain, they say, "Why do you have to practice, Daddy? You play good enough!"

*Sigh*

My daughters both play Suzuki violin, so daily practice is required. But they have all sorts of instruments at their disposal just to have fun with; clarinet, trumpet, piano, guitar, recorders, etc. Does me poor heart good to see them put down their Gameboys to plunk on the piano. My younger daughter (7) recently saw "School of Rock" with Jack Black and was inspired to teach herself the keyboard intro to the Doors "Touch Me."