Pick an Instrument—Any Instrument?

While a few readers recommended waiting till Joey is older or continuing to try lessons, most of you suggested, by choice or comment, that it would be best to get Joey some instruments and allow him to explore them in an unstructured environment. I heartily agree! With so much consensus it is interesting to note that it's not that common to actually see this happening in people's houses! In any case, I believe that Joey trying more lessons at this point may not work, and here is why:

Reason #1: Imagine a Martian visiting Earth for the first time. An Earthling offers her black olives. “What’s this?” asks the visitor. “Food,” answers the Earthling. Upon her return to Mars she tells the others that she tasted Earth food and didn’t like it. If a child with no musical background begins instrument lessons, the instrument being studied represents music. Therefore, when the lessons don’t work, the conclusion is likely to be that the child has no musical ability. It does not generally occur to the teacher, parents or child that it might just be the wrong instrument. Why? Because of something almost completely overlooked in music education: The choice of an instrument is personal. Some people transmit feeling through strumming or bowing. For others it is beating a drum, using their breath to make sound or plunking keys on a piano. Would you take a wild guess at who your friends should be, which foods you should like, or which profession you should pursue? Choosing an instrument deserves no less consideration.

Reason #2: Contrary to how it’s generally done, a child’s first experience with an instrument should not be instruction. Intuition and problem solving are precious learning tools. The learner who is told what to do from day one is forever deprived of the crucial opportunity to bond with an instrument in a personal way. The concern that the child might get it “wrong” or form bad habits should be put to rest until they are actually ready to begin formal study. And the benefits of bonding with an instrument far outweigh initial considerations of “rightness.”

So how to go about this for Joey? Len, one of our contributors, suggests, “...buy as many different instruments as [one] could, and leave them lying around where he could fiddle around with them. A cheap guitar for 20 bucks; a Zim-Gar recorder; a harmonica; a piano if at all possible, or a cheap electronic keyboard if a piano is not feasible; anything that makes music that you can get ahold of cheap....” I like to add an autoharp, recorder, little xylophone and some not-too-loud percussion (maraca, bells, tiny drum). These represent all the instrument families: keyboard, strings, winds and percussion. I call these the friendly instruments because, unlike the violin, oboe or trombone, you do not need to develop technique to produce a pleasing sound. This encourages and facilitates exploration. And apart from trying instruments, suggests Roger, “Hav[ing] different types of music playing in the background in your home and see if he particularly likes any of them.” Sarah adds, “...how about an informal singing group for this kid who loves to sing? A music jam and a drumming circle so that he can sing, hear other instruments, and move to the music?”

If you have considered lessons for your child or know someone else who is thinking about them, please share these ideas!

And what exactly do you do once you acquire these instruments?
To be continued …