Musicianship

[JR]

The recent coupla threads on music topics got me to thinking.

Is musicianship prized in your household?

I ask this question because there are clearly many families who support, or perhaps demand, their kids efforts at music, while others do not. I dare say, there appears to be a racial/cultural twist to this.

LOML plays in a group of about 12 flutists. In the group is a teenager who is very interested in her Chinese background. She has a very small and friendly "rivalry" (gentle ribbing, I guess) with a Jewish woman, as to which culture prizes musicianship more.

At a recent concert of gifted young musicians about 2/3 were Asian (Chinese if I know my surnames).

LOML and I are your standard-issue whitebread Christians. We both learned music as kids, making the effort in school band as well as outside lessons. We both take an interest in playing insturments today, as well as going to concerts with a variety of music. Our parents "strongly suggested" that we learn music (for which I am thankful, although I don't have any special gifts as a musician).

So, are you a musician? Are your kids musicians? Do you "insist" that your kids learn music? Do you "suggest" it? Is it not discussed? Will you share your ethnicity in this context? Or is my ethhic observation hogwash?

Discuss.

JR

[tfischer]

I play trumpet in a couple local ensembles. I also had a piano scholarship in college (although I didn't major in music), but I've let my keyboard chops get very rusty over the past decade, sadly enough.

Our boys are 4 and almost 2. I'm thinking of starting the 4yo on piano any time now, with me teaching with some method books. I won't "insist" that he do it if he absolutely hates it, but I know I needed a little "push" as a kid even though I enjoyed it. He does seem to love music -- he sings constantly and loves going to my concerts as well as other concerts.

My wife has sung at church for many years as well, and played clarinet and piano in the past.

It's something I hope my kids will do, since it's something I can relate to. If they hate it and decide to become jocks or skateboarders or whatever, that's fine too, but I just won't relate to it as well...

-Tim

[Shep]

I come from a long line of muscians, and my wife and I encourage our daughter every chanch we get.

My moms side of the family all plays brass instruments. Her parents were captains in the Salvation Army, and playing instruments was all but required. My immediate family plays a little bit of everything. My mom can play all brass instruments, guitar, and piano. My Dad, Brother, Sister and I all play guitar. My sister can aslo play the piano and I played trumpet throughout college. My wife is an orchestra teacher who know how to play everything. So yeah, music is in our structure.

I believe our daughter, who is only 17 months old, will pick up something. She loves trying to strum my guitar or banging out notes on the piano. She can actually keep rhythm to music.

[Richard in Smithville]

My daughter is learning guitar at school. I've heard her play and she is good. My involvement in music is on the other side of the sound board.

[billwmeyer]

Music

We gave the opportunity for both daughters to play instruments in the school band, but they never took to it. Both can sing pretty well.

LOML cannot carry a tune but used to be able to play a piano. My singing is spotty, I can hit all the right notes but I have gaps in my range that makes it difficult.

I played the tuba in high school.

Bill

[Thalermade]

My brother taught himself to play the guitar, and then the piano. My sister started piano lesson when she was in her forties.

I never had the patience to learn. Though I thoroughly enjoyed running the sound board for my friends' band in college - for recording as well as mixing their local bar performances.

Now, for my kids, piano was "required/encouraged and supported". Son stopped after 5 years do to a busy schedule, but he switched to guitar and and is doing well learning on his own. He asked to play trumpet in the 6 & 7th at grades. My daughter will be starting her 10th year of piano, she asked to play clarinet at school in 6,7, and 8th grades.

Yes music is important. My musician friends lfrom college fell into one or the other of these two groups - Those who had piano lessons as a child and whined and complained the whole time, eventually thanked their parents. Those who did not have piano lessons as a child, wished they would have.

Russ

[Kristofor]

I have zero (maybe negative?) musical ability. There are a fair number of types of music that I enjoy listening to but if I'm in the car by myself I'll almost always be listening to NPR, or a local sports or talk station.

Both of my parents were forced ("encouraged") to do music as kids and neither continued with it to adulthood. My parents were great about supporting whatever activities we wanted to do as kids, but music/band were never something that I or my two sibs picked up. Either hanging with friends, playing sports, reading a book, or putzing around on my PC would have been higher on my list than practicing an instrument daily. Though that's from the perspective of someone who never did it, so perhaps that view would have changed over time.

In our extended family there are several musical types. A couple that were touring choir members, one "professional" singer/songwriter, and several for whom it's a hobby.

I'm from Minnesota with a name that end's in -son, so it's not too much of a stretch to figure out our family is mutt Scandinavian. Of course that's true of the ones who are musicians as well as those who aren't...

[Alex Franke]

We value music in our home, too. I play piano/keys mostly, compose and improvise a lot, and learned on my own. (Some of my music here.) LOML plays flute and piano very well, does not improvise or compose, and grew up with professional lessons. My brother and aunt play guitar (Richmond, VA readers are likely to know my aunt from "An Hour with the Guitar" -- an institution there for over 30 years ) They both compose as well.

When I asked my son at age 3 what he wanted for Christmas, he said he wanted "Dvorak number 9". Now almost 6, it's still his favorite, but he frequently listens to about a dozen others as well. He likes to listen to classical music at bedtime. Sometimes it's funny to peek in and see him snoozing soundly while trumpets are blaring out he finale of William Tell Overture. :lol:

My daughter likes music too, but not quite as much. She is probably a little better at "playing" piano than he was at her age -- more melodic, less banging -- but I have to wonder how much of the banging is just "boyness". She also carries a better tune and loves to sing. It's nice to wake up in the morning to her just lying in bed singing about how much she loves us .

