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In a message dated 1/9/2004 3:02:22 PM Central Standard Time, MarSi77@...
writes:


> I told him I would still get him the new guitar ( the next step up) and
> that he can play when he WANTS to. I also told him his teacher said anytime
> he
> wants to learn a few more songs he would fit him in.
> His teacher's advice was above all "to love music".
>

We have a similar situation, my 12yro son Tom is musical guy, he took violin
lessons a few years ago for about 6 mos but got interested in piano so the
same teacher would play around with him during the lesson with both the piano and
the violin. Eventually he decided that he didn't want anymore lessons at that
time but liked the teacher (and she liked him) and felt bad at leaving her.

Last year he thought he might like more piano lessons so we caled a lady in
our neighborhood but she had a waiting list which we put his name on and found
another teacher. Whoa, the application alone felt like a college application
and she made learning the piano look like a lot of work to me, Tom went 2 weeks
and asked if he could stop so I let him.

The lady in the neighborhood called so he tried a few lessons with her and
still opted to go it alone. He has added the electric guitar to his collection
and is quite content having dad show him a few cords and figuring the rest out
on his own. He will play the piano a while then leave it alone. A friend came
over with her kids one day and one of her boys showed him the rest of a song
he had been picking out.

I've offered lessons on either instrument if he wants them. It's just
interesting to watch the progression. I am glad he is adament that he doesn't want
lessons if he doesn't. So many people think that just because you like something
or are good at it you should run and take a lesson and I admit that was my
first thought but my son has taught me otherwise.

He also taught me how to give time for an answer, when he was learning to
read he would read out loud to me, if he got stuck on a word I would right away
tell it to him. He would get so angry and tell me to let him figure it out and
if he wanted help he would ask. We still do it that way and I have even had to
tell my mom to wait which she hated, LOL.

Kids are good teachers,
Laura


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