Kid music lesson - wwyd?

[DotAndBuzz]

So I've finally gotten my act together and signed N up for piano lessons, but I"m torn between 2 options.

Option 1 - starts in April, 30 minutes/wk, every week, $120/month.  Does not teach voice until kids are in 6th grade, due to her belief that too much early formal training sets them up for long-term harm to their vocal cords (she's a vocal and piano performance grad, she's not talking out of her ass here - I don't really care about the vocal part, but N wants to SANG).  Teacher comes to our house from 4-4:30, so I'd have to pick N up from school those days and go straight home, but I could make it.  Haven't met with this lady yet, she's not available on the day we want until April.

Option 2 - started today, 30 minutes/wk, only meets 3x/month, $96/month.  Teaches voice along with piano, concurrently, regardless of age.  Classes are about 20 minutes away, and would have to leave pretty much straight from the bus stop to make it in time, so total of nearly 1.5 hours smack in the middle of dinner/dinner prep time.  Would have to take E along, if H wasn't home (read - further pain in my ass).  BUT.  N loves this lady.  Is super sweet, quiet, kind, I can see her being a very calm force, if that makes sense. 


So the current plan was to try option 2 for a month, through feb, see how it goes, and plan on giving option 1 a try in april.  Is this bad?  Like, am I somehow 2 timing piano teachers?  They both come highly recommended from the director of her dance studio - they used to provide music lessons there, but refocused to just dance, and both these teachers worked for the studio.  Thoughts?  Who would you lean towards?

[stellas]

I agree with no voice lessons for girls.

A) girls really can't sing until puberty. It just doesn't work and won't sound good unless they're doing damage.

B) once she hits puberty she'll have to learn how to do it all over again.

Definitely option 1

[ninjabridemom]

I don't think you're two-timing teachers. If you end up loving #2 I'd stick with her.

But honestly, having done piano lessons, I think she'll get a lot more with going more consistently and focusing on the piano. It's a really good musical foundation and I sort of agree w the vocal aspect. Sing for fun and whatnot while you get the basics down -- learning piano will teach sight reading etc -- and then really focus on the singing if that's still what she wants.

Caveat: not a musical person now, except for hymns at church and rockin to Phil Collins.

[prettyinpink]

I think its a great idea. Each teacher is going to have their strengths. I had two as a young kid that were very different but good in their own ways. The best one I had was when I was in high school and he was an old school jazz and gospel pianist. He was awesome. Try them both and see where N feels better.

[DotAndBuzz]

eta - dammit, I can't figure that out.  Someone tag jalepenomel for me?

derp - would probably work if I spelled it correctly.  thanks smace!

[DotAndBuzz]

Jan 26, 2015 21:24:51 GMT -5 @smace said:

Obviously I'm reading your post but I have no idea. I'd go option 1 B/c I like teacher delivery service.

yes.  this is where I'm at too.  I could have the lesson DONE by the time we typically get home from walking back from the bus stop.  This seems like a best case scenario.  But the general vibe I get from her is she' maybe a little more strict.  Requires full weighted keyboard w/ pedal just for the first lesson, and Option 2 was like "eh, whatever!  Try it out on your crappy little 6 octave keyboard and see how it goes."

[stellas]

The one teacher coming to you sounds ideal as well.

[ninjabridemom]

Jan 26, 2015 21:27:01 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

Jan 26, 2015 21:24:51 GMT -5 @smace said:

Obviously I'm reading your post but I have no idea. I'd go option 1 B/c I like teacher delivery service.

yes.  this is where I'm at too.  I could have the lesson DONE by the time we typically get home from walking back from the bus stop.  This seems like a best case scenario.  But the general vibe I get from her is she' maybe a little more strict.  Requires full weighted keyboard w/ pedal just for the first lesson, and Option 2 was like "eh, whatever!  Try it out on your crappy little 6 octave keyboard and see how it goes."

