Raise your hand if your children have no musical training

[battlemaiden]

No piano, guitar, drums, voice....nada.

 

I'm depriving my children, aren't I? :confused:

 

I just can't make it happen. I'm feeling guilty, and need someone to hang their head in shame with me.

 

I of course don't have any musical training and I'm a functioning adult. But! I wish I did. :glare: Hence, the guilt.

 

Jo

[Ria]

I think musical training is important, if nothing else so the kids understand musical notes and time. I seem to remember there's a nifty CD ROM that teaches music theory...maybe someone here will remember the name of it.

 

ETA: This is not to say that I think it's critical that every child learn to play an instrument. Just that I think they need the basics of music theory. Clear as mud?

 

Ria

Edited February 21, 2009 by Ria

[Parrothead]

Dd had a year and a half of piano training. But hasn't had anything for a year and a half. If I could find a decent teacher somewhere close, I'd get her back into it.

 

I feel guilty too. I feel guilty that I'm trying to raise this child in a town that is no more than a speck on a map where the idea of culture is to go fishing or snow mobile riding. Deep breath in. Okay it will get better.

[Robin M]

None here - he just isn't interested and with his sensitive ears, hates hearing anything off tune.

[KristenS]

Very little training here. We listen to CDs sometimes, and my oldest (7) participates in the church children's choir when it's active. And my music-teacher friend led a musical play class over the summer, which we attended. Some basic rhythm, and instruments, and fun stuff like that.

 

I figure they're young yet. We do have a piano and lots of rhythm instruments, but the only thing I feel I could teach would be recorder, so I'm waiting till their hands are a bit bigger. :)

[Nakia]

:seeya:

 

I offered, they declined. If they change their mind, we will look into it. But so far, they aren't interested. DH and I are not musically inclined at all.

[Anita in NC]

Mine have zero interest in music. They couldn't even name one pop band or star. They just aren't musically inclined.

 

They don't like sports either.

 

I rather spend time on the stuff they are interested in, like science and math.

[Quad Shot Academy]

:seeya:

 

We have NNOOO musical ability in our house. I do hope I can find some sort of singing help at some point . . . for the sake of others at church!

 

My oldest has done this CD-ROM:

http://rainbowresource.com/product/Essentials+of+Music+Theory+Software+CD-ROM/012787/1235255580-1632115

 

I am not sure if it was worth the effort or not though!

[G5052]

They know the bare basics -- note shapes, rests, high/low, how to sing properly, etc. and about some of the major composers.

 

We haven't been able to afford lessons, and I just haven't had time to teach them. It's sad to me because I played violin and piano for years and loved it.

 

You can't do it all though, and when it came to a choice between martial arts and music, DH emphatically chose martial arts for them.

[joannqn]

My daughter has an ear for music but has no interest in learning an instrument. I only know she would do well because she can sing on key and pluck out (single fingers) a tune she knows on the piano. I wish I could interest her in piano lessons but she's firm on her lack of interest. I know from experience not to push things.

 

My son has no interest at all, not even a tiny bit.

[elise1mds]

I have one interested and one not. The one who is not interested is still learning basic music theory - tempo, dynamics, notes, etc. I'm not going to force it, but they do need to have a clue IMHO

[lulubelle]

I'm not so sure I would have gone out of the way for piano lessons if it were not for the WTM book to suggest that every child have at least 2 years of it. Piano, swimming, martial arts have become our staple classes that are not an option. They are allowed to take other fun classes of their own choice at our local rec. center, such as, cooking, art, and gymnastics.

[Crissy]

I have no musical training whatsoever.

 

My younger son is now taking violin lessons, but only because he Really, Really wanted them. My older son has no interest in music beyond listening, and I think that's fine.

[Stacia]

I was put through 2 years of piano when I was a kid. I have no musical ability whatsoever & hated most every minute of it.

 

My kids haven't received any musical training (other than some basic music appreciation) & I don't feel badly about it. We may get around to trying something like that or maybe not. There are many ways to be well-rounded in life & I'm not sure that I see musical training as a 'must'.

 

Not that this totally ties in to musical training, but I'm a proponent for silence, lol. I think there is too much noise overload in everyday life & that people have forgotten the beauty of (true) silence. True silence doesn't really exist in modern life anymore, but we do aim for as close as we can get at least part of the day. And, truthfully, if I had kids taking music lessons, my sensitive ears would probably weep at the noise. (Maybe that's why I disliked lessons so much myself.) I'd probably have to wear earplugs in the house. :tongue_smilie:

[Paula in PA]

We've suggested learning an instrument, but the only one she's interested in is harmonica. The problem is every time she plays it, the dog starts howling. I'm trying to interest her in the recorder, but so far have had only some slight expression of very vague interest. I think I might look into the music theory angle that Ria suggested and at least get that covered.

[Tutor]

I have given them a very basic knowledge of music theory through singing and the recorder. I have a perfectly good, easy curriculum through R&S on music theory... I just haven't gotten around to implementing it. My kids are also begging for me to teach them how to sing and play the recorder, but it just felt like it took so much time. I just realized the other day that I learned through weekly 30 minute lessons and lots of practice on my own, so I am going to implement a similar schedule with my own kids... when I get around to it. Sigh. We can't afford lessons right now, so that's not an option. I've tried bartering with college students for violin lessons, but so far no takers.

