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From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: How do I get my 6 yr old to practice piano
Message-ID: <741@ttidcc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 30-Sep-85 18:00:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: ttidcc.741
Posted: Mon Sep 30 18:00:34 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 2-Oct-85 08:21:08 EDT
References: <2578@pegasus.UUCP> <1123@kestrel.ARPA> <466@scirtp.UUCP> <228@graffiti.UUCP>
Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
Organization: The Cat Factory
Lines: 34
Summary: 

In article <228@graffiti.UUCP> steph@graffiti.UUCP (stephanie da silva) writes:
>What I don't understand is, why would you want to force a child onto an
>instrument? Unless that child shows natural aptitude towards it, or else
>musical talent runs in your family, I would suggest channeling his energies
>towards something that he's interested in or shows promise in.
>
>Do you know what you get when you "force" a child to take piano lessons?
>
>A mediocre piano player.

That's if you and the child are lucky.  My parents pressured me into  piano
and  violin lessons as a child (a very musical family, I had a violin in my
hands at the age of two (!), piano at  four).  The  result  of  nearly  ten
years  of  childhood  violin  lessons  and  a year of piano is I don't play
either instrument _at all_.

I'm not an unmusical person.  I have an excellent ear, and am a better than
average guitar player.  I haven't picked up a violin in 20 years.

If your kids  show  interest  in  learning  an  instrument,  by  all  means
encourage  them.  Praise and reward for doing well, or even trying, are the
way to go. _DO NOT_ coerce them into practicing or punish them in  any  way
for  not  practicing  or  doing  as well as you think they should.  If they
change their minds and decide they don't want to learn an  instrument  now,
that  has  to  be  their  decision.  Forcing them in any way will only make
matters worse.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe)
Citicorp(+)TTI                    Common Sense is what tells you that a ten
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.             pound weight falls ten times as fast as a
Santa Monica, CA  90405           one pound weight.
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
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