twaddle
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2006
- Messages
- 1,703
Wow, it's been two years since I spawned this thread. Time for an update.
We started our kid on the piano at 3 1/2. And we went with the "soup nazi" teacher. She's been at it for a little over a year now.
It has been a great experience. The teacher was right -- a good instrument is important. Our kid could hear the difference between a good and not-so-good piano at a very early age. Their ability to discriminate sounds is very good, and their goal is to reproduce what they hear. So an instrument that can replicate the teacher's sound (and what they hear on CDs) appears to be key.
Practicing at home with parents is at least as important, if not more so, than the quality of the teacher. Our kid bonds with us at the piano, and we try to keep it fun for her. In one year, she has passed us both in her piano chops and her ear.
Personally, I wasn't interested in raising a concert pianist, but seeing the level some of the other kids play at is inspiring. They love to play. They develop a great musical sense. And many of them get a kick out of composing as well as stretching to play complex pieces.
And all of the kids I've met have developed into Good Kids (TM). They have a sense of calmness. Great concentration. No performance anxiety. And all without losing any of their natural playfulness.
If you're thinking about it, do it. And go with something like the Suzuki Method. It has a lot in common with other proven educational philosophies, like Montessori. Your kid doesn't need any special talent. They learn "talent."
We started our kid on the piano at 3 1/2. And we went with the "soup nazi" teacher. She's been at it for a little over a year now.
It has been a great experience. The teacher was right -- a good instrument is important. Our kid could hear the difference between a good and not-so-good piano at a very early age. Their ability to discriminate sounds is very good, and their goal is to reproduce what they hear. So an instrument that can replicate the teacher's sound (and what they hear on CDs) appears to be key.
Practicing at home with parents is at least as important, if not more so, than the quality of the teacher. Our kid bonds with us at the piano, and we try to keep it fun for her. In one year, she has passed us both in her piano chops and her ear.
Personally, I wasn't interested in raising a concert pianist, but seeing the level some of the other kids play at is inspiring. They love to play. They develop a great musical sense. And many of them get a kick out of composing as well as stretching to play complex pieces.
And all of the kids I've met have developed into Good Kids (TM). They have a sense of calmness. Great concentration. No performance anxiety. And all without losing any of their natural playfulness.
If you're thinking about it, do it. And go with something like the Suzuki Method. It has a lot in common with other proven educational philosophies, like Montessori. Your kid doesn't need any special talent. They learn "talent."
