Musical Instruments and Your Kids

[purpleowl]

I got an email about a local homeschool orchestra, so I have musical instruments on my mind. :)  Feel free to answer as many of the following as you'd like, elaborate if you want to, and even give answers to questions I didn't ask if you think of them. ;)

 

What musical instruments do your kids play?  

 

What instruments have they started on but not continued?  

 

If you play(ed) any instruments yourself, do/did your kids play the same one(s)?  

 

If you have multiple kids, have their musical instrument choices (or your choices on their behalf) been the same or different?

 

 

[Bluegoat]

My eldest daughter plays piano (private lessons) and violin (at school).

 

My middle daughter plays piano and guitar (both private.)

 

My youngest plays nothing yet.

 

So far none have abandoned anything.

 

I played in the band at school for a while, on the euphonium.

 

To some extent the choices of our eldest affected the middle daughter.  They do piano for school and learn theory there.  There second instruments are more their choices, but I've encouraged them to pick different ones, and also to pick something fairly portable.  I think dd10 may stick with piano and i think her teacher hopes she might take up organ - I would not be surprised in dd7 makes guitar her main instrument. 

 

Ds5 says he want to play bagpipes in a marching band, and if he sticks with that idea it is great IMO as there is one close by and weekly lessons are only about $10 per week.

[Caclcoca]

My oldest ds plays violin.  He has private lessons and is in a youth orchestra.  My dd takes piano lessons and play percussion in a local homeschool band.  Middle ds takes piano lessons and is going to play baritone in beginning band this year.  My youngest ds is going to start piano lessons in the fall.  I played bass clarinet, and my husband played trombone.  We are all over the place.  All of my children have choosen their instruments.  I did tell my dd that if she was going to play percussion that piano was required.  She loves percussion.  She tolerates piano.  My oldest has played violin for 6 years now, and he really enjoys playing.  I would be very surprised if he quit playing.

[happypamama]

Nobody's had formal lessons, so they haven't really abandoned anything.

 

DD is teaching herself piano via our keyboard and computer programs and YouTube.

 

All of my big kids (DD, DS1, DS2, and the biggest kid of all, DH) are teaching themselves electric guitar and bass.They're surprisingly good, considering they only started seven months ago.

[bluemongoose]

My DD is playing Violin in a local community orchestra and taking private lessons from a student teacher from the orchestra (it is at a university, the student teachers are university students) and is self teaching piano and clarinet

 

DS1 is playing Cello in the same local community group but at the intermediate level and  and taking private lessons from a student teacher from the orchestra and is self teaching (playing with) piano and trumpet

 

DS 2 is playing Cello in the same intermediate group and taking private lessons from a student teacher from the orchestra and is self teaching (playing around with) piano and flute

 

DS 3 is playing Violin with a private student teacher from the same group and is playing on the piano. He also loves to blow his bugle (he is 3yo).

 

My DH played around with various musical instruments growing up and catches on quickly

 

I played clarinet for 13 years in school bands, pep bands, and marching bands. I also took on flute and alto sax at various times during those years. I bought myself a violin after graduating from college and am self taught on that instrument. 

 

 

[purpleowl]

I guess I could answer my own questions, huh?

 

DD#1 plays piano; she started lessons about a year and a half ago.  She has expressed an interest in learning to play the organ, after hearing organ music for the first time; we'll have to wait and see on that one.  I don't know how easy it would be to find a teacher and a place to practice, although we are in a university town, so it's probably not impossible.  Also, I took her to a music store to let her try out a trumpet (connected to a book she'd read), and she said she wants to learn trumpet.

 

DD#2 is chomping at the bit to learn piano, and we'll start her on that when the teacher feels she's ready.  

 

I played French horn in middle school, and I'd enjoy teaching that to my kids, but I won't push it if they want to play other things.  We didn't have a piano when I was growing up, so what I know on the piano is pretty much self-taught.  DH took piano lessons growing up but doesn't really remember much of what he learned.

 

The email I got about the homeschool orchestra says they will have a group for beginners aged 3-6, which would include both of my girls, so at the moment I'm entertaining ideas of starting them both on a string instrument in the fall...but I will probably talk myself out of it because we don't really need another thing in our schedule right now. ;)

[Arcadia]

DS10: started violin at 3 but did not continue due mainly to pain from chin rest. He plays piano and cello

 

DS9: piano, flute and cello

 

Hubby: piano and clarinet

Me: piano, harmonica, English horn, violin, flute

 

My kids pick their own instruments. The piano was bought by hubby for me when kids were babies. So kids just self taught because they don't want lessons.

