A friend's 4-year-old daughter has been asking to take violin lessons, but her mom isn't sure whether now is a good time to start. She asked me because I played violin as a child, starting at age 9.
When is the right age to start kids on a musical instrument? And how do you pick a teacher?
Violin teacher Edie Bennett of Southwest Portland said she starts students as young as 2, often because the child asks to learn an instrument. For strings, kids can start as toddlers because the instruments come in scaled-down sizes to fit tiny hands and teaching methods don't stress the ability to read notes in the beginning. Bennett said it's never too young as long as children are having fun and the teacher is a good fit.
Of course, a 2-year-old's lesson would look different from a fourth-grader's. The younger the student, the shorter the attention span and the more the teacher must be creative to hold the child's interest, Bennett said. A 2-year-old won't be reading notes, but she might practice holding the bow, clapping rhythms, and plucking strings.
Other instruments such as piano are best saved until children grow a bit so their fingers and bodies can fit the instruments and they have the skills to begin reading notes. And pushing them into it when they're not interested is a bad idea.
Here are some of Bennett's tips on picking the right teacher:
• Find out something about the teacher's training, experience, and history working with young children.
• Ask about how they structure the lesson. Is it high pressure?
• Tell the teacher what you're looking for. Do you want your child to be playing in a youth orchestra as soon as possible, or do you want your child to be relaxed and comfortable and enjoy the lesson?
• Meet and spend a little time together, preferably to observe a lesson with another child. Is the studio child-oriented?
• Talk to other parents who use the teacher you're considering.
• The most important thing for young children is rapport with their teacher, Bennett said. If children love their teacher, they'll love their instrument and be excited to go to lessons. If the teacher seems too rigid or your child doesn't want to practice, find somebody else.
Bennett also said she encourages people not to make a long-term commitment to a package of lessons at first. If the child loses interest, wait a while and come back to it.
Here's a good online guide to starting formal music lessons for children of different ages, including choosing the right instrument and avoiding burnout.
What are your experiences with music lessons? Did you start your child too early, or did you regret waiting too long?
-- Sarah Hunsberger; email@example.com