Calling musicians. Very musical child. Some advice please.

[spidermama]

My seven year old dd is very musical and is utterly brilliant, gifted in fact, at percussion. (Not that I'm gushing. )

I've bought her some intruments (though she's perfectly happy playing jars and tins) and I'm taking her to Stomp.

I want to make sure she gets the opportunity to go as far as she likes with her musical abilities ... but I fear she may rebel if I go overboard.

She's a great dancer too and used to do her own version of ballet. She then asked to go to classes but hated it because they told her what to do and squashed her natural joy.

Any thoughts on this gratefully received.

Musicians out there

just to add...I started late. In my area the youngest group at youth orchestra started from about your dd's age!

I am rather disappointed by the lack of good quality music for infants - to listen to, and the classes. I have just found some wonderful books and cds performed by musicians [can't stand the synthesized arrangements of baby einstein stuff]. They are called Playsongs by Sheena Roberts and the songs are beautifully sung and played - lovely harmonies. I think reading music is helpful but to develop one's aural skills - one's understanding of harmony and rythym - is even more important, and more enjoyable!

having both skills is the best combination tho!

Hi thanks ruty, I'll look that up. We have an upright piano at home, and guitars, percussion and clarinet - a range of instruments for him to listen to and bash away at, we do play lots of different music genre as well - much to my DH's amusment - Metallic to Steve Vai to Carl Orff, but the baby music classes have been really disappointing - not there for children to learn to enjoy music but as a comercial venture, don't know why I am suprised though. I did think that the baby einstein stuff was an improvement on some of the plastic music DS listens to at nursery and on TV, I will be looking up your recent find.

Thanks
Harriet

spidermama, several of the UK's conservatoires (in London, Manchester and Glasgow) have Junior sections on Saturdays for promising young musicians. CAT me if you want some contact details or more info.

Google Julie Wylie - her CDs are excellent. real music played by real musicians. Some songs might be a bit kiwi, but others travel really well. Lots of actions.

I can really recommend this book

SERIOUSLY get that book - very helpful. it helps you narrow down what might be the best instrument for her based on her personality etc.
take her to see lots of different musical events so that she sees the point of practising - classical concerts, folk concerts, workshops, whatever you can. get musicians to talk to her about what they do and why they do it. find her some role models.
play good quality music in the house and the car.
can you join in with her? do you play anything? If not, buy two recorders and teach yourself.

our beautiful piano is gathering dust in storage as we now live in a second floor falt. How about guitar lessons spidermama? I felt so cool as a kid when i hd them and its always nice to be able to play it now.

sleepytime playsongs particularly good harrizeb - some beautifully arranged folk songs and some lovely lullabys for both mums and dads to sing to babe.

Help her learn to read music but apart form that i'd say 7 is a bit early to start pushing it. The important thing is that she enjoys it, too many classes can easily squash that.