 

DS10 pick cello at 3 but we couldn't find a cello teacher who would teach that young a child so we ask him to try violin first. While it was a disaster, he is catching up very fast in cello so it wasn't a total waste.

 

Both my boys would probably enjoy drums.

[Kuovonne]

My 12 year old daughter has taken private piano lessons for 5 years.

My 9 year old daughter has taken private piano for 5 years and private violin for 1 year.

 

We also just got an email about a homeschool orchestra and band.

My younger DD expressed interest a few months ago and got to try out

a flute and trumpet. She loves the sound of a flute, but prefered trumpet.

I told her that three instruments was too much;

it's hard enough getting her to practice two. She decided to stick

with piano and violin instead of swapping out an instrument.

 

My husband and I have NO musical background whatsover.

 

I chose the piano for both girls.

Younger DD chose violin for herself, and adding a second instrument

was completely her idea.

[JenneinCA]

My daughter tried and was done with piano and then recorder. She occasionally plays piano.

 

My older son did piano for many years and has now moved on to alto recorder or tenor recorder depending on the song. He is continuing with music this year. He doesn't practice much but plays very well.

 

My younger son did piano for about two years and was very done.

[Mercury449]

Margaret in CO,

 

I've been looking for a harpsichord for a while. How/where did you find one? Or did your daughter practice on someone else's?

[Donna]

What musical instruments do your kids play?  

My oldest plays drums (full drum set and bodhran (Irish drum)). Middle ds plays guitar, banjo, Irish bouzouki, mandolin, and bodhran. Dd plays violin and just started teaching herself keyless flute this week. She can pick out tunes on mandolin and tin whistle but doesn't play regularly.

 

What instruments have they started on but not continued?  

Dd started mandolin a few years ago but her hands were too small to hit the frets as quickly as she wanted. She also took piano lessons for a couple months a few years ago but now only messes around with piano.

 

If you play(ed) any instruments yourself, do/did your kids play the same one(s)?  

I took piano lessons when I was young.

 

If you have multiple kids, have their musical instrument choices (or your choices on their behalf) been the same or different?

I let each of my kids pick their instruments.

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

My oldest is starting piano this year(later than we wanted to start. He is also interested in guitar with his Grandpa, but nothing formal yet. I will require all of my children to learn piano for at least a brief stint before going on to any other instrument. It is a useful skill and sets up a lot of music theory.

 

I always wanted to play piano but could never afford it growing up. I did perform in choir. My husband was a percussionist. My entire family is musical in some way with woodwinds, guitar, drums, etc.

[ScoutTN]

Both of mine take piano. They can choose and orchestra or band instrument when they are 12.

Dh plays guitar, a little piano and a very little mandolin. 

We have a piano, several guitars and a mandolin.

 

 

 

I cannot carry a tune nor read music and have never had any musical training.

[rebcoola]

My oldest tried piano and they both have done drumming/marimba at school.  The DD6 is starting violin this school year at her request.  I played violin from when I was 4 (my montessori teacher was also in the town orchestra and offered this) until I was about 15 when a horrible high school teacher ruined it for me.  I now have a electric violin I play very occasionally in my old age it makes my wrist hurt.

[MinivanMom]

My oldest has been taking piano for 5 years and harp for 2 years. My second has been taking piano for 3 years. My third just finished a first year of piano and wants to learn the flute instead; she's really tiny, though, so she is going to continue on piano for the next year until she is big enough to make the switch. Dh plays trumpet and guitar and I played piano and clarinet, but I don't think that really influenced our kids at all.

 

We let them choose their own instruments, and we let them choose whether they want to continue playing from year to year. They love their instruments.

[Aurelia]

I got an email about a local homeschool orchestra, so I have musical instruments on my mind. :)  Feel free to answer as many of the following as you'd like, elaborate if you want to, and even give answers to questions I didn't ask if you think of them. ;)

 

What musical instruments do your kids play?  

 

What instruments have they started on but not continued?  

 

If you play(ed) any instruments yourself, do/did your kids play the same one(s)?  

 

If you have multiple kids, have their musical instrument choices (or your choices on their behalf) been the same or different?

 

1. Guitar (1 yr) and piano (3 yrs)

 

2. Both, sort of. She is taking a break from her guitar teacher, and we do piano at home sporadically. She really wants to learn voice and drums, but we don't have space for a drum kit.

 

3. Yes and no. I played piano, violin and viola. I'm learning guitar now. I also played recorder for a few months, and DD plays the tin whistle occasionally (from her CC days). 

[MerryAtHope]

My daughter plays violin, and my son guitar and bass guitar.

