Any others with cello/violin playing children?

[1Anastasia]

Not having a musical bone in my body, I am finding it very hard to keep up with my 7 yr old son's desire to play all sorts of instruments but currently he has lessons in violin and cello and is studying towards his music theory exams as well. This is all at his own request and is a complete mystery to me! He reads bass and treble clef fluently according to his teachers (I can't read either with any form of reliability although I am desperately trying to learn so that I can do my best to support him). He is in his school orchestra and the local children's orchestra so has some good support from them but all the parents accompanying the children seem to be concert pianists or at the very least have some sort of musical background. I feel completely like a fish out of water! Are there any other parents out there with no musical background/knowledge who have kids that are studying instruments and if so how do you go about supporting their practice in a constructive way? Are there any books you've come across which might help?

I have 2 DDs playing violin, aged 10 and 12, both playing 4 years now.
My girls play Suzuki method, and the parent is expected to be involved.

I have limited musical background. Gave up piano at Grade 4 many many years ago. I never read music fluently, though I can read it at my own pace. And I have a pretty good ear when it comes to tuning.

Talk to his teachers about how you can best support him.

I find my main duty seems to be to remind them to practice, and discuss what to practice. If asked, their teacher gives input into what she would like practiced during a week, and also how she would like certain pieces practiced (e.g. Play the bars with the cords 5 times, the tricky section bars 23-28 5 times, section 3 & 4 a few times, and finally a play through the whole piece...) She might request that DD works on tuning of a particular note. Last week DD2 seemed to be continually hitting G too sharp. So she had a series of notes to practice and to check the tuning of G in that phrase against the tuner on our iPad...

BTW - the tuner on your phone/iPad can be a great help. If there is any arguments about a note being too flat or sharp, that will show you.

Sounds like he is doing great to be reading so well already. And I'm sure his music teachers will be delighted to have you on board supporting him.

I have two DDs. The 9 year old plays flute and recorder, and the 6 year old plays cello and recorder - started cello last March, aged 5. I'm currently finding it hard to get her to practise. She does want to learn, but is very much a 'do it later' type... then we get to bedtime and it's not been done. I'm a music teacher (woodwind) so know what her teacher is trying to get her to do, and what sort of practice needs to be done, but I think our main role as parents is to give lots of encouragement, time and space to practise, and ferry them to lessons. I have to try and stop myself getting too involved!

I'm a violin and piano teacher and my parents have no musical background at all. Mum used to remind me (nag....) to practise and when young I had help deciphering practise notes. I try to write out how to practise things in a way that children will understand.

You could help by...
Encouraging the child to begin with and concentrate on a particular passage, so they don't always start by practising the beginning.
Praising something good - I really liked that you made a difference between loud and quiet there.
Making suggestions - what if you try doing it more slowly once, so you can really think about your tuning? Wow, that sounded better! Let's try it full speed again!

I've only just worked out that the first lesson needs to involve the parents if possible - tuning, rosin on bow etc.

Not all the parents you'll meet will be are musical, it might seem that way but it's not the case. I'm a non-musical parent and my main role now is that of diary organiser and taxi service. When he was starting out my job was to carry the instrument and listen, I failed right at the start with "is that a G mum?" but seeing as we have one musical parent in the house we already had an electronic gadget that would flash when the note was right. I used to be the teacher-repeater and get him to focus on practising what he'd been told - what did MrsX ask you to think about this week?, why don't you play it again and think about articulation/whatever? do you think that was better?

I realised that I was totally out of my depth when I had to organise an accompanist for his first exam.

Hi completely non musical parent of 9yr old cellist - and yes sometimes I feel like the only non musical mom and quite guilty about it. Dd and I both floundered for first couple of years and then she took charge :) and its been a great journey - I have learnt so much just sitting in rehearsals, practice etc and I now love music I never thought of listening too. Dd is still in charge but I have learnt about practising, intonation, etc. and to make sure she has a ready stock of prices to adventure into. I have also done Cellofest with her - cant recommend it enough and I picked up a lot of handy hints and dd had a ball; 4 days where cellos rule - cant beat it. Do take a look.

I play piano a bit but stringed instruments are completely outside my area. I see my role as chivvying, being the audience and reading out the teacher's instructions! For cello, I occasionally remind DS2 to lift his elbow but that's because I've been asked to - and I help him with his flash cards for sight-reading!
Never heard of cellofest, I'm off to look up that one!

Thank you so much for all the really helpful replies and great suggestions. I've just googled Cellofest and it looks brilliant but I think it might have to wait until he's old enough to go alone as the 300 for him is undoubtedly good value but by the time I add anothe 300 for me it makes it a bit too pricey. Shame they don't offer an option where you can stay off site and just pay for the tuition and food.

Hi.My son plays violin and has just passed his grade 1.He is 8 and a half.
I'm reasonably musical in that I sing in a church choir so I can read music ona basic level.
I'm much like other posters on here,taxi service-de plays in 2 orchestras outside of school and is in the school orchestra and instrumental group at school.
It is absolutely the best thing that has happened to him and I second Janet41 saying that it has encouraged me to listen to music i normally wouldn't have.I am now a die hard Classic FM fan after ds asked me to put it on one day!!
I am trying to organise some sessions with our council run Music Academy in which ds plays for during the school hold.Ds doesn't "do" sport and music is his passion but there is so little out there for children like him.Makes me mad!!
Lovely to meet you all by the way!

1Anastasia - hi you can indeed stay off site and reduce the costs :)

Something that may be of interest, if you haven't already come across, is pianist James Rhodes' Channel4 series and campaign for music in primary schools:

www.dontstopthemusic.co.uk/

www.dontstopthemusic.co.uk/latest/campaign/lords-debate-music-education

OP: I will PM you sometime with additional information.

Another non-musical Mum with musical children.

The main problem I've come across is 'you don't play anything so you don't know what its like'.

DCs are lucky to have music teachers I trust and listen to them, and threads on Mumsnet have been invaluable to convince them and me I do sometimes know what I'm talking about.

Mine have entered our local Music Festival, individually and in various groups, and I've learnt a lot from listening to the other performances, and especially from the adjudicator saying what she/he was looking for and commenting on the performances.

Non musical parent to 11 yo violinist and 8yo cellist. It's been a long journey for me as dd1 started at 5. My role was as note taker in lessons so I could guide her practice (but useless at intonation, good at rhythm). I would sometimes say "can you now do your x scale", she, "but I've just done it" and I " just checking that you're paying attention"
She quickly learned that I didn't have a clue but still wanted me to sit in on her practice. And I did that until very recently when work arrangements meant that I am not around for practice. I tell it like it is though - I am fulsome in praise when she plays well and I ask her to break things down/isolate/work out how she can make a bar or section better if its not sounding great. She sometimes gets in a huff but she knows I am honest with her (may need to be tempered for a younger child).

Picking up things like posture or if something could have greater dynamic variation or asking for attention to be paid to a teacher instruction are things you can help with.

The cellist would like me to sit in but she has had to be more self sufficient and will just get on with it ( means sometimes things are missed or not done with real focus)

Organising practice schedule is important - you know your child, his schedule and when he is most likely to benefit from a practice. Get into a good practice rhythm - older one says she feels strange now if she misses practice.

Support comes in many forms but encouraging and praising good effort go a very long way!!

Raspberry, I get that too about how I don't play anything but am heartened by dds concert pianist piano teacher whose daughter (who albeit plays a wind instrument) asks her mum what does she know!