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I live down the road from my kids and have done so for a few years now. I'd like them to get into music but it's somewhat difficult to get them to lessons and/or afford it. I've bought my son a kids electric guitar combo previously and they have an old keyboard up there but seems like all their spare time is spent playing computer games etc.
I was considering trying to financially persuade them into spending more time practicing. I was thinking along the lines of challenging them to learn a song like a Christmas carol to play at the end of the year and if they can do it then reward them. Rather than use the ipad etc for games they could use it to teach themselves with my assistance as required.
Do you think anything like this is feasible? Son is nearly 10 and daughter 6. I figured with the technology these days it might be possible for them to learn to read music a bit. I think they would need help more with the timing rather than the actual notes. I remember playing things like Silent Night etc when I was younger than my son so they don't need to be exceptionally gifted.
Perhaps a duet so they focus together. The ideal situation would be them trying to figure out some of it themselves with help from me as required. Plus getting them working together is also a bonus.
good luck . . .
my 17 year old son plays violin at a decent level but I've had to lean into him like a mule driver for every freaking practice.
your kids might be self starters, but if they're normal they'll need a live person to nag, consistently, because it's the consistency that gets them anywhere.
Electronics could help but if they're like mine they'll just slip back into playing games.
Is there any older kid in the neighbourhood in a band who would work with the kids going once a week in exchange for a pizza? If they're charismatic enough that might do it.
Thanks!
Unfortunately their mum doesn't share the same passion for music - at least not classical. So they're not likely to get regular hounding to practice.
It's a shame. I think that most adults that wasted opportunity given them as children probably regret it now.
I'll just have to make as much effort as possible to encourage them.
We are facing the exact same thing with our 12- year old daughter. I play violin, and so she has picked it up, more because it was kind of neat to play a song. The novelty wore off after a few days. We started with lessons but she would rather be on Facebook or Youtube than practice. They are in the Philippines and I am in Canada so it is hard for her Mom who doesn't like to always chase after her to play.
We are looking at piano now to but it will come down to the same problem, getting her to practice every single day. My Mom faced that with my 3 sisters growing up. She insisted they do a minimum of 30-minutes/day and it was almost a ritual to hear the complaining. They did it, so somewhere the personal motivation has to come in.
Her real interest is dancing but we can't find anywhere for her to do that. I've concluded that she just isn't going to play an instrument so now we are srambling to find a dance place or it means it will be harder to keep her off the computer.
I've been thinking of incentives too so if you find something that works, I'd love to hear it.
Likewise if you find that winning formula.
I'm thinking I might see if I can track down some music from games / movies etc he enjoys to show them what can be achieved.
Combination of instruments and hearing it all come together I also found personally enlightening. So I could try learning some electric bass or rhythm guitar to play along with him.
I was a musician as a child -- piano, violin, and cello -- and considered conservatory before realizing my cello teacher had no health insurance and lived in a trailer. Hard way to make a living. Anyway ... fast forward 20 years and I'm now thinking about how to get my son (almost 4) into music. Probably piano next year, then choir the year after. I've decided I don't really care if he plays like I did -- it was my "thing" through high school. But I want him to be able to read music fluently. I now sing in my church choir and play in the handbell choir, and one thing that we've noticed is that younger people don't join either choir, largely because they can't read music. In fact, my husband (who can't read music) has talked about taking piano lessons so he can learn!
All that said, I don't know if it's feasible. I was a self-starter and very competitive. Once I realized practice = opportunities in string quartets, first chair, All-State Orchestra, invites to festivals, solos in the orchestra, etc., I didn't need much prodding to practice. All of my cousins also at least took piano for a few years (in my family, not being able to read music was like not being able to read English!), but none stuck with it. A few picked up the piano as adults, and three sing in choirs now.
So ... good luck, and I hope you find a way to get them to play. It may not go anywhere now, but it will open up opportunities for them as adults.
Have you tried offering rewards for practice or playing songs or are you considering it?
I've been thinking of ways to do the same but not sure if it is a good idea. I'd like to think people are self-motivated but that may be unrealistic. I know with my sisters it was always a struggle until they got to a certain level, and then their success bred more success. I think once you can play a variety of songs reasonably well, the motivation to continue is there. I think the initial phase, that is repetitive and a struggle is the hard part.
It was for me when learning violin. I would give up but then go back and at one point just decided to either learn or quit and I continued. Now, I'm trying to learn a language and facing the same challenges.
Maybe it's human nature but I also need external discipline at times. Attending a class helps because I don't want to fall behind. If someone would pay me to learn, it would help though...
what parents need is an app that ties gaming to practice -- play for twenty minutes, whatever, then the device frees up.
somebody could make a fortune (maybe it's already out there)