[battlemaiden]

But I *do* think it is important.

 

I don't really care if they like it or not. :D There are a few other topics they would prefer to skip too.

 

I don't put music up there with reading or math, but I do see the importance of learning the basics. They may not follow through, but at least I would have done my part to expose them to the subject.

 

See, I'm a fan. I'm just not able. Driving to lessons might break me. I honestly don't have a wall left for even a key board- apparently the military housing planners didn't design these homes for seven children who homeschool:tongue_smilie:. And I have not a musical bone in my body (although my index finger can work an ipod screen superbly, which is a skill in itself, no?).

 

Argh! The guilt. Don't get me wrong. I'm having a teacher planning day and I can see easily how impossible it would be to squeeze in right now. I shouldn't beat myself up over it, but....but....I can't quite let it go.

:chillpill::chillpill::chillpill:

Thanks ya'll!

 

Jo

[cjzimmer1]

My kids have none but I have no guilt. See my mom was from a family of 13 kids so they didn't get any extras and she always felt she missed out because she couldn't be in choir. So she made all of her children be in music-choir and band in middle school and choir all through high school and many years of piano/organ because she just LOVED listening to all those music concerts. I HATED choir, and band was only marginally better and she had to bribe me to get me to touch the piano. I still have horrible memories of anything musical, yuck, yuck, yuck.

 

So I've never mentioned music to my kids and I hope they never bring it up. If they did, I suppose I would have to look into getting some instruction for them but I'd be much happier if they don't.

 

Don't feel guilty music isn't for everyone.

[nukeswife]

Mine have zero interest in music. They couldn't even name one pop band or star. They just aren't musically inclined.

 

They don't like sports either.

 

I rather spend time on the stuff they are interested in, like science and math.

 

:iagree: We are exactly the same, I guess that's the burden my kids carry for having nerdy geeks for parents :D

 

As for sports, my kids like taking non-competative karate and gymnastics, but that's just because they get to go play and have fun, not because they aspire to great sports prowess.

[Guest janainaz]

Mine have none and neither do I. If they ever show interest in learning or playing something I would be more than happy to sign them up. My little adopted brother and sister-in-laws are like the Partridge Family.........they can all play guitar, the piano, write songs and sing - REALLY well. They learned by ear and are gifted at it. I don't feel guilty for not just signing up my kids - playing music is in someone, or it's not. All those kids had the desire to play and learn and no one had to tell them or force them to practice and I think that is how it should be. Just my opinion though, maybe there's another side to that I have yet to explore.

[charlotteb]

DH can play the guitar a bit and offered to teach DS a while back. DS seemed interested and excited at first. But once he got into it (and realized the amount of work it would take to become good), he lost his interest.

 

DD says she wants to try violin someday. I'm going to wait until she's a bit older and then see if I can find someone to teach her.

[KJB]

But I *do* think it is important.

 

I don't really care if they like it or not. :D There are a few other topics they would prefer to skip too.

 

I don't put music up there with reading or math, but I do see the importance of learning the basics. They may not follow through, but at least I would have done my part to expose them to the subject.

 

See, I'm a fan. I'm just not able. Driving to lessons might break me. I honestly don't have a wall left for even a key board- apparently the military housing planners didn't design these homes for seven children who homeschool:tongue_smilie:. And I have not a musical bone in my body (although my index finger can work an ipod screen superbly, which is a skill in itself, no?).

 

Argh! The guilt. Don't get me wrong. I'm having a teacher planning day and I can see easily how impossible it would be to squeeze in right now. I shouldn't beat myself up over it, but....but....I can't quite let it go.

:chillpill::chillpill::chillpill:

Thanks ya'll!

 

Jo

 

We live in military housing and we have 5 home schooling children. And I understand. First, I'll say one of the difficulties you don't point out is that you have to move all the time so you have to find new teachers all the time. That is so incredibly frustrating.

 

Now, for some ideas for you.

 

First, you know the community center offers lessons. You could drag the kiddos there. Another idea, is to find a teacher willing to come to your house. They exist and some will give you a deal since you have so many students. :D Another thought, find a high school student willing to come to you. There are a lot of kids with enough training to start a beginner. Do you have one of those garage sale sites? We have one here (we're at Spangdahlem AB) and they have lots of ads for services. You could place an ad for "piano teacher willing to come to my house" and see what turns up.

 

As far as room for a piano: buy a keyboard or a cheap digital piano. They are light and easy to move. If you spend a little more, you can get one with weighted keys and good sound. If you cheap it up (and you can) you can get one to stick under the bed after the kids are done with it. Again, check out your garage sale site or Craig's List.

 

My older kids have had piano and are getting good enough that they enjoy it. A lot of kids claim to hate it because they don't want to practice or put the work in to get to the point where it's enjoyable. It is a lot of work, but imo, it's worth it. I'm really glad we've done it even though it has been a huge pain because we keep having to find new teachers.