Are you glad your parents made you take piano lessons?

[Anonymous]

I was forced to take them for a couple months. It was terrible - I never learned any instrument.

I will not repeat that mistake with my children.

[Anonymous]

no I'm not happy my parents made me take piano lessons. It was a big part of making me unhappy for 3-4 years of my childhood and I didn't learn much at all. But it was the WAY they did it that was bad. (Just forcing me to do it, never encouragine me, never listening... I was the only one who had to come home and practice, while my brothers could play outside doing whatever they wanted til dinner..)

I signed my 7 year old up for piano, but he loved it. I try very very hard to stay out of his practicing. I was lucky he did it on his own (only 5 minutes at a time at random intervals, but he made good progress.) Now that it's not exciting for him anymore (after a year), I do ask him to practice, but let him set the timer himself. The timer helps. I tell him the goal is 20 mins/day, but he sets it sometimes for 20, sometimes 5, usually 10 or 15. So far, it works just for me to assk what time of day he wants to practice. I don't get upset if he misses a day, though I might comment on it. So far it works. (He probably misses at least 2 days a week on average, and practices maybe 15 mins the other days, but he makes progress. Sometimes it helps a lot just to get in 5 mins after breakfast, 10 mins while I'm making dinner..)

But if he ever wants to quit, I will let him (and encourage him to find another instrument, or way to include music in his life)

[Anonymous]

Yes, I was a very good pianist. Continued taking it into college (but wasn't a music major).

Music is a language. It's also math. So, it's brilliant.

[Anonymous]

I wish I had stuck with it, I was too lazy and was too interested in playing with my friends back then but now I regret not taking the lessons seriously.

[Anonymous]

I took lessons for several years, didn't particularly enjoy them, though didn't hate them, haven't played since grade school. I'm not musically inclined, at all. My dad was musically inclined and still plays beautifully to this day, at 71.

My DH took lessons for several years, loved it, went on to get his first degree in music, still plays the piano, guitar, bass, drums, and sings beautifully. Music has always been his respite, solace, his release from stress. He is also obviously very musically inclined.

I think it totally depends on whether your kids get "the gene" or don't. I didn't. My DH did. We are about to get a piano so our kids will have access and opportunity, in case they have "the gene", but we won't push them at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't still play but my children do. Why do you want them to learn? I want my kids to a) be able to read music b) understand the way that sounds work and c) have a foundation so if they do want to pick up an instrument they have the basic conception of what it's about. They are little so I don't make them practice, they play fun music games (I can give you some links if you're stuck) and they like it. Their teacher is laid back and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I would also never make them play/want them to play in a recital at a young ago, if a teacher said "they should practice more" I'd ignore it (they are too small), we're not on the exam track and the only thing I do try and 'socially engineer' relates to playing lots of good classical music - not the moronic "dumbed" baby versions - so that they hear it.

The other day they were downstairs playing "piano lessons" and having a whale of a time on our long suffering family piano. I was actually very surprised at how good some of the stuff they were doing sounded. And I'd hardly put anyone in our family in the "gifted or even vaguely talented" category.

I'm not this poster, but she wrote exactly what I want for my child and what my parents wanted for us.

I took lessons for 7yrs, starting at 9. I loved (and still do love) playing, but HATE, hate, hate performing and recitals. I am very glad my parents made me take lessons. Neither of my parents play an instrument and it was important to them that we all (3 of us) learn. Each of us also went on to play other instruments, between the 3 of us, we play the cello, violin, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet and guitar. We all played with school bands/orchestras and supplemented with private lessons off and on. There wasn't pressure to compete or be top-notch, just to do the best we can and enjoy ourselves. As adults, we don't play often, but we all miss it.

DC is already interested in music and he will be taking lessons. I've started at home already a little bit. He hopefully will also play another instrument as well, of his choice. I think it's an important part of his education, one that he won't get at school.

We also took art classes off and on for the same reason. None of us can draw worth a damn (my mom can, she also paints), but we all have a deeper appreciation art and art history because of it.

[Anonymous]

No - I got piano lessons because my mom wanted them as a child but never took them. I did not have the talent for it, and to this day I am surprised I can type because the whole fingers moving independently on keys thing just wasn't happening for me with piano lessons. I asked to quit, and when my mom said no I quit going on my own - and told the teacher I was sick. I got caught when the piano teacher saw me around town and called my mother...I had to go to the lessons I'd missed and it was awful. If my kids express an interest in music lessons, great, but if not I won't push them.

[Anonymous]

Yes even though I no longer play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes - glad my parents made me take them.

No - I no longer play.

Same here

[Anonymous]

Yes -- but I loved playing the piano and was upset when my mom decided to quit sending me to lessons after 10 years (she didn't want to drive me anymore to them or pay for them).

I haven't played in years because I don't have a piano but we're planning on getting one in the next year so I'll be playing again!

I'd like each of my kids to take lessons for one or two years and then they can quit if they want or switch to another instrument of their choice.

[Anonymous]

This brings me to another question: what do people in this country do to educate their children in music? I come from a place with institutional music education for children so I feel a little lost in the U.S. when it comes to plotting music immersion for my son. Do people just get private lessons with random tutors? If so, how do you enforce performance standards and place your child within the framework of where they "should" be for their age and dexterity? Please give me some tips.

[Anonymous]

no and no. I hated it. I hated the teacher and I hated my parents for forcing me to do it. There was such screaming in my house every week. The teacher kept telling me that if I practiced the piano I'd be good at typing and i could get a good job as a secretary. I'm not bashing secretaries at all, but it seems like a silly reason to learn piano.

I did learn to read music and that has been helpful at other points in my life, but the negatives far outweighed the positives overall.

[Anonymous]

Are there piano teachers who do not force you to do recitals? If so, this is the kind of teacher I'd want for my DC. I enjoyed piano but the prospect of recitals looming nearer and nearer put the fear of God in me and I honestly think ruined my whole attitude towards piano, quite frankly! I ended up quitting. I would want my DC to just enjoy and learn piano, music appreciation, etc. w/o the hassle of having to perform.

[Anonymous]

eh- I'm remarkably terrible for someone who took piano lessons for 10 years. And our condo isn't big enough for a piano, so I only play a few times a year at my parents' house. Violin was my idea- I always played / practiced regularly and still do. If if your kid hates it, she hates it- probably isn't going to change. Find a musical instrument that's her idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:no and no. I hated it. I hated the teacher and I hated my parents for forcing me to do it. There was such screaming in my house every week. The teacher kept telling me that if I practiced the piano I'd be good at typing and i could get a good job as a secretary. I'm not bashing secretaries at all, but it seems like a silly reason to learn piano.

I did learn to read music and that has been helpful at other points in my life, but the negatives far outweighed the positives overall.

Agree that that's a ridiculous reason to take piano, but when I was in HS, my dad made me take typing- told me I'd never survive college if I couldn't "really type"-- halfway through the course the teacher got special permission for me to take half a credit. Thanks to piano, I could type after about four lessons at 90 WPM. I worked up to like 120 before he kicked me out of the class, ha ha...