How to Have Musical Children

When and if to teach music to your children are rather loaded questions. There is a wide range of opinions, many believe that early music training is important to education. I disagree. I definitely believe music is important, but later is better in this area.

I am a classically trained musician. I began my violin studies at age 9, as was the custom at the time. I also played piano and bluegrass guitar. Many of those who began studying with me in my 4th grade violin class did not continue through high school for one reason or another, and even fewer persued music in college. After years of regular practices and gradual advanced training, I felt I was reasonably well prepared for music in high school. There was a young man in our orchestra who walked in the orchestra room door for the very first time his Sophmore year and wanted to learn to play the string bass. I was sure he would never be able to cut it, but to my utter shock, he was able to play just as well as I could after only 2 weeks of study. 

He could play just as well as I could. My eight plus years of study were in every way equal to his 2 weeks of study. 

How could that be? It's not that the two instruments are that different. They are not. It's not as if he was an incredibly gifted student, he was not. Waiting until a child is older can make all the difference in the world for a child's ability to learn and be successful.

Years of struggle, or instant success. What would you choose for your child?

There is a wonderful book called Better Late Than Early by the Raymond and Dorothy Moore. It is a classic home school book. The authors tell story after story of how children of average intelligence seem gifted when you wait until after age 12 to begin teaching them certain subjects. Music is one of those subjects. The other subjects include things like math and reading. This concept will completely change the way you think of home schooling.

Two of our sons have struggled with dyslexia throughout our home schooling career. We also have two rather gifted children at our house. In every instance, waiting longer to teach them has been invaluable. Music is no exception. However, in my early home schooling years, I wasn't aware of this concept and our oldest son was put to learning music starting at age 8. He was a good musician, and by the time he was in eighth grade he was very successful. He was also rather burned out, and did not continue with music in high school. What a waste of time, money and talent. So, what went wrong? Why hasn't music become a life long passion?

Statitstics show that children who are forced to learn music early, tend to burn out in their teen years. I see so many kids being pressured to learn far to early. Suzuki is by far the most popular method, but there are others. Very few of these students end up with a life long passion for music.

Here's why: It takes a young child nearly a year to learn the simple basics like how to hold the instrument and the bow. The children are taught to play by memorizing a tune. Since most children do not read at this early age, they don't learn to read notes until later either when reading skills are introduced. Because the children are so physically immature when they start in these programs, they need to change the sizes of instruments every few years until they are fully grown. This results in re-learning to hold it, play it, etc.

In comparison, a child who is more mature and begins to learn to play when they are in middle school or high school has far fewer of these problems. Especially for a child who is in high school, learning to hold the same instrument would only take a few minutes. They are physically more mature, and would start and continue to learn on the same size instrument. Reading skills are well established and rapid note reading is a breeze.

In classical education, the grammar stage children ages 1-11, is when young children have the greatest ability to memorize things. Suzuki picked up on this, therefore they have the children memorize all their tunes. This memorizing does not come with any true understanding of the music at this age. Concepts like dynamics, phrasing and style are beyond the young learner at this early stage of development.

In the next stage of learning, the Logic stage which begins around age 11, in which children have the ability to turn memorized data into more intellectual understanding. They begin to develope the ability to analyize (break apart)  and synthesize ( put together ) more complex information. Here learning music becomes easier. Parts of a symphony broken down, understood and put together.

Eventually, in the Rhetoric stage, ages 12 and up, the entire piece of music can be learned and fully understood. Abstract phrasing, full symphonic dynamics, style and timing are recognized at this level. 

Isn't it easier to start learning here, in the Logic stage rather than in the Grammar stage when constant repetition is the only way of learning?

So why don't we teach our children this way in stead of caving into the pressure for early learning?

The system is at fault. They do not base their facts core curriculum on facts, but rather what the parents believe is best for their children. These are false assumptions, as home schoolers we are able to make our own choices based on scientific research.

Research has indeed proven how beneficial music is to the developing mind. The Mozart Effect as it is called, proves classical music is beneficial. Just look at this impressive list of benefits:

Improves test scores

Reduces learning time

Calms hyperactivity in both children and adults

Reduces errors in school work

Improves creativity and mental clarity

Helps the body heal faster

Integrates both sides of the brain for faster learning

Raises IQ scores an average of 9 points (per research University of CA, Urving)

Musical ability is stored in the right side of the brain. Music is relaxing, and allows the brain to work more efficiently. I have played in a number of excellent symphonies over the years. Some of the people in the symphonies were music teachers, or music professors. By far, the majority of the players were highly educated professionals who had a life-time love of music. They were doctors, lawyers, and CEOs. I do not believe this is a random coincidence. Music education helps the brain work more efficiently. 

We have found the same is true in our home schooling. Music seems helps us do math. It helps us memorize our vocabulary words and relaxes us to listen to longer stories. It is especially important for our dyslexic children. Where one subject is a dyslexic weakness, music seems to be one of our more gifted areas. Sometimes there is even a massive educational learning ability gap between the two subjects. God surely has a sense of humor in this way. Our sons struggle to read and spell simple words, but can learn music quickly and it is not a learning problem for them. Thus, we have learned to focus on our strengths instead of fixating on our weaknesses.

How can you encourage your child to have a life long love of music?

All of our children spent time listening to classical music at an early age. Like in the womb. Seriously, this is where it starts. Use that Grammar stage to listen to all sorts of classical music. Learn the composers, names, dates of birth and important works. Also learn the instruments, their names, and their roll in the orchestra or band. Spend your free time listening to other classical works operas and ballets. We also enjoyed learning about the jazz era and the introduction of the jazz band.

When your child is ready for the Logic and Rhetoric stages you may consider exposing them to playing an instrument. Exposing and forcing to play are two different things. Just because you think junior should play the fiddle, doesn't mean he is ready to. It also doesn't mean he wants to give up all his free time to commit to it. Have your child use his earnings to pay for lessons and instrument rentals. You will find out how interested he really is very quickly. Don't worry if he is not ready to commit until high school. Many of the music professionals that I have known did not even begin to sing or play an instrument until age 14 or older. 

If your child is truly interested in music, make sure he has a mentor in his life to encourage him. Musical artists feed on each other's passion for what they do. Support him in his passion.

Finally, what is your goal for teaching music to your child? I think most of us would agree that teaching a life long love of music is far preferable to a short learning flash in the pan.

Linking up over at Living and Learning at Home on Trivium Tuesday!

Designer Mom