Musical instrumentalists - did you learn because you were made to, or because you wanted to?

[ColinJ]

I started recorder age 7 with everyone else. After one lesson I begged to be allowed to take the book home for the weekend. When I returned the next week fully able to play the thing, I was made to teach the other kids whilst the teacher went to the staffroom for a fag.

That gave me a flashback to 1961 (or 1962? It couldn't have been later because we moved in 1963)... I learned to read before I started school so I was way ahead of the other kids. I think that there was a flu epidemic which poleaxed half the teachers and I remember the head coming in to 'borrow' me from my class to read to the children in the class above me because their teacher was off sick and they couldn't read for themselves.

 

[roley poley]

we were given a test at school where a record played a note ..waited 4 or 5 seconds and played another note ...you had to write down if it was higher/lower /same ..many notes later after the results were gathered in I was declared tone deaf by the teacher ...however I can sight read a simple tune and whistle it back to you note perfect and in tune as easy as you could read these words out loud that you see me type before your eyes now ..dont be discouraged do your own thing in music and take pleasure in doing so

 

[ColinJ]

I knew somebody very intelligent who had no sense of rhythm. I could clap something really simple like 1-2-and-3-4, 1-2-3-and-4, 1-2-and-3-4, 1-2-3-and-4 and he could not repeat it. I tried over and over but he just couldn't do it, even if I called out the words as I clapped it. I could never understand what was going on in his head (or NOT going on!) to stop him grasping it.

 

[DCBassman]

I knew somebody very intelligent who had no sense of rhythm. I could clap something really simple like 1-2-and-3-4, 1-2-3-and-4, 1-2-and-3-4, 1-2-3-and-4 and he could not repeat it. I tried over and over but he just couldn't do it, even if I called out the words as I clapped it. I could never understand what was going on in his head (or NOT going on!) to stop him grasping it.

I've met people like that. Some of them sat behind drum kits...

 

[srw]

I started on the piano and recorder at the age of 5 and the oboe at 7. Despite being the best musician in my primary school year group and loving performing I was banned from the primary school choir because I couldn't sing in tune.

So at secondary school I was surprised to find myself in the "better" choir - and I loved it. I carried on at school with both my instruments and singing, and the recorder as a bit of fun on the side (I've told the story recently on here of who I used to play with). I'd also wanted to play the organ for a very long time, so started learning that as well.

Some of my music teachers wanted me to go to music college, but I knew I wanted to go to university for an academic degree. Once there I focused on singing to the exclusion of everything else musical. Eventually I got a church organist gig, but gave that up to earn real money in a profession.

I've always wanted to perform, and eventually found one way to do it, as an occasional organist. (Another way is by giving talks and presentations for work.) The last few months have been brilliant because they've given me the opportunity to practise and go from competent sight reader towards competent player.

I'm lucky because I have the sort of brain that meant I've always been able to sight read and I also get music theory. On the downside that means that I rarely really learn music.

The last couple of holidays we've taken we've taken our consort of recorders and multitracked ourselves. This time I also brought a midi keyboard and yesterday we busked through a Marais suite for two treble instruments and continuo, having recorded the harpsichord part. I'm amazed at what is now available technologically to support music production.

 

[Julia9054]

Despite being the best musician in my primary school year group and loving performing I was banned from the primary school choir because I couldn't sing in tune.

Despite being the best musician in my church run primary school, I was banned from the church choir due to lacking a penis.

 

[srw]

Despite being the best musician in my church run primary school, I was banned from the church choir due to lacking a penis.

A significant problem, which is fortunately less widespread now, and should be completely eradicated.

 

[Dave7]

I genuinely think I am tone deaf.
In junior school I could never play a tune on the recorder.
Aged 11 I joined the school choir and was asked to leave after one session.
Got a harmonica off my uncle. Loved it but could not play the thing.
As an adult I took guitar lessons. Learned to play Yellow Bird but only by remembering where to put which finger.
Then I gave up.

 

[nickyboy]

My mum made my sister and me have piano lessons

I hated it. I had no natural ability and didn't want to do it. It made me miserable to be forced to practice. At the first opportunity I stopped and I've never regretted doing so

My kids had no interest in playing an instrument so I've never "encouraged" them

 

[Julia9054]

A significant problem, which is fortunately less widespread now, and should be completely eradicated.

My children had a fantastic musical education as part of the church choir a generation later. (different church, different town)
My youngest joined age 7 after a school recruitment drive by the choir master and my eldest at 14 as a tenor when he realised it was full of girls! Their choir master was inspirational, traditional and old fashioned making no allowances to the fact they were children in his choice of music or teaching methods. He inspired great loyalty and the kids grew up a close knit group of friends. Both my boys stayed in the choir until they left school - mainly out of loyalty to him. He died last year. He was extremely high church and, knowing he was dying, he planned his funeral down to the last detail including writing some of the music. It completely choked me up to see the 7 ex choristers (should have been 8 but one was on tour) sitting together. Of the 8, 4 are now either professional musicians or studying at conservatoires.

 

[DCBassman]

My children had a fantastic musical education as part of the church choir a generation later. (different church, different town)
My youngest joined age 7 after a school recruitment drive by the choir master and my eldest at 14 as a tenor when he realised it was full of girls! Their choir master was inspirational, traditional and old fashioned making no allowances to the fact they were children in his choice of music or teaching methods. He inspired great loyalty and the kids grew up a close knit group of friends. Both my boys stayed in the choir until they left school - mainly out of loyalty to him. He died last year. He was extremely high church and, knowing he was dying, he planned his funeral down to the last detail including writing some of the music. It completely choked me up to see the 7 ex choristers (should have been 8 but one was on tour) sitting together. Of the 8, 4 are now either professional musicians or studying at conservatoires.

That's a great write-up. Not enough dedicated musical teachers like that.

 

[gavgav]

My Nan was a piano teacher and so I didn’t have any choice in starting to learn........best thing I ever did, loved it and passed all 8 grades. I don’t have a house big enough for a piano, anymore and I really miss playing. I will return to it one day.

 

[ColinJ]

My Nan was a piano teacher and so I didn’t have any choice in starting to learn........best thing I ever did, loved it and passed all 8 grades. I don’t have a house big enough for a piano, anymore and I really miss playing. I will return to it one day.

Download a copy of the amazing PianoTeq virtual piano HERE. If your computer is powerful enough to run it properly and you are as impressed as me with the sound quality, then pay for the software to unlock the missing notes.



Then buy a decent small hammer action midi keyboard (e.g.THIS) and plug that into your computer. Listen on headphones or through a decent hifi.

 

[srw]

That's a great write-up. Not enough dedicated musical teachers like that.

It's a combination of economics and changing demographics. A church organist and choir director post like that will pull in about £6000 per year, which makes it a minimum wage job. And the number of parishes that can sustain that level of commitment is small and shrinking.

 

[Drago]

But a decent church organist can make good dollar in between services by doing session work for heavy metal bands.