13 November, 2007

fostering an interest in music

I don't know if I've mentioned this in the past, but when listening to the radio in the car, Chickie has to know the name of the song, who's singing and who wrote the song. Woe betide me if I don't know the answer...

I've taken to making stuff up, on occasion (hey, it's been quite a while since I worked in radio - I don't know every song out there any more!).

His latest thing is to ask what's making the music, so I've been trying to identify which instrument is playing at the time in the song. Luckily it's fairly easy with one of his favourites at the moment - Into the Night by Santana and Chad Kroeger.

So my question is, for anyone musical out there, if he expresses an interest in learning a musical instrument at any stage in the future, what age would you recommend to start? I don't want to push it all but if he ever does express an interest I'd like to start him at an age that encourages him rather than discourages because it's too much at that age - if you know what I mean.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I started playing piano when I was six. I had been begging to play for a while and my mom thought my fingers were long enough to reach enough keys at that point.

Zazzy said...

I started piano lessons at 4, but my mother was a piano teacher. I think so long as you keep it fun, anytime around 4-5 is okay for starting to introduce some instruments, depending on physical abilities needed for the instrument.

Anonymous said...

I'd agree with zazzy, as long as it's kept fun than any time after 4, depending on the instrument, should be fine.

I didn't start my violin lessons until I was 9 and I wish I could have started earlier (even then I was on a small size violin).

Melinda said...

I started piano at 6. LOVED it for a long time, then hated it for a while, and love it again. Much depends on the instructor. I had a wonderful elderly woman who taught me all kinds of neat rhymes to remember scales .... Every good boy does fine. All cows eat grass. etc. She and I would sing all the little hokie kid songs I was learning to the top of our lungs while I played. She always gave me gum at the end of my lessons. What fun!

Oh great One said...

I can't say when it would be appropriate to start him but definately keep it fun. Too much pressure could turn him away from it. Does he have play instruments? My daughter had a key board and drums and flutaphone. The karaoke machine helped her get her inner songstress out. She now plays the clarinet in band.

velcro said...

I started on the recorder when I was 7 and moved to the piano when I was 10.

welcome back!

caramaena said...

Thanks everyone. It sounds like he's probably at or close to a good age to start if he wants. I doubt I'll do anything unless he actually asks though.

He does have play instruments - a wooden 'guitar' (box called it a banjo though it's shaped like a guitar), a very cute electric guitar and a keyboard. I know he'd love a play drumset but we really don't have the space for the sort of thing he'd like (not to mention I don't think I'd have the patience for it!)

My float said...

A drum set? Are you mad?! :)

My mother bought my son a drum set and after five minutes of listening to it, I packed it up and sent it home with her so he could annoy the heck out of my parents instead of me!

I think everyone's suggestions sound good.

KindaBlue said...

Chickie sounds like a born music journalist. Anyone with a capacity for that sort of trivia is very firmly on the right path, in my opinion!