Parents of musicians - how is it going?

[Anonymous]

My kids (14 and 12) loved playing in groups at school. They are both quite decent at their instruments (due to us nagging at them to practice and enjoying music in general).

They have been continuing with private lessons over Zoom and daily practice.

Unfortunately they play brass instruments so the likelihood of playing with other kids (their favorite part of music) seems dubious until a vaccine is developed.

How are things going for your young musicians?

Are your musicians practicing more given all their free time? Or less because there’s nothing to work towards (like my kids)?

[Anonymous]

Mine is practicing more, but it is tough if your most enjoys playing in a band/orchestra/ensemble. No word from our youth orchestra yet, I assume it is cancelled for the Fall.

[Anonymous]

We have a piano and four kids. Two practice every day and get lessons twice a week. Two practice sporadically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a piano and four kids. Two practice every day and get lessons twice a week. Two practice sporadically.

Online lessons?

[Anonymous]

My flute-playing middle schooler is practicing regularly and doing a weekly Zoom lesson. She's been working up some fun pieces with her dad accompanying on piano, and is submitting them to a virtual concert series for assisted living facilities (and getting volunteer/SSL hours for this). She misses playing with a group, but this is helping.

[Anonymous]

My kid is only 10 and has continued with private lessons via zoom. But performing in a band is his favorite part and since that's not going to happen any time soon (he also plays brass), he's hard to motivate to practice.

[Anonymous]

We went from one to two lessons a week when schools closed and my daughter has made significant progress in her playing. She is auditioning for MCYO, as in years past, even though we know it will be virtual and virtual orchestra is frustrating.

DD also does an online music theory class.

[Anonymous]

With more time and fewer performance opportunities we did the following

- Learned a related instrument (in DD's case, viola in addition to viola)
- Did lots of sight-reading practice with downloads from imslp
- More family music making

[Anonymous]

I mean viola in addition to violin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
We went from one to two lessons a week when schools closed and my daughter has made significant progress in her playing. She is auditioning for MCYO, as in years past, even though we know it will be virtual and virtual orchestra is frustrating.

DD also does an online music theory class.

Which online music theory class? I'm looking for one for my son.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a piano and four kids. Two practice every day and get lessons twice a week. Two practice sporadically.

Online lessons?

No, in person. My ex gives our two lessons, and sometimes my step kids want lessons and sometimes they don't or they're not here when he's here.

[Anonymous]

Practicing has ramped up. Lessons in one instrument went to twice weekly. Zoom recitals at the end of the spring gave a goal, as does an upcoming youth orchestra audition. The lessons via FaceTime have been working out well.

[Anonymous]

I have 4 musicians, age 17, 16, 14 and 8 years old. We recently upgrade to a brand new 80,000 Steinway along with Martin D-18, D-28 and D-42 acoustic guitars (cost almost 19K).

The 17 & 14 years old sons practice guitar three hours everyday and take one hour lesson each twice a week in person with their instructors at a public park and social distancing. The 16 years old daughter and 8 years old son practices 2 1/2 hours everyday and also take lesson one hour each twice a week via Facetime. Piano lesson goes for $100/hr and guitar lesson goes for $75/hour. They are getting so much better in the past four months due to lot of lessons and practices. Good thing about piano and guitar instruments is that they don't have to join band or group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 4 musicians, age 17, 16, 14 and 8 years old. We recently upgrade to a brand new 80,000 Steinway along with Martin D-18, D-28 and D-42 acoustic guitars (cost almost 19K).

The 17 & 14 years old sons practice guitar three hours everyday and take one hour lesson each twice a week in person with their instructors at a public park and social distancing. The 16 years old daughter and 8 years old son practices 2 1/2 hours everyday and also take lesson one hour each twice a week via Facetime. Piano lesson goes for $100/hr and guitar lesson goes for $75/hour. They are getting so much better in the past four months due to lot of lessons and practices. Good thing about piano and guitar instruments is that they don't have to join band or group.

I absolutely love this. What an amazing family you have. I would love for my home to be filled with in-house musicians!

[Anonymous]

I have a cello and viola player who were making great progress in the spring when we did virtual lessons twice a week. Summer has brought a drop off in practice and enthusiasm, which I think is to be expected, plus they went down to one lesson a week. I'm ok with this because despite everything it is still summer.