Musical?
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Musical?
I have read lot of posts on this forum, where parents claim that their DC's are very musical.
My son plays piano(Grade 4), guitar and harmonica. His music teacher tells me that he picks up music very easily and plays very well. This is the same comment we had from all his 4 teachers we had in the last 6 years(have moved 3 times). However he never plays music out of his own wish. He needs a reminder from me even to practice. Do I consider him musical?
Personally i consider it is a talent.
My son plays piano(Grade 4), guitar and harmonica. His music teacher tells me that he picks up music very easily and plays very well. This is the same comment we had from all his 4 teachers we had in the last 6 years(have moved 3 times). However he never plays music out of his own wish. He needs a reminder from me even to practice. Do I consider him musical?
Personally i consider it is a talent.
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suzanne
Re: Musical?
He sounds musical to me! What about taking up an orchestral insrument so he can play in the school orchestra?
Re: Musical?
I agree, ensemble playing is a huge boost to enjoyment. It's all that's kept our daughter playing at times. She was a "music scholar" with the LEA music service during her last year at primary (in practice, that meant one-to-one lessons rather than group - and at a substantial discount to boot 
) because she was considered to have a lot of ability and potential, but it was a constant battle to get her to practice and when she took G2 (last summer) she only scraped a pass. However, she moved up to a more demanding ensemble at start of Y7 and has really enjoyed that - she got high 90s% in G3 in December. (Mind you, I instituted a "Chinese parent" regime of 30 mins practice every day as a condition of pocket money/treats/meals/sleeping indoors instead of in a tent in the garden after the G2 debacle, and that's played a part as well.)
My opinion, which I worked very hard (but unsuccessfully) to persuade our son of, is that in later life you're never going to think "I wish I hadn't learnt to play guitar/piano" - but you may well regret not being able to. But they're basically solo instruments; it would be well worth your son's while to take up an orchestral instrument or band instrument and enjoy the social/collaborative side of music as well.
Mike
) because she was considered to have a lot of ability and potential, but it was a constant battle to get her to practice and when she took G2 (last summer) she only scraped a pass. However, she moved up to a more demanding ensemble at start of Y7 and has really enjoyed that - she got high 90s% in G3 in December. (Mind you, I instituted a "Chinese parent" regime of 30 mins practice every day as a condition of pocket money/treats/meals/sleeping indoors instead of in a tent in the garden after the G2 debacle, and that's played a part as well.)My opinion, which I worked very hard (but unsuccessfully) to persuade our son of, is that in later life you're never going to think "I wish I hadn't learnt to play guitar/piano" - but you may well regret not being able to. But they're basically solo instruments; it would be well worth your son's while to take up an orchestral instrument or band instrument and enjoy the social/collaborative side of music as well.
Mike
Re: Musical?
Well said. I used to have to remind my musical DS to practice. However, now in year 13 and doing his A levels he plays his trumpet 'for relaxation'. I never have to remind him now. He has told me that he is very glad that I nagged him to practice when he was younger.mike1880 wrote:My opinion, which I worked very hard (but unsuccessfully) to persuade our son of, is that in later life you're never going to think "I wish I hadn't learnt to play guitar/piano" - but you may well regret not being able to.
Re: Musical?
Maybe we should just avoid labels? A friend of mine was 'the clever one' while her sister was 'the pretty one' and the brother 'the naughty one'. These labels have affected all three of them forever; 'the pretty one' was actually really clever, but never felt she was taken seriously, 'the clever one' has been hung up on her looks quite needlessly and 'the naughty one' (oh how many boys have to suffer that particular label?) is now an accountant. 
Personally I find anyone's description of their own child as 'sporty' or 'musical' a little intimidating because it does carry an implicit message that the child is super-talented and rather better than others. I prefer 'is very interested in..' or 'does a lot of..', or Belinda's 'lives for...'because that way you are not trying to include an evaluation of their brilliance. It kind of speaks for itself, and why does it matter anyway? If they love it, isn't that enough? And if they don't, then what's the point in pursuing it, no matter how talented they are (or their parents think they are)?
Personally I find anyone's description of their own child as 'sporty' or 'musical' a little intimidating because it does carry an implicit message that the child is super-talented and rather better than others. I prefer 'is very interested in..' or 'does a lot of..', or Belinda's 'lives for...'because that way you are not trying to include an evaluation of their brilliance. It kind of speaks for itself, and why does it matter anyway? If they love it, isn't that enough? And if they don't, then what's the point in pursuing it, no matter how talented they are (or their parents think they are)?
Re: Musical?
Indeed; and fond parents have been known to overestimate the enthusiasm of friends and relatives to 'share' in a child's prodigious musicality by being treated to impromptu performances. Ditto the viewing of accolades of sporting brilliance, eg trophies, medals etc (what's to say? Oh, very nice dear, yes...real aluminium); or even as I was once offered, the viewing of the end of a particularly hard-fought cross country race on video.Belinda wrote:It is ultimately the individual's interpretation of the word 'musical'.
