Depends on the kid. If they want to play badly enough, then you can start them at any age. Just don't expect them to have much more than a half hour attention span, and keep moving within that time span (no more than, say five or ten minutes on any one thing -- work bowing, then length of notes, then intonation, then combinations of stuff, etc.). I'd suggest looking into Suzuki methods of teaching, as they teach lots of that age.
Just a little advice from experience. I started playing classical music when I was 7, and was fairly burnt out by the time I was 15 or so, but kept playing until the age of 18. I then discovered Irish music, and my love of music was rekindled and remains strong (even though it's only been 2 years). Just remember, young children tend to have a new interest every day. Basically, what I'm suggesting is that I see no problem in teaching a 5 year old if he/she has the interest, but don't push him/her too much even if he/she seems to have a natural talent. Irish music is too beautiful of a thing to potentially force upon a child. The child is young, so make the music as fun as possible, encourage improvement, but never make the child feel as though he is obligated to be a virtuoso. Fun is the key.
Here's a thought...I don't have young children, nor have I taught them, but I have been around quite a few child Irish music prodigies who started quite young. Two things seem to keep them into it.
One is a sense of community. When they're young they show up at the sessions and are welcomed to play the odd tune and are praised for it. They're brought into the trad family, into the music and stories and craic, yadayada.
The second thing I've noticed that one teacher in particular gives to her students (as a child gets a little older) is the freedom to explore. She's a very traditional player in the sense of her style and repertoire, but if a student comes in and says, "Hey, I really like this crazy Liz Carroll tune that no one here plays", she's alright with that and let's them go with it, while always bringing them back to good technique, the shared repertoire, and her own personal style that she wants to pass on (that's not meant to slag Liz Carroll, at all). She also encourages them if they start to get into classical or jazz or whatever. She encourages them to just be good musicians first. Trad music has a strong enough lure on its own without having to ram it down a kid's throught and say they can only play that.
I think you have to let a child take ownership of the music. It can't be for mommy or daddy or for you. And it can't be JUST about competitions or getting up on stage (though I think those things can give a confident player a sense of accomplishment, you just have to be sensitive to the individual).
So, I guess I kindof' have a third observation in that I don't think any age is too young to start because it can help give a child that sense of ownership, even if they fall away at some point.
The danger I've seen is that if a child starts at five and sticks to it they can get really good by the time they hit those early teens. That's good but they can start to seem out of place everywhere. They don't act like kids because they hang around a bunch of adults who are steadily drinking to forget the lingering regret that they didn't start at age 5. They might not hang around kids their age because those kids don't share their passion, or any passion.
So, in conclusion, ladies and gentlegerms, what's trad music without the craic? Bring them into the community and let them have fun. And if you don't have a strong community where you live then at least let them just have fun sometimes playing with you. Just playing to play.
Sorry that was really long and rambly, but I'm avoiding work.
KP
I would suggest that it depends on what you intend to teach. Children are naturally musical and respond to rhythm, mood and and dynamics in music from a very early age.
I think that the first thing to hold always in mind, is that it must be fun.
I start youngsters off with a lot of percussion work, all made fun by playing rhythms, sentences, echoes, repeats, questions, answers etc.
I involve them in listening to short selected pieces and link this to 'whole body' interaction. In other words, we 'move' to the music and explore it's character.
We explore pitch in a variety of differing contexts to and combine tuned and untuned percussion in composing their ideas and recording them and listening and being reflective. What do we like? What would you improve? Children need learn to be self critical.
Group work with children exploring their ideas at theire level is very improtant. That way, I don't impose 'an adult' philosophy to soon or unnecessarily. As Jeremy says, the sense of community is so important and this is one way of giving children their own community of musicians. In this way they can take ownership too.
My main feeling is that listening is so important for any kind of music. The more youngsters listen the more that music becomes a natural part of them.
Questions for teachers out there
Questions for teachers out there
How young is too young to start playing? I have been asked to teach a 5 year old that seems to have a strong interest. Thoughts?
# Posted on April 8th 2003 by KP
Re: Questions for teachers out there
Didn't Mozart start at 3?