 

My daughter took a break from violin this spring--not sure if she'll continue. She's more interested in voice at this time. My son is heading to college in the fall and does plan to continue guitar and bass.

 

I play violin also, but the choice was my dd's. I tried to interest my kids in piano actually, but it was a no-go!

 

[Mimm]

My kids took piano lessons. For a year we thought we'd do two instruments and my oldest got a guitar and middle kid got a violin but the practice was too overwhelming and the instruction wasn't what they needed so they dropped those and just went back to the piano. Oldest dropped piano last year after four years of lessons at her request but middle is still keeping with it. She plans to play through high school. I don't play and neither does my husband so there was no influence there. Piano was chosen because it's easy to find instructors.

[brookspr]

What musical instruments do your kids play? What instruments have they started on but not continued?

Daughter started on flute in 5th grade. Played until this year when freshman band needed a bassoon (she is at the public school part time). LOVES the bassoon and is very good at it.

She also takes piano lessons and will play trombone in marching band this year instead of flute. She has also taken lessons on guitar and electric bass and still plays them but no more lessons for now.

 

 Son started on the bass in orchestra in 3rd grade and switched to electric in 6th. Now plays drums and takes lessons.

 

If you play(ed) any instruments yourself, do/did your kids play the same one(s)?  I was ok at piano but that's about it. DH never played anything.

 

If you have multiple kids, have their musical instrument choices (or your choices on their behalf) been the same or different? Since they started when they were a little older we let them choose an instrument. I figured if I have any desire for them to practice, they should really like the instrument they pick and we were flexible in letting them switch after a couple of years with one instrument.

[Tsuga]

I got an email about a local homeschool orchestra, so I have musical instruments on my mind. :)  Feel free to answer as many of the following as you'd like, elaborate if you want to, and even give answers to questions I didn't ask if you think of them. ;)

 

In order: Kid #4 age 6, Kid #3 age 8, (step)kid#2 age 12, (step)kid#1 age 14

 

What musical instruments do your kids play?  Violin (5), Piano (8), Clarinet (PS, 10-11), Piano (12-13)

 

What instruments have they started on but not continued?  Recorder (3-4), Recorder (4-6), nothing, Viola (10)

 

If you play(ed) any instruments yourself, do/did your kids play the same one(s)?  No, but my partner plays piano and played something else in school orchestra. I forget what.

 

If you have multiple kids, have their musical instrument choices (or your choices on their behalf) been the same or different?  Mixed. We have an old piano so that factored into that choice. DSS plays the same instrument his mom played in school but we believe it's because of a girl in his class. ;~) My little one wanted to play guitar but I couldn't find a good teacher to agree, so she plays violin.

 

The little two want to pick up guitar and drums, respectively, but I said they need to get to level three in their instruments before I'll consider investing more in rental and instruction.

 

[Hypatia.]

What musical instruments do your kids play?  

- DS1 plays violin and is adding in viola this year. DD1 plays violin and is adding in cello this year. (She also does chorus.)

 

If you play(ed) any instruments yourself, do/did your kids play the same one(s)?  

- I play the flute & piccolo, however so far none of the kids have been interested.

 

If you have multiple kids, have their musical instrument choices (or your choices on their behalf) been the same or different?

- I'm encouraging them to learn a stringed instrument since we have a good strings program in our area. They choose which one they want to play, though I'm not sure how we would fit a bass in the van if that was the choice.

[Arcadia]

They choose which one they want to play, though I'm not sure how we would fit a bass in the van if that was the choice.

We have to put the 3/4 size cello in the trunk and the 1/2 size cello in between our boys for our Corolla when they go for their lessons.

When my boys size up, a full size cello would still fit in our trunk and the 3/4 size can fit in between the kids.

 

You may have to flatten the 3rd row of your van though to accommodate two basses.

[purpleowl]

My girls (6 and 3) are both interested in playing the bass because they liked it when they saw Quincy playing it on Little Einsteins.  :lol: Also, our car is a Mazda 5...I like to say that it puts the mini in minivan.  I don't know that we could put one bass in there, much less two, with three kids.

 

I talked to the director of the homeschool orchestra we're considering, though, and she said most kids their age start with either violin or cello and then can switch to viola or bass if desired when they're older.  And she recommended that the 3-year-old only consider violin. ;)  

[Arcadia]

Mazda 5 and the Mazda MPV were in our consideration 9 years ago but it can't fit our double jogger.

 

What you can do is strap one bass to one of the 3rd row seat using the seatbelt. You put the other bass along the aisle or strap it to the front passenger seat.

 

The 1/2 sized cello actually fit in front of me in the front passenger seat of our Corolla. I have short legs.

