Oh, the angst. I seem to be very angst-oriented lately, possibly due to our ongoing debate about homeschooling. At the moment I am debating options for music learning. We try not to register for a lot of scheduled programs so that our daughter can have plenty of time to play outside and ride her bike and swim in the local pool. This means that the ones we do register in need to be well thought-out.
My daughter loves music, which is not surprising, given that my husband and I met in a band and we both play multiple instruments. She seems to be particularly keen on the drums, piano, and trumpet, which can be both delightful and earplug-inducing. She particularly enjoys chasing me around the house with a trumpet when I am trying to focus on something that requires quiet and concentration.
The piano is her current instrument of choice. We have one in our living room my daughter loves to sit on the bench, sing, and play different melodies that she makes up. Not that she is a child prodigy or anything: she just likes experimenting with the notes. She would like someone to help her with this experimentation in a fun way, maybe show her how notes go together in a melodic way to make music.
We’ve been looking for a piano teacher. However, there are few piano teachers who are willing to teach a five-year-old. Those who are interested are quite rigorous in their teaching. We’re just looking for someone to have fun with my daughter on the piano, and I can’t seem to find anyone who has an interest in doing so.
I remember my piano lessons. They were a painful experience, which is why I don’t play the piano today. My teacher was very rigorous and focused on learning the notes. I learn by ear, so this was a challenge to me. By the time the teacher got to my brother he had a totally different approach and my brother learned jazz improvisation by ear. This is the sort of attitude I want my daughter’s piano teacher to have: creating music is fun and part of the joy of life.
Have you registered your child in music classes or private lessons? Did you find a teacher that suited your child? How did you discover that person?