Is it necessary to do art and music every year?

[strange_girl]

My kids are very artsy, and spend hours on various projects and use a wide variety of art mediums (which both pleases me and drives me nutty). I've been looking at a bunch of different art 'programs' on Rainbow Resource this week, and they really don't seem any better than what my kids get into naturally.

Eventually, when they're older, I'd like to get a decent drawing and painting course, but I don't see the value in doing that at this age. Is it really necessary to do formal art every grade?

 

And, similarly, we have a very musical family. DH and I both play at least one instrument which we will teach the kids if they are interested. Many other family members play other instruments and would be happy to teach them as they get older. We listen to a ton of music, beginning with classical and branching out into other genres.

Is it really necessary to have a music 'program'? Can I just skip these two areas and not feel guilty?

[madteaparty]

I don't know; I feel like I've dropped the ball with art. I am not artistic at all, I bought him a program and nice supplies thinking he would do it on his own, but alas. So there's no art happening weekly or even monthly at my house currently. I've approached a local private school which has an amazing art program (we toured it for my daughter) and am waiting to hear whether he can take art there this fall.

On the other hand, we do a lot of "art appreciation" or just looking at art. I think I can safely say he has been to more museums than most adults. We are going to the Frieze NY art fair this week. We have a stop over in Paris in June and he has demanded we see the Mona Lisa, so we are doing a unit study on Leonardo Da Vinci, and also visiting some of the chateaux, including one where Da Vinci spent the last few years of his life.

As for music, in my family they have to become proficient at one instrument, and learn to read music. To that end, he takes private piano lessons weekly. If I could teach him myself, I would, but I play no instruments at all.

[Ellie]

My kids are very artsy, and spend hours on various projects and use a wide variety of art mediums (which both pleases me and drives me nutty). I've been looking at a bunch of different art 'programs' on Rainbow Resource this week, and they really don't seem any better than what my kids get into naturally.

Eventually, when they're older, I'd like to get a decent drawing and painting course, but I don't see the value in doing that at this age. Is it really necessary to do formal art every grade?

 

And, similarly, we have a very musical family. DH and I both play at least one instrument which we will teach the kids if they are interested. Many other family members play other instruments and would be happy to teach them as they get older. We listen to a ton of music, beginning with classical and branching out into other genres.

Is it really necessary to have a music 'program'? Can I just skip these two areas and not feel guilty?

 

Define "formal."

 

Seems to me that your dc are naturally doing art and music, and will probably continue doing them every year. What is it that you think you might feel guilty about?

[Dmmetler]

I've dropped the ball with Art, too. I have supplies around, a set of Dover postcards with prints of various artists, and we go to the museum when they have new displays and when we're traveling, and that's about it. She also gets some in context with history, so it's little bits, here and there, where we might have a week of a LOT of art, especially if we have the opportunity to visit a museum and learn about the artist and buy a book in the gift shop and go home and try it out, but we might then have two months where the only art is DD drawing pictures on her own.

 

Music...I'm a music major and music teacher, and DD's been in music classes since she was 6 weeks old. She plays piano and does theory/literature through that, we listen to music, and we talk about it. What she's missing is the group component, but I'm really not willing to give up a morning a week for her to have that, which is what it would take for her to do a homeschool group music class or choir by the time we add drive time. We're not in a church that has a children's choir.

 

I comfort myself with the awareness that in PS, when I taught general music, I usually saw each class about 20 hours in a year, because of scheduling, field trips, testing, etc. Art was about the same. I'm pretty sure my DD gets more than 20 hours a year of time on music and art respectively, even with my NOT putting it onto our schedule on a regular basis!

[Momof3littles]

We are part of a small co-op, and I love that it forces us to do art.  They get a short art history lesson, discuss a movement, technique, etc. and then are assigned a project that reinforces that technique.  They carry out that project at home during the rest of the week.  Left to my own devices, I somewhat neglect art more than I'd like, so it forces us to get it done.  We've also had the kids do copywork related to the artists we study as part of the co-op, so that is at times a nice reinforcement.

[a27mom]

I wouldn't feel guilty. I don't do any formal art and music with my kids, and don't really intend to. (Though I would like my girls to have piano lessons, but we don't have a piano yet). Art and music are such subjective activities. I think they definitely fall into the area where "life learning" should be encouraged. I do provide art supplies and encourage my kids to create on a regular basis. We do take advantage of opportunities to talk about, participate in art/music activities as they arise. And if one of my kids shows a strong interest, we might pursue formal outside lessons.

