Music Learning Needs to be Fun

It’s only recently that I have really appreciated the inspiration I received through growing up in a musical household. My mother played piano at home and my dad was an accomplished jazz guitarist.

Having children of my own I can see how they have benefited from having access to guitars and other musical instruments as they’ve grown up. We’ve never forced them to attend music lessons or learn the piano or violin against their will. Instead we’ve tried to ensure that they are provided with encouragement and resources, in the form of a few instruments, and we think that this approach has been really good for them.

Our youngest boy has no interest in playing an instrument of making music. He has a very keen interest in sports, especially football, and online gaming. However his older brother was bashing out rhythms on a toy drum kit from about the age of three. By the time he’d reached seven he was regularly jamming, with me on guitar, on his little child size drum kit.

My daughter has a particularly rebellious personality and she has always liked to challenge both her mother and me, ever since she was a toddler. However, in recent years she too has begun to take a keen interest in music but for her this involves DJing and playing her music so loud that it prompts our neighbours to ask if it can be turned down. Her interest in DJ equipment and modern dance music has led to her developing skills in music production using computers and it’s looking like she will progress to a music technology course at college.

We think that our parental influence is very significant in the interests and inclinations of our children. We’ve tried to encourage them to be independent while ensuring that boundaries are clearly defined. As they grow through their teenage years their independence and self reliance is becoming increasingly apparent. We just wish that our daughter wouldn’t keep upsetting the neighbours with her loud dance music.

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