So my 2 year old is now officially in music class

[need4mospd]

Her daycare offers a music class once a week for a small fee and we just had to do it. It's not serious stuff, just singing nursery rhymes, banging on pots and tambourines, etc... She's INCREDIBLY vocal(in a good way!) and is constantly singing around the house, on top of also showing a strong interest in rhythmic instruments. At around 18 months, she could match the pitch of other people singing. At my wife's Christmas concert(middle school choir), during the sing-a-long she was getting more compliments than the choir! It's not just because I'm her daddy, her singing voice is truly amazing.

Both my wife and I are competent musicians and we'd love to have a little musical genius, but we're also highly aware of what we're doing as parents and how it might affect her as she grows up. We'd certainly like to push it where we can as it takes a little pushing to raise a child. If you're gonna push them to learn manners, eat right, etc... why not a little pushing to learn music? What I'm wondering is, where is the fine line between a overly pushy parent and an encouraging parent? Certainly professional private lessons at 2 yrs old are out of the question, I'm not even pondering that. But if she said at 7, "I don't want to play music anymore", after seeing what is obviously beyond natural talent, what do you do? I don't think we'll have that problem, but I don't want to push so hard that she pushes back.

Anyways, if you've ever had to make those decisions, feel free to throw some advice my way.

And if any of you ever want to have a musical child, have them spend 9 months in the womb of a choir teacher! She pretty much popped out singing!

[Relic]

The music class sounds highly cool to be honest!

In regards to how much is too much when it comes to pushing? That's such a hard question to answer because kids can be so different.. I have 3, they are all musical to an extent but I have to handle them all differently. I would say to "encourage" rather than "push". Praise them, give them lots of attention when they're doing well, express disappointment when they slip up, that sort of thing. My fear would be that too much pushing would turn music into a "chore" rather than interest.

[EricF]

Originally Posted by Relic

The music class sounds highly cool to be honest!

In regards to how much is too much when it comes to pushing? That's such a hard question to answer because kids can be so different.. I have 3, they are all musical to an extent but I have to handle them all differently. I would say to "encourage" rather than "push". Praise them, give them lots of attention when they're doing well, express disappointment when they slip up, that sort of thing. My fear would be that too much pushing would turn music into a "chore" rather than interest.

I agree with Relic...

...again.

[L-A]

Never make music a chore. She has interest in music. Answer to her interest when she manifests it. Organized courses sound too early of a method. At two, there are very few things that have become hardwired in her brain.

Do you have a keyboard/piano at home? Make it a game. When she feels like learning something, introduce her to C. Let her play C a thousand times (because that's what kids do). C sings a note. Can she call C? She can have C take a walk away from the piano if she sings it by herself, too.

When she feels like learning more, introduce C's family. E is a good start. E gets along really well with C. They can both sing at the same time and it sounds pleasing. Explore ways (piano, chord, play one, sing the other, etc) of making them meet.

That's an example. It has to be interesting, and nothing should constrain her right now. No schedule, no learning criteria. Just make music a fun game she wants to play from time to time. The laid-back daycare music class sounds pretty cool

[Relic]

Originally Posted by EricF

I agree with Relic...

...again.

Dude, when are we going to market our "Bass-player's Guide to Raising Kids and Parenting" book?

[MIJ-VI]

Good show! A house of harmony is a true home!

[MakiSupaStar]

Yep. You got to keep it fun and mellow. Don't push. Make it a treat. If you eat your vegetables we can play music together. Remember when they're young, they don't have the attention span like an adult. I can get my boy for about 30-40 minutes and then its on to the next thing. This was from 5-10 minutes when he was 3-4. Is he a musical genius? Meh, I don't know, but he's having fun, and it's something he can do with pops.

[need4mospd]

Originally Posted by L-A

Never make music a chore. She has interest in music. Answer to her interest when she manifests it. Organized courses sound too early of a method. At two, there are very few things that have become hardwired in her brain.

Do you have a keyboard/piano at home? Make it a game. When she feels like learning something, introduce her to C. Let her play C a thousand times (because that's what kids do). C sings a note. Can she call C? She can have C take a walk away from the piano if she sings it by herself, too.

When she feels like learning more, introduce C's family. E is a good start. E gets along really well with C. They can both sing at the same time and it sounds pleasing. Explore ways (piano, chord, play one, sing the other, etc) of making them meet.

That's an example. It has to be interesting, and nothing should constrain her right now. No schedule, no learning criteria. Just make music a fun game she wants to play from time to time. The laid-back daycare music class sounds pretty cool

This is pretty much exactly what we do now. She'll watch either of us play music and she'll go over on her own and sit at our piano and plunk out random stuff. Occasionally we'll go over and show her some stuff. It's so easy(and fun!) now to get her interested in music.