# Posted on April 8th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Questions for teachers out there
Depends on the kid. If they want to play badly enough, then you can start them at any age. Just don't expect them to have much more than a half hour attention span, and keep moving within that time span (no more than, say five or ten minutes on any one thing -- work bowing, then length of notes, then intonation, then combinations of stuff, etc.). I'd suggest looking into Suzuki methods of teaching, as they teach lots of that age.
Zina
# Posted on April 8th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Questions for teachers out there
Just a little advice from experience. I started playing classical music when I was 7, and was fairly burnt out by the time I was 15 or so, but kept playing until the age of 18. I then discovered Irish music, and my love of music was rekindled and remains strong (even though it's only been 2 years). Just remember, young children tend to have a new interest every day. Basically, what I'm suggesting is that I see no problem in teaching a 5 year old if he/she has the interest, but don't push him/her too much even if he/she seems to have a natural talent. Irish music is too beautiful of a thing to potentially force upon a child. The child is young, so make the music as fun as possible, encourage improvement, but never make the child feel as though he is obligated to be a virtuoso. Fun is the key.
# Posted on April 8th 2003 by Jason G
Re: Questions for teachers out there
Here's a thought...I don't have young children, nor have I taught them, but I have been around quite a few child Irish music prodigies who started quite young. Two things seem to keep them into it.
One is a sense of community. When they're young they show up at the sessions and are welcomed to play the odd tune and are praised for it. They're brought into the trad family, into the music and stories and craic, yadayada.
The second thing I've noticed that one teacher in particular gives to her students (as a child gets a little older) is the freedom to explore. She's a very traditional player in the sense of her style and repertoire, but if a student comes in and says, "Hey, I really like this crazy Liz Carroll tune that no one here plays", she's alright with that and let's them go with it, while always bringing them back to good technique, the shared repertoire, and her own personal style that she wants to pass on (that's not meant to slag Liz Carroll, at all). She also encourages them if they start to get into classical or jazz or whatever. She encourages them to just be good musicians first. Trad music has a strong enough lure on its own without having to ram it down a kid's throught and say they can only play that.
I think you have to let a child take ownership of the music. It can't be for mommy or daddy or for you. And it can't be JUST about competitions or getting up on stage (though I think those things can give a confident player a sense of accomplishment, you just have to be sensitive to the individual).
So, I guess I kindof' have a third observation in that I don't think any age is too young to start because it can help give a child that sense of ownership, even if they fall away at some point.
The danger I've seen is that if a child starts at five and sticks to it they can get really good by the time they hit those early teens. That's good but they can start to seem out of place everywhere. They don't act like kids because they hang around a bunch of adults who are steadily drinking to forget the lingering regret that they didn't start at age 5. They might not hang around kids their age because those kids don't share their passion, or any passion.
So, in conclusion, ladies and gentlegerms, what's trad music without the craic? Bring them into the community and let them have fun. And if you don't have a strong community where you live then at least let them just have fun sometimes playing with you. Just playing to play.
Sorry that was really long and rambly, but I'm avoiding work.
Jeremy
# Posted on April 9th 2003 by jerball
Re: Questions for teachers out there
KP
I would suggest that it depends on what you intend to teach. Children are naturally musical and respond to rhythm, mood and and dynamics in music from a very early age.
I think that the first thing to hold always in mind, is that it must be fun.
I start youngsters off with a lot of percussion work, all made fun by playing rhythms, sentences, echoes, repeats, questions, answers etc.
I involve them in listening to short selected pieces and link this to 'whole body' interaction. In other words, we 'move' to the music and explore it's character.
We explore pitch in a variety of differing contexts to and combine tuned and untuned percussion in composing their ideas and recording them and listening and being reflective. What do we like? What would you improve? Children need learn to be self critical.
Group work with children exploring their ideas at theire level is very improtant. That way, I don't impose 'an adult' philosophy to soon or unnecessarily. As Jeremy says, the sense of community is so important and this is one way of giving children their own community of musicians. In this way they can take ownership too.
My main feeling is that listening is so important for any kind of music. The more youngsters listen the more that music becomes a natural part of them.
# Posted on April 9th 2003 by Fiiddle R