Or is sport more important than music?

[Azquilith]

Having an argument with DP about our DS learning music in the future. DP was in an orchestra at school - do kids really play in orchestras any more? Surely it's a bit 1950s and playing sport is more important for development and making friends?

[treaclesoda]

We should probably ditch both music and sport really. And history and literature. Make them do maths and science and nothing else. After all, we have to compete with the economies in the far east

[FavaBeanPyramidScheme]

Haha! I've been thinking about this too. I did extra curricular music activities in school but plan to encourage DC to do sports instead. It's so much more of a useful life skill to enjoy physical activity. Most people won't continue to play instruments.

[treaclesoda]

Eunuchlady is insulting us, I think, its just that it was unreadable. It's so much more fun to be insulted more eloquently, I find.

[SecretNutellaFix]

As a recent thread has shown, school sports puts many people off sport for life, Fava.

I don't know anyone who has been put off music either listening or playing from lessons in school

[squoosh]

Encourage them to do the one they're most passionate about Fava, or here's a thought, maybe they'll be musical and sporty. Shocking!

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

My kids did both in school. Eldest son is 20 and messes around in various band and has mates over to jam, plays 5 a side football and is in a cycle team.

My girls are more into drama nowadays, which I think also gives you that team player, social element. Not really into sport but run and go to the gym to exercise. Still mess around with the piano and other stuff in the house though.

DH has phases on the piano too.

I dunno, weird question, it's all part of life isn't it? Most people I know play something or sing or do something energetic.

[Azquilith]

Sorry crystal skull not trying to wind you up I just didn't think that you could really build on anything from music stuff in a school. I know you're not guaranteed to be a football player from playing footie at school but it gives you fitness, team skills etc.

[squoosh]

'It's so much more of a useful life skill to enjoy physical activity.'

It's more 'useful' to enjoy a physical activity than to enjoy music? That doesn't even make any sense.

[MamaMary]

OP, you're just repeating yourself and not listening or engaging with the points made.

You are being ridiculous.

This has to be a wind-up.

[beatricequimby]

Nice one Motherinferior. All the comps I know have loads of music too.

Fava - why not let your kids do what they enjoy? Does it have to be about 'lifeskills'?

Music doesn't have to be incredibly expensive. Instruments can be hired, lessons and residentials are in my area are free for families on certain benefits.

[ilovesooty]

He's only two but I'm stressing about good schools (we're in London) and have to worry about local admission criteria and then extra curricular activities and sport and music and all that money to pay out. Music just for me is something you listen to on the radio and not have to pay to engage with

I'd be more worried about his having a Philistine for a mother.

[DiaDuit]

Xfactor as your basis for choosing your child's school

"I wonder What would get him through the audtion stage?"

[Azquilith]

Not a wind up! Sorry if I've upset anyone didn't mean to, feels like I've missed out somewhere, my family was a 'sporty' focused one!

[BackforGood]

...and I LOVE sport, and all my dcs have / do partake in various sports.

Nobody can really be this ignorant though - it must be a wind up thread.

[DiaDuit]

It is really sad IMO.

Music makes the world go round

[UptheChimney]

I know you're not guaranteed to be a football player from playing footie at school but it gives you fitness, team skills etc

Let's look at this rationally. It takes around 10,000 repetitions to get something into your muscle memory. It's easier when you're young. For athletic arts yes both athletic and arts such as classical ballet, other forms of dance, and playing an instrument, the advantage of starting to learn young -- at about 8 or 9 is incalculable. It's because these require very fine, minute motor skills, using very tiny & precise muscular controls and a deep connection between muscles and brain.

Just ask anyone who's tried to learn an instrument or learn to dance as an adult.

Whereas "team sports"? Unless you've got a child showing the potential as an Olympic athlete, a lot of sports skills involve only the gross motor skills, and don't require the precision & delicacy of music or dance training. They can be learnt much more easily in later life. It's pretty easy to "learn" to jog and run a marathon at a much later age.

Ah well, if you're determined to be completely unreasonable and ignorant to boot, I suppose that's your loss. But the real sadness is, it's your DS's loss most of all.

[motherinferior]

Music teaches you a huge amount about cooperation and team skills, if you're in a band/orchestra/choir. My admittedly warped experience of sport was it taught you to smile bravely as you were the one being picked last.

[treaclesoda]

Azqulith were you the sporty girl in my year at school who told me that she'd kill herself if she was as crap at sport as me and all she was good at was playing the piano?

[squoosh]

OP encourage your boy to learn the guitar, it'll make him a big hit with the ladies when he hits his teens.

[Timeisawastin]

My dd15 competes at national age-group level in her sport and sings in a national music organisation. She loves both and I feel it gives her life balance, health and amazing social opportunities. She will never be paid for doing her sport, but she might have opportunities with music in the future to build a career, if not then at least she will still get the massive buzz you get from performing even at amateur level.

She's actually spending 3 weeks on a fully-funded residential music project at the moment and loving it!

[BikeRunSki]

DS is 5, just finished Reception.
Next year he'll have recorder lessons at school.
In Year 3 he'll have violin lessons at school, instrument provided and tuition paid by school for a year. He can carry on, in school time, at our expense beyond that.
Piano lessons in Year 4.
Local CoE primary

No, no music in school at all anymore.

[LePetitPont]

Fully agree with squoosh, shortly about to have a boy and determined as well as following his father's (and grandfathers') cricketing footsteps, he gets to be a cool muso type too. They are not mutually exclusive!

Really sad that you are writing off one potential pathway of enjoyment, socialising, skill development etc at such a young age.

And it's not like 'team' music activities suddenly stop at the end of sixth form... Lots of adult orchestras / wind bands / music groups / choirs to join as well as five-a-side.