[...................]

I played clarinet for one semester and it was pretty much torture for me. the teacher was grumpy, there were too many students and I was not encouraged at home.

 

My did plays piano, has taken one year of lessons. I do not think she will take on a second instrument as the piano already takes about an hour per day. She loves it. It is one of the things in life for which she can excel when she applies herself, and her teacher ensures that she is challenged without being overwhelmed. Her teacher is Russian. The Russian pedagogy consists of getting to classical music as early as possible with an increasingly difficult repertoire, and theory and technique follow the actual music and not vice versa. Also they stress the emotions, the feeling, and even the context and historical time period of the piece. It's very "holistic."

[Stratford]

I got an email about a local homeschool orchestra, so I have musical instruments on my mind. :)  Feel free to answer as many of the following as you'd like, elaborate if you want to, and even give answers to questions I didn't ask if you think of them. ;)

 

What musical instruments do your kids play?  

 

What instruments have they started on but not continued?  

 

If you play(ed) any instruments yourself, do/did your kids play the same one(s)?  

 

If you have multiple kids, have their musical instrument choices (or your choices on their behalf) been the same or different?

My oldest 2 (age 11 and 8) started trumpet lessons this past year.  They take private lessons and DS11 will participate in the middle school band this year.  

 

DS#1 took piano lessons for about a year but did not continue.  It was a nice foundation, though.  

 

DH and I both feel that music is very important and encouraged our kids to start lessons.  DS11 took some convincing but has become very enthusiastic and is making great progress.  We let the kids choose their own instruments.  I play the violin, DH plays the french horn.  I was really hoping for a string player but so far, no dice.  I still have two I could  brainwash  encourage.  

 

So far, the kids have chosen the same instrument but they did choose separately.  Both have plans to add another band instrument in the future.  

[IsabelC]

I got an email about a local homeschool orchestra, so I have musical instruments on my mind. :)  Feel free to answer as many of the following as you'd like, elaborate if you want to, and even give answers to questions I didn't ask if you think of them. ;)

 

What musical instruments do your kids play?  

Mr. 12 plays trombone (and does composition).

Ms. 10 plays recorder and is hoping to move onto oboe if/when I let her.

Ms. 6 plays violin and piano. 

 

What instruments have they started on but not continued?

The elder two both started piano and gave it up. Ms. 10 is thinking about starting it again, while Mr. 12 says he hates piano and will never play it. 

 

If you play(ed) any instruments yourself, do/did your kids play the same one(s)?  

I did mostly recorder, piano, flute, guitar, vocals and oboe, and I had a little go at percussion and various brass instruments.

 

If you have multiple kids, have their musical instrument choices (or your choices on their behalf) been the same or different?

Our original plan was that they would all do a few years of piano and then add more instruments if they wanted to. Piano seemed like a no brainer for us because I taught it for a few years in my life pre kids, but unfortunately only the youngest really likes playing piano. Violin I chose for her because I though that she had some natural ability for it, and that's has been a good fit so far (I can't teach stringed instruments, so she does have an outside violin teacher, but he is very good and worth the money IMO). She would love to learn drums as well but we don't have money or space for a good drum set up and her piano, violin and theory take up enough time without adding a third instrument. Middle child finds music very challenging due to her audio processing issues, hence I thought letting her start oboe at this stage would be setting her up for failure. I will teach it to her later if she persists with recorder to a reasonable level. Eldest would really prefer not to play an instrument, but we gave him a list of about 20 and told him he had to select one. He decided trombone was what he disliked the least, so that's what I'm teaching him at the moment. 

 

[SeekingHim77]

My son took group guitar lessons for 2 years and continued self-teaching from there. He played in a youth band at church for a year but just plays for fun nowadays. He loves playing his guitars. He took lessons when he was a young teen and still loves to play at 20.

 

My daughter tried the violin. I had a dear friend who taught her a bit but she really struggled without a formal teacher. When my new pastor's wife started giving piano lessons, my daughter decided to try that and see if learning more about music theory and reading music would help her with her violin as well. She's fallen in love with the piano now and is progressing rapidly.

 

My rule is I'll buy the instrument but you have to agree to practice for one year. If you want to quit after that it's your choice. I do require music practice as part of our daily homeschool schedule.

 

 

Both of my kids love music and can play by ear naturally. Neither my husband nor myself play any instruments.

 

 

[KeepItGoing]

I am a musician myself—considering studying it in college but decided against it. Still, my experiences in music were very important to my teenage years, because of the sense of belonging I got from accompanying the choir on the piano and playing in orchestras and such. I play piano (my main instrument) and viola (sort of).

