Re: Giving kids musical pleasure

[Pierre <slavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>> However... try not to let your musical prejudices overinfluence your
kids,
>> look at the wider picture.

Very well said, there are probably virtuoso piano players who play
Rachmaninoff for a living who have kids interested in blues or rap and to
them either one is as bad as the other. They probably think: "God why are
you doing this to me?".

BTW I seldom give credit to rappers either.

Pierre.


- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Douglas Tate" <douglas.tate@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 3:26 AM
Subject: Re: Giving kids musical pleasure


>
> At 03:09 16/06/2004, Pierre wrote:
> >It does not matter what you do, kids will do what they like and there's
> >little you can do. Even if you get them to play music or sports or arts,
one
> >day they will most likely stop and take up something else (hopefully it
> >won't be drugs or nose rings).  We did this all our lives and we are
still
> >picking, choosing and eventually moving on. For me it was hockey, squash,
> >aerobics,  cycling, gardening,  mountain biking, music, harmonica,
downhill
> >biking and one day perhaps golf. Once you get to a plateau, you often
move
> >on because you can't get better without devoting your hole life to
something
> >and if you don't improve, you lose your motivation and eventually you
move
> >on to something new and exciting. Its just a normal cycle.
> >Such is life, if you forget this you will be disappointed and your kids
will
> >feel it. Be happy with whatever constructive things your kids do.
>
> When teaching kids general music in class, well over 3000 of them (this is
> mainly about 13 year olds, mixed ability, class size 30-35... not the
> easiest age or situation!) I came to the conclusion that...
> It is a very rare child who is tone deaf. I came across two, the rest just
> hadn't known how to sing other notes, a little help and they were away.
> It was possible to get those anti formality kids to DEMAND to learn
theory!
> It was possible to get whole classes crying or laughing (with enjoyment or
> sadness)in response to Classical or pop music.
> It was possible to get MOST improvising, playing, ( I won't go as far as
> saying singing!)  and wanting to stay in at the end of lessons to
continue.
> It is not possible to force a child willingly into a mould... resentment
> ensues. It is frequently possible to encourage (by example, enthusiasm and
> attractive presentation and choice of options) marginally musical kids to
> go forward.
> You don't have to worry about the keen and enthusiastic musical kid... but
> you do still have to do all of the encouragng, supporting, example things.
> You don't have to ignore the kid who is poor at music through innate lack
> of ability in that direction... some are slow developers, keep the
> opportunities pen.
> You do need to get to know what each one is thinking... the lovely noise
> the class is making can hide some seriously disenchanted kids. (Sometimes,
> however careful you are, you only learn this years later when they are
> adult and less reticent about being honest with you :))
> You don't know WHAT THE HECK you have done to a kid... one of the nicest
> things... and to me the most rewarding... is to find that the middle of
the
> road person who never reached the heights has gone on to have children...
> and because you instilled a broad love of music in them  has encouraged
and
> devoted musical time and effort to their children.
>
> Back to Pierre... He is right, you can lead a child to music but you can't
> make it perform (to your liking)
> Back to Iceman... He is right, the wider the exposure (as long as it is
not
> dragging screaming and kicking) the more likely the child will develop
> musically.
>
> However... try not to let your musical prejudices overinfluence your kids,
> look at the wider picture.
>
> Douglas t
>
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