Klarinet Archive - Posting 000638.txt from 2003/10

From: "Musician" <musicians@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: Starting a Youngster
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2003 21:33:38 -0400

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From: "Lacy, Edwin" <el2@-----.edu>
Subject: RE: Starting a youngster
Message-ID:
<FBAA835302BB614E9D5B54EBEA335DCB02A7C000@-----.edu>

From: "Stacy-Michelle"

<<<I wish I had started at 7,>>>

Why? There often is an assumption that if a child begins to play a
musical instrument at a very young age, or to read when they are 3
years
old, the ultimate result will be that they will play better, or read
better, when they are adults. This is probably not true.

One of the best music programs in this part of the world offers
beginning instrumental instruction starting in the 7th grade, while
most
others start in the 5th grade. Those who begin in the 7th grade will
play as well at the end of their 8th grade year as those who started
two
years earlier.

Ed Lacy
University of Evansville

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I beg to differ - the brain development of the wires called later as
the "god given talent" are developing until the student reaches
Puberty. Then at that developmental stage the brain wires are "set in
stone". At that point you have what is known as your "god given
talent" and it doesn't change - sure you can practice hard, etc and
still get really good, but I'm talking about the natural ability that
can change before Puberty. If you work before that point you can
development those set of wires to be more efficient than if you start
later.

I heard that in a Doctors lecture about the development of the Brain
and it's musical usage. I still say start em in 4th grade if possible.
Given the same level of teacher, the younger starter will do better
for much more than the 2 years if both work at the same rate of
practice.

And yes of course a great program will yield much better results than
a lesser one.

And here's another angle at it - The older the student starts the more
likely they will have to make a choice between Sports and Music and if
they don't have a solid musical background, the music might be likely
the one to suffer from it.

Just my opinion

David Blumberg

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