[need4mospd]

Originally Posted by Relic

The music class sounds highly cool to be honest!

Yeah, and cute as hell to watch.

Originally Posted by Relic

My fear would be that too much pushing would turn music into a "chore" rather than interest.

Early on I don't expect we'd really be pushing at all. She's taken it all on her own to explore music. She'll likely ask for piano lessons herself before we even think to offer them.

There's a certain point though, that music really does become a chore. No kid REALLY wants to sit down and play "exercises" and scales, but all piano students do this at some point. It's a necessary evil. For instance, what kid WANTS to do their math homework? But we still force them to do it because it's part of the education process right? So if a parent believe music to be a big part of the education process, forcing them to practice(or just play) for 15-20 minutes a night could not be considered unhealthy even if the child did not enjoy it some nights. Just thinking out loud...

[CrispyDelicious]

As the child of a musician/music teacher, let me offer you the same advice as several others:

Don't ever force them into it. I was put into piano lessons as a child with no say in the matter. That made music a responsibility - I was graded, tested, I had -HOMEWORK-.... I quit piano after a couple extremely unpleasant years and didn't pick up a bass until I was about 16.

Make it available, make it fun, encourage their participation, but don't shove them in with no say. You _may_ get a concert pianst, but there is a greater chance you'll get a jaded child.

[need4mospd]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

As the child of a musician/music teacher, let me offer you the same advice as several others:

Don't ever force them into it. I was put into piano lessons as a child with no say in the matter. That made music a responsibility - I was graded, tested, I had -HOMEWORK-.... I quit piano after a couple extremely unpleasant years and didn't pick up a bass until I was about 16.

Make it available, make it fun, encourage their participation, but don't shove them in with no say. You _may_ get a concert pianst, but there is a greater chance you'll get a jaded child.

That's funny, I too was forced to play piano, though my parents never gave up no matter how much I protested. I took over 8 years of lessons, the last FOUR years I wanted no part of. I wasn't graded and tested, but I was expected to practice 20-30 minutes a day. Looking back on it now, that's probably the one thing I thank my parents for doing the most.

[MIJ-VI]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

As the child of a musician/music teacher, let me offer you the same advice as several others:

Don't ever force them into it. I was put into piano lessons as a child with no say in the matter. That made music a responsibility - I was graded, tested, I had -HOMEWORK-.... I quit piano after a couple extremely unpleasant years and didn't pick up a bass until I was about 16.

Make it available, make it fun, encourage their participation, but don't shove them in with no say. You _may_ get a concert pianst, but there is a greater chance you'll get a jaded child.

+1.

*backs slowly away from your avatar*

[SteveC]

Seems like good advice so far. I have a 4 year old. I teach orchestra. How many times do you suppose I get asked if she's playing violin? She's doesn't. She loves to sing. She's good. She matches pitch, changes key, all that stuff. She's not in any special class. She sings at home. She sings in Sunday School. If she asks to do more, we will. We may suggest something a little later, but for now, she's a kid and there's nothing wrong with being just that - a kid who has fun singing.

[CrispyDelicious]

Originally Posted by need4mospd

That's funny, I too was forced to play piano, though my parents never gave up no matter how much I protested. I took over 8 years of lessons, the last FOUR years I wanted no part of. I wasn't graded and tested, but I was expected to practice 20-30 minutes a day. Looking back on it now, that's probably the one thing I thank my parents for doing the most.

Hey, like I said, sometimes it works out (and good for you that it did). Then again, I only know one person who had that experience who still plays piano - she is now a piano tacher actually. But I couldn't even begin to count the number of people I know who were forced into music as a child and don't touch an instrument today, citing their hatred of regimented practice, tests, expectations and whatnot as the reason for giving it up.

Originally Posted by MIJ-VI

*backs slowly away from your avatar*

What? We're about to have some cake. Yeah... Cake.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

Hey, like I said, sometimes it works out (and good for you that it did). Then again, I only know one person who had that experience who still plays piano - she is now a piano tacher actually. But I couldn't even begin to count the number of people I know who were forced into music as a child and don't touch an instrument today, citing their hatred of regimented practice, tests, expectations and whatnot as the reason for giving it up.



What? We're about to have some cake. Yeah... Cake.

I have to agree with Mr Crispy here. When I was a kid, my 'rents thought it would be neat for me to take guitar lessons since I showed an interest in it...
lessons...recitals..homework..practice...it's why I now play bass and have for the past 20 years