Your Parenting Info

I taught myself how to play the guitar when I was 17. Yes, I started late, but I learned fast. Just a year after learning the guitar, I played bass in a band that my brother and I started. During that time I seriously considered pursuing a career in music, so I learned everything there was to learn about music. But time changes things and some things had to be set aside; my music took the backseat as I pursued my degree. But music did not die in my heart, it just lay dormant, waiting to be tapped into wakefulness. I keep telling myself that I will soon have time for it. But that time never comes.

Time flies fast, now I am a father working hard to build a good future for my son. Just like other parents, I want my son to excel, to be somewhat extraordinary, to have artistic talent. In life, artistic talent is not really necessary, but it is a very big plus and how I wish my son would have it.  I want my son to learn music, too, but I do not want to force it on him. If he shows interest in music, I gladly will give it to him.

Every time I see a very young child showing extraordinary talent in music, I can not help but wonder about the best time to teach a child how to play a musical instrument. I saw a  young Korean girl execute a very difficult classical piece with so much mature emotion on Youtube. It made me wonder about the time she started to learn the guitar–was it when she was three or four?

My son is now four years old, but he is not showing any interest in the guitar. The only things with my old electric guitar that catch his attention are the volume and tone knobs on it and not the music that it produces. But this does not frustrate me, I know that the best time to teach  him how to play the guitar or any musical instrument is when he shows interest. It could come any time, maybe when he’s 5, or 8, or when he’s 10. It could be when he’s 17, who knows?