Music lessons

[AllieBaba]

So today...my children start music lessons.

They're taking piano, violin, guitar and choir.

My saintlike babysitter (and she is a saint, I will never say a negative word about her...except...)

was concerned I was overloading them.

I tried to point out to her...piano, violin, guitar, are all string instruments...they're all essentially the same...if the kids are into it and can focus, if they get it young, they've got music forever.

I had to fight with her. She doesn't play an instrument. I played piano, flute and (badly and very rudimentally, guitar). As I pointed out to her, if they're into it, it's the same as with languages, the younger the better. If they can't focus and it's not for them at this age, fine, I'm not going to force them into it, they can go to church school (which is the option..she was like..."But Wednesdays is when they have WEEKDAY SUNDAY SCHOOL and they love it!" Of course it's Methodist "after school Sunday school" which has very little to do with learning scripture).

I told her, if they go with the music, I'll start back on (Baptist) church and Sunday school. Believe me, they'll be begging every day for music lessons. At least my youngest will. He rolls around the aisle during t he sermon and shouts out the most amazing shit, which has nothing to do with church, while flailing around. Which is why we aern't attending right now. I get so angry with him I figure it sort of negates the purpose of church).

Anyway, today they have piano lessons. Ave maria, hope for the best.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Pianos are aren't string instruments.

 

[xsited1]

I agree with your saintlike babysitter. I'd either start them with the piano or violin.

 

[AllieBaba]

Pianos are string instruments. You strike the strings, which trigger the hammers, which hit the strings.

String instrument. Open one up and look.

 

[AllieBaba]

"Not often immediately recognized as such, a piano is also a string instrument."

String instrument - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The pianoforte, more commonly known as simply the piano, is a large stringed instrument played with a keyboard."
Stringed Instruments

 

[AllieBaba]

It's a stringed instrument. A guitar is different only in that instead of hitting different keys, you move your hand up and down the strings and strike the string, instead of hitting a key, which triggers a hammer, which in turn hits the string of the note you're aiming for.

 

[AllieBaba]

So explain to me...how is it worse to have your kids taking 3 music lessons a week, compared to them taking one dance lesson, one language lesson, and one arts lesson a week?

It's all the same.

Except of course, my choices aren't random or faddish. I want them to learn music.