[nwmama]

I wouldn't feel guilty. I don't do any formal art and music with my kids, and don't really intend to. (Though I would like my girls to have piano lessons, but we don't have a piano yet). Art and music are such subjective activities. I think they definitely fall into the area where "life learning" should be encouraged. I do provide art supplies and encourage my kids to create on a regular basis. We do take advantage of opportunities to talk about, participate in art/music activities as they arise. And if one of my kids shows a strong interest, we might pursue formal outside lessons.

:iagree: 

 

We're a musical family so music is a given for my kids, piano and one other instrument. I have decided what to do about art yet though, for now we just use Drawing With Children every once in a while.

 

I think art and music are excellent things and work parts of your brain and imagination that other things don't, but it also depends on the family. Some families would skip them altogether to focus on the sciences or on sports. And sometimes it'll depend on the child. DD1 has had art bursting out of her (onto my walls, floors, and furniture) since she could hold a crayon, she just can't help it. If I can get her private art lessons, I will. DS2 has been interested in sports since he could pick up a ball so I'll probably let him focus on sports.

[strange_girl]

Define "formal."

 

Seems to me that your dc are naturally doing art and music, and will probably continue doing them every year. What is it that you think you might feel guilty about?

Formal: a program (such as Artistic Pursuits or Atelier) that would make me feel as if we were actually doing art.

 

You're right, they are naturally inclined to do it themselves, but I wasn't sure if that would be enough. I'm glad that the general consensus is that it's enough, though, because that gives us extra time and money to focus elsewhere.

[tabinfl]

We do music regularly because the kjids enjoy it and it's something DH and I know & can help / teach at home. Piano lessons, church choir, plus reading music & some beginning theory.

 

Other areas of the arts, not so much. I started Atelier, but my art knowledge is so limited that I don't really understand the object of the lessons very well myself.

 

Fortunately we have a great fine art center & performing arts center locally that both offer summer camps, so a couple of weeks of each is our formal arts curriculum for now. The art camp includes drawing / painting, 3D art, and clay work daily, plus tours of the galleries and time in the children's gallery / activity area. At the theater camp, the kids create their own play based on a book, make (simple) sets & costumes, and put on a performance at the end of the week.

 

We'll probably continue along this path unless someone gets particularly interested in some artistic pursuit to a degree that they want to do formal classes/lessons during the rest of the year. We've done a few rounds of beginner dance classes in different styles, not much interest there.

[lexi]

I focus more on art and music during the summer. It's too hot to play outside in the afternoons so we do art, listen to music, and do read alouds.

The extras sometimes don't quite make the schedule during the school year.

[Pen]

My kids are very artsy, and spend hours on various projects and use a wide variety of art mediums (which both pleases me and drives me nutty). I've been looking at a bunch of different art 'programs' on Rainbow Resource this week, and they really don't seem any better than what my kids get into naturally.

Eventually, when they're older, I'd like to get a decent drawing and painting course, but I don't see the value in doing that at this age. Is it really necessary to do formal art every grade?

 

And, similarly, we have a very musical family. DH and I both play at least one instrument which we will teach the kids if they are interested. Many other family members play other instruments and would be happy to teach them as they get older. We listen to a ton of music, beginning with classical and branching out into other genres.

Is it really necessary to have a music 'program'? Can I just skip these two areas and not feel guilty?

 

It sounds to me like you have a music and art program, just as a family who has parent who knows several languages fluently and is teaching them to their children has foreign language covered.

[In2why]

Why would you want to replace a natural love, joy, and intuitive learning of art with a formal study?  Based on what you wrote I think your way ahead, since we are hopefully introducing subjects like art and music to develop a love for it.  Isn't that the goal?  For our children to become competent and love exploring a subject?  

[The Girls' Mom]

Art and music are essential to a well rounded education, IMO.  However, the boxed art and music curriculum that are out there often don't even come close to the real thing. Exposing your children to great art and teaching them to explore it are key. Allowing them to enjoy art for its own sake rather than dissecting it to unrecognizable bits is so valuable.  There is a time and place for formal instruction (especially if a child shows a gift or strong interest), but enjoying a symphony in the park, or seeing the actual brushwork in an oil painting in a museum can't be beat.