SMSchneider wrote:
> My 9 year old son started taking violin lessons a little over 2 years ago,
> and decided he really didn't want to play any more as of today.
> My question is, where is the line between pushing the kid to practice and
> keep at something in order to learn the discipline (even fun things require
> some hard work) and knowing when it's really time to quit? The decision is
> already made here; I'm not going to push him to play and potentially make
> him hate it. Obviously, every kid and every situation is different, but I'd
> love to hear your experiences and thoughts.
I agree with the other poster who suggested encouraging your
son to explore another musical instrument or endeavor. For
example, he may be at an age where he perceives violin as
not an instrument he visualizes himself playing. Maybe too
many girls play the instrument for his taste at the age he
is (when I was in school, strings were almost all played by
girls, except for the bass). I don't think I'm being sexist
to recognize the possibility of that he's arrived at the age
where most boys and girls segregate themselves from each
other.
Perhaps yoiur son would like the idea of playing an
instrument that tends to be used in a marching band, a jazz
band, or a rock band - something like saxophone or trumpet,
or percussion (so good for developing good rhythm).
My nephew (now in high school) started with saxophone
lessons in public school when he around your son's age, in
4th grade. When he started, the bigger the size of the
instrument the better, and the macho-ness as he perceived
the instrument was a big attraction for him. Since my
sister and brother-in-law are not at all musical (e.g., no
piano in the home), this was my nephew's first exposure to
music-making. Later, his younger sister took up the cello
in elementary school, and she played in junior high school,
but I don't know if she's still playing now that she's
started high school.
My nephew started on the largest sax they'd let him play at
a small-for-his-age 9 years old, I think an alto sax. Last
year (his freshman year in HS) he switched over to French
horn, I think because there were too many people playing
saxophone. I seriously doubt he'll end up as a professional
musician, but the fun of the concert band and now the
marching band in high school has kept him making music. For
example, his school band will travel to perform at Disney
World in Florida later this year.
Peggy
--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...
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