standardization, music ed.

[Ned Kraft <hoosierdads@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I, for one, dropped out of playing music after high school (except for
playing records on college radio). How many others took years of piano
lessons and can't play even a single song?  I picked up the harp as a
way to get out of the classical music box (played French Horn thru HS,
but couldn't improvise my way out of a paper bag). I got started with
"Country and Blues Harmonica for the Musically Hopeless", which was a
great starter (thanks again Jon), then the harp players that I first met
after I started (John Chrisley and Norton Buffalo) both focused on
listening, rather than any formal stuff (John taught licks, Norton
taught "here are all the notes, play them where they sound good,
including my favorite "it's better to play a slow lick that's really
cool, than to play a difficult fast lick and fuck it up").

Anyways, ... my 2 cents on kids and music.

If your kid is interested in music, help them listen to the different
instruments in music that they like. My son first developed a liking for
the bass, but now is into drumming (14 years old and listening to Rage
Against the Machine, Chili Peppers, and PE). We focus mostly on groove
at this point and he picks songs, plays the drum part and asks "is that
it?" and if it's not I help him break it down to individual
drums/cymbals. Anytime I try to be more formal or show music notation,
the enthusiasm wanes.

Have fun!

Ned