 

My personal demons are that I had a terror that I would push my kids into doing something that was good for me but not for them, so I resisted suggesting that they start musical instruments as anything but an idle playtime for way too long. I also had fears, once we started seeking out lessons, that I would choose the "wrong" teacher, which complicated the situation even further. (I did choose wrong teachers, as it turned out, but eventually that worked out too—and in most cases the wrong teacher was better than no teacher.)

 

Child #1: By the time she was four or so I helped her out and got her started on the piano. At age five or so my mom gave her a penny whistle, which she spent hours playing. We covered a lot of music theory, which she loved because she's always enjoyed composition and arranging.

 

Eventually her uncle gave her his old flute. I bought her a beginning flute book and she taught herself for a year or so—until she happened upon a flute instructor who gave her some lessons (some of them free!), and encouraged me that she had a lot of talent and that I needed to buy her a better flute.

 

Still, my own demons kept me from getting her real lessons. We got her a better flute but didn't really get her proper lessons until she was 15 or 16. By then it became clear to me that this interest was serious and that I had probably made a BIG mistake by putting off lessons. Unfortunately the first "real" teacher I selected wasn't that good, and she was 17 or so before I switched her to a serious instructor. That seems to have been early enough in her case, however, because next spring she graduates with a degree in flute performance from a good music school.

 

Her piano playing experience did get her out of two full semesters of piano at the university, even without formal lessons. She also plays a harp that she built from a kit, and plays around with every instrument she can get her hands on.

 

AND—she's now a professional penny whistle player. :) I didn't see that one coming!

 

#2: Again, my demons kept me from getting lessons for her early, but I did also help her learn the basics and got her a few piano lessons. She wanted to play the violin, though, and we got her a violin when she was about 11. We did start lessons for her at that point, but we went through a couple of teachers before we found one that really satisfied us. She graduates from high school this week; music hasn't been as important for her as it was for her sister but it has still provided her with lots of connections. We are fortunate to live in a place with a great youth orchestra, which she and her older sister both participated in.

 

Her most important instrument, though, has been voice. The kids joined a choir when she was about 15 and that has been the best thing for her, musically and socially. She has also taken voice lessons for the last couple of years. She'll never be a soloist, but she's been a strong member of the choir and hopes to continue that in college.

 

With this daughter, practicing has been an interesting issue. She really doesn't practice. Because of emotional issues that haunted her for quite some time, we chose to let her keep taking lessons even though she wasn't practicing. (I haven't yet figured out how she got as skillful as she has while pretty much only playing violin during lessons and orchestra rehearsals). I don't know that this was the best decision for her—in fact, I'm pretty sure it wasn't—but my husband and I could never agree together on how to require the practicing in a way that would best build her up.

 

#3: He was younger when I started getting kids music lessons, so he started studying with an outstanding piano teacher when he was about 8. But although he really loved to play the piano before he took lessons, lessons pretty much killed his interest in the piano, and he's never really returned to it. We let him quit after a while. He then returned for a few months, then left again. I find this very sad, because I loved to hear his music. I hope that some day he will choose to return to it.

 

He is in the choir, though, and loves to sing with that group. I love hearing him sing in parts with his friends! I have also thought that he seems like he'd be a good percussionist, since he's constantly banging out rhythms. Recently he's been learning to play the guitar on Rock Band (!!), which actually is translating to some degree into an ability to play the real guitar—and I think that would be a good instrument for him to know.

 

 

I will add that we are fortunate to live in an area with abundant excellent musical opportunities for kids. They've done chamber music, choir, lessons, orchestras—weekly things, and also summer camps.

[Targhee]

Oldest took 2 years of guitar and is starting her 5th year of piano.

 

Son took two years of violin and is starting his 4th year of piano

 

Middle dd is starting her 4th year of flute

 

I play piano and guitar, and played violin for 5 years. Dad plays guitar. Music is an important part of our family life.

 

We allowed the kids to choose instruments, but no doubt they were influenced by what they were surrounded by. Oldest stopped guitar because two instruments at once was no longer practical for her (she enjoysusic, but has no musical aspirations). Son stopped violin *because* I ised to play - I disagreed with teacher about some technique things and corrected his posture and wrists often enough I think I sucked the joy out of playing. He does have musical aspirations, and will start a second instruments when he's ready to devote the practice time (he practices 40 min (5x per week, plus lessons, on piano and I would expect the same of the second, which works out to almost 8 hours a week). He loves music, but his ADHD makes 20 to 25 hours of school work each week hard enough right now.

 

We have purchased quality instruments that increase ease and joy of playing.