My Thoughts on Music Lessons

Awww, thanks, Melinda! :) I started to write a comment to your post, but was told it was too long for the comment box!

Wonderful post. You've covered everything and said it so well. I still struggle with feeling that maybe I have done my kids a disservice by starting them later (than 3), but when I think objectively about it, I think I've done the right thing for them and us. Honestly, I just could not see the value to any of us of getting involved in formal lessons when Mr. P was 3. It would have only been a battle, and he expressed no interest. He started piano when he was 6, and it has been perfect for him.

I think the goal in music from birth to age 5 should be exposure, exposure, exposure - to different genres of music, different instruments, to opportunities to develop pitch matching and rhythmic skills. You don't have to consider yourself musical in order to create a musical environment in your home through listening and providing accessible instruments.

I was not able to match pitch until I was 6 or 7. My mom was very worried she had a tone deaf child! I didn't start piano lessons until age 7. From birth, though, I was surrounded by music-making - my mom played piano often and participated in church music while my dad played the guitar for my brother and I to sing along. My brother played piano for a couple years, but quit because he didn't like it. Later, in high school, he took up the guitar and trumpet.  Our temperaments are very different - I wanted to please and do as I was told, my brother didn't want to learn anything until it was his idea and he could see a clear purpose as to why he should learn it. He has become the most accomplished musician of us all.

In my experience with my own children, I can see a huge difference between the amount of music exposure they each had as toddlers. Even though I am a musician, I didn't do a great job exposing Mr. P to a wide variety of music and music experiences as a toddler. While he's in a good place now, he was late in developing his rhythmic and tonal skills. Doing the Music Together Class last year, and the MMPT class this year has advanced them all immensely…..but it's not only because of the weekly class. It's because of listening to the music in the car and playing with the songs around the house throughout the day. We make up words to the songs (which I'm TERRIBLE at doing on the spot in class!), we change the rhythms and enjoy them. Sweetpea is already beginning to match pitch and follow rhythms because I'm singing and making music with her more informally than I ever did with the boys.

So my recommendation is to follow your motherly instinct and make music with your children as much as you can - tapping rhythms with a spoon on a tabletop counts! If your child is asking to learn a particular instrument when young, then go for it. But if your child isn't showing interest in a certain instrument, it is my (very humble) opinion that it's not worth it to start lessons before age 5. Use the opportunity to develop his musicianship skills using small instruments (glockenspiel, melody harp, drums, percussion instruments, ukele) and play along with CDs or make your own music. Those experiences will accelerate his progress when he does begin lessons. If your child shows no instrument preference between ages 5 and 7, then piano is an excellent place to start. They will get a chance to learn how to read music on both clefs and develop a great foundation from which to move to any instrument they desire.