We don't push music at all, other than make it a part of our own lives and tell them how much we like it. LOML has given them piano lessons when they are interested, but we're not forcing it on them. They have lots of instruments to play with at home -- we try to get the "real things" for them to play around with, so long as they play them appropriately (e.g. don't use the flute as a sword! ).

We're white, Christian, and have German and eastern European ancestry.

Here's my boy playing the guitar my brother made for him last year:

[germdoc]

My kids are all musically inclined and very good performers. My older son is quite a virtuoso on piano but decided to study engineering instead of music in college. Go figure. He plays both keyboards and drums in a couple of bands.

I love music and am a practicing guitarist--practicing til I get it right...I took lessons as a kid, stopped after a few years, and have regretted it ever since. I think you're never too old to learn more about music performance, however, so I keep banging away at it.

I grew up in a white, Southern, protestant community where music was not really appreciated as much as it should have been. Ironic since that's where Johnny Cash, Maybelle Carter, Dolly Parton and Doc Watson all came from.

IMO a love for music is one of the best gifts you can give your children.

[SwingKing]

I've been playing trombone since high school. Still play in a couple local community bands here in DFW. I actually met my wife in band; she's a bari sax player but hasn't played in a while.

With the kids (two boys) we strongly encouraged them to learn instruments. My oldest son played string bass and trombone, but has given it up after high school. My youngest is playing french horn and really seems to enjoy it.

From our perspective, we think being in the band program is great for kids even if they don't use it later in life. Aside from the developmental benefits of musicianship, being in the band can give them a sense of belonging to a group. Some of the best times we had in school were related to band activities and friends made in band. My son's experiences in HS marching band are just about the only things he talks about from those four years.

As far as demographics, we're fairly typical german/irish descended midwesterners. We've been down here in Texas for 10+ years now and love it. I'm sure the neighbors still consider us northerners, because after all this time I still haven't learned to like country music.

-- Ken

[cgallery]

I was FORCED, against my WILL, to take piano lessons four about four years of my life. Just as I was "getting into it," I was switched into a different school which had no music program.

I have considered, from time to time, taking lessons as an adult. But I have no time.

We have two daughters, both of which tool violin and flute through about fifth grade. But they gave up in the sixth grades due to other interests.

[crokett]

I am musically inclined and can play most things on the piano by ear, though I don't much. I took violin lessons in elementary school and hated them. I took piano lessons in high school but didn't practice. Now I wish I'd stuck with both. My older daughter is very musical - sings, makes up songs, etc. I want to start her on piano lessons in the next few years. I wish I were better so I could teach her. With my youngest it is too soon to tell.

My oldest's favorite song is 'her' song. I put words to Dvorak's 9th. When she gets older and hears the melody she will always think of 'her' song. For my youngest the melody is Pachelbel's Canon.

[vaking]

My grandfather was a lawyer and specialized in creative rights of mucisians. We were always surrounded by composers, pianists, violinists, etc and had plenty of opportunities to attend concerts and learn music. My granfather's lifelong best friend was a professor of music and a world-known pianinst. My grandfather also wanted his son to become a musician.
My father had musical talents and was forced to take piano lessons when he was a boy. At around ten he had an accident with the light bulb (glass broke in his hand) and damaged a muscle in his thumb. Any aspirations to turn him into musician went up in smoke and so did his piano lessons. My father could not have been happier. To my grandfather's dissapointment my father became a scientist.
I have absolutely no musical abilities, I cannot even carry a tune.
My son has some musical ability, nobody knows how much. He has better than average music education. He can play a flute, read and play off the sheet. Most importantly - he can sing with unusual deep base voice. He likes to sing but not enough to make it a carrier. In high school he was drafted to sing in every school choire whether he wanted it or not. In college he is more careful, he never sings in public.

[tseavoy]

I've always liked music but am not talented. I was also encouraged to take piano lessons. I got up to John Thompson's 4th grade then could not get any better. I played trumpet in high school band and wasn't too bad, but not too good either. The radio in the shop is almost always tuned to the classical station, although I really like classic country, ethnic, 50's, etc. Emmy Lou Harris!! I think I was the first one in my little home town to make a hifi system. I used a Heathkit amplifier, made my own enclosure for the 12" Electrovoice speaker.
My wife loves music too but is not musically talented.
My daughter Played viola in the Seattle Youth Symphony and also competed in piano competitions. When she was good, she was good!
My son took violin lessons, but didn't have the talent or drive to be good.

I'm sorry but I just can't take modern pop music, jazz I take take or leave. Love celtic, cajun, etc.

Tom on Marrowstone

[Tom Slick]

My wife and I have no kids but both played instruments from elementary through high school. After high school there wasn't much demand for a USAF jet fighter fixin' tuba player. My Dad was a french horn player in school and my step-mom sang in choirs while in school. My sister is a music teacher with a degree in vocal performance, has played the piano professionally since she was 17 (now 31), and played the flute while in school. My parents now sing in a community choir that just toured England.

Music is kind of a "thing" in my family. Looking back I wish I would have learned Piano or Guitar (or both). There was never any pressure from my parents but band was a big deal in the Central Valley of Calif. My home town of 25,000 supported two high school bands, one of close to 300 members and the other about 200.