Many students change instruments. Especially as they advance into middle school or then high school, the school might need a certain instrument. They always need french horns (hint hint, college hook potential)

I know a music teacher who offers the first lesson for free. Has several different stringed instruments in the studio your child could try.
iteachmusic2u.com

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Levine school is great and has a number of programs to try out different instruments.

OP here again. I wrote to the Levine school to inquire and never got a response at all. Pretty disappointing, since we live nearby.

Have you tried calling them or stopping by?

I found the Levine school really snobby. They refuse to teach piano to students who don't own an acoustic piano. Not everyone is willing to make that investment until they are sure their kids show some aptitude in and interest for piano. International School of Music doesn't have that requirement. (of course, there are reasons that acoustic pianos are better. But there are good digital pianos with good sound and a weighted keyboard that work for the first couple years.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a musical child, piano is the way to start! There is no other instrument that uses the right and left hand equally (and therefore the two halves of the brain), the full treble and bass clefs. Plus the mathematical beauty of music is evident in the structure of the piano itself! A kid can move to anything from the piano. But not the other way around.

I agree. I think piano is a great place to start to learn to read music.
then the kids can take up another instrument (like a string or brass or wind instrument) in 4th grade when they can get lessons at school.

I third this. With some piano under their belts, they can easily move to try a variety of other instruments. Also learning music on piano makes musical structure so obvious. I was always playing in one clef or another, never both, with woodwinds. He goes to Bach2Rock & likes it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Levine school is great and has a number of programs to try out different instruments.

OP here again. I wrote to the Levine school to inquire and never got a response at all. Pretty disappointing, since we live nearby.

Have you tried calling them or stopping by?

Anonymous wrote:For a musical child, piano is the way to start! There is no other instrument that uses the right and left hand equally (and therefore the two halves of the brain), the full treble and bass clefs. Plus the mathematical beauty of music is evident in the structure of the piano itself! A kid can move to anything from the piano. But not the other way around.

I agree. I think piano is a great place to start to learn to read music.
then the kids can take up another instrument (like a string or brass or wind instrument) in 4th grade when they can get lessons at school.

Also think about the disposition of your kid.

Piano doesn't let them join the band or the orchestra.

For us, that was fine, since my kid isn't really interested in school things.

For others, that would be an opportunity lost.

Some folks did piano and a school instrument, but that was too much for us.


I agree with the posters regarding choosing among similar instruments to maximize their opportunities (i.e. viola v violin)

I would also recommend viola. It's strange clef helps/forces kids to learn to read music fast and the fact that it's not violin makes it more forgiving- not up against all kinds of violin stars in the orchestra, for example.

For a musical child, piano is the way to start! There is no other instrument that uses the right and left hand equally (and therefore the two halves of the brain), the full treble and bass clefs. Plus the mathematical beauty of music is evident in the structure of the piano itself! A kid can move to anything from the piano. But not the other way around.

Montgomery college has a summer camp where kids get to try various instruments over the week.

OP,

I came across and thought of your post. Don't know if your kid picked an instrument yet, but b/f some concerts, there is an instrument "petting zoo" to let the kids try instruments. They sanitize mouthpieces in between uses:
http://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=NOFCC

Anonymous wrote:Levine school is great and has a number of programs to try out different instruments.

OP here again. I wrote to the Levine school to inquire and never got a response at all. Pretty disappointing, since we live nearby.

I started my kids in 4th grade because we had a music programs (free lessons). I persuaded them to play wind instruments so that they could be in the marching band in high school if they wanted. One played the trumpet and the other, the clarinet. Rented instruments for the 1st year and then bought used instruments.

Levine school is great and has a number of programs to try out different instruments.

FCPA has a number of after school classes and summer camps for piano and guitar. We have done both. They are good intros to music.

Both our boys got interested in playing in school band. They wanted to take band to get out of math! but now they both love music. IMHO The trade off as worth it.