My teacher was strict about that kind of stuff but AWESOME, low-pressure when it came to teaching. She put enough pressure on so I'd actually like, take it seriously, but we just had so much fun and I learned a lot. I regret, deeply regret, not keeping w the piano in college.

Anyway, point being -- you don't know yet. Structurally I really like that set up.

[papie]

Number 1 for sure. I don't even care about voice or not. Changing from driving to piano lesson to a teacher that comes home literally CHANGED MY LIFE. I'm in my PJs during her piano lessons. Enough said!

[Jalapeñomel]

Jan 26, 2015 21:21:51 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

eta - dammit, I can't figure that out.  Someone tag jalepenomel for me?

derp - would probably work if I spelled it correctly.  thanks smace!

#1!  


I would agree to focus on piano now.  If N really wants to sing, can she join the church choir or choir at school? That will give her exposure to singing, learning how to be a part of a group, and it will help foster her love for music.  

And piano is is a great skill to have as a singer anyway, so focusing on that first seems like the way to go.

[Marmee]

My girls take music lessons in a similar scenerio as 1. DD1 takes guitar & sings (not really voice lessons, just sings to guitar songs) & DD2 takes piano. We used to do something similar to #2 with DD1 & violin. Having a teacher come to your house is awesome & I'll never willingly give it up....but also kids do click with certain teachers better than others so that can play in.

[adhdfashion]

1! A teacher that comes to you is priceless dude.

[ProfessorArtNerd]

1. Especially bc she makes me feel less guilty about hating hearing little girls sing!

[DaisyCakes]

Option 1, hands down. I'm a professional musician and teacher, the things the first teacher is being picky about are important! Sounds like she's the better educator with the best interests of your child at heart.

[macmars45]

I agree with jalapenomel on N joining a choir now (if possible) and doing voice lessons in 6th grade. And option #1 sounds best.

My sisters and I were all in church choir from K-12th grade and I was also in school choir from 7th-12th grade. I loved it. Of course I never really wanted to get voice lessons so I didn't. My twin sister did take voice lessons from 7th/8th-12th and loved it more than choir.

[fezzik]

Absolutely option 1 for all the reasons already stated.

[aksinger]

Voice and piano teacher chiming in. Definitely option 1 - I 100% agree with that teacher's philosophy on teaching voice and age. You can do serious, life-long damage to the vocal chords with too much pushing/singing the way most people teach young kids (I have seen proof myself, this is not a myth).

Also, to teach two instruments in three 30 minute classes each month seems insane to me. I put way more value on teaching something well and having students really understand the material than being able to squish the learning of both piano and voice into one 30 minute lesson. For students taking both instruments I always do 30 minutes of each, so 60 minutes total. And students definitely need lessons once a week - it's harder for kids to retain information and move at a steady pace if you see them less than that, which is what option 2 does at least once a month.

Anyway, just my thoughts, but I have been teaching private lessons for 7 years now - it is my full time career with 60 students and I have my bachelors and masters degrees in music education (just to put my qualifications out there, lol!!)

[Captain Serious]

Jan 26, 2015 21:20:27 GMT -5 ninjabridemom said:

I don't think you're two-timing teachers. If you end up loving #2 I'd stick with her.

But honestly, having done piano lessons, I think she'll get a lot more with going more consistently and focusing on the piano. It's a really good musical foundation and I sort of agree w the vocal aspect. Sing for fun and whatnot while you get the basics down -- learning piano will teach sight reading etc -- and then really focus on the singing if that's still what she wants.

Caveat: not a musical person now, except for hymns at church and rockin to Phil Collins.

This is what I was thinking, too. 30 minutes is not a lot of time in which to learn one instrument (piano), yet alone two (piano and voice). Whatever she works on at her lesson, she should practice at home at least several times a week. That is a lot of strain on a young voice.

ETA: I just read the rest of the post and see that this is just about what aksinger said, too.

[bab]

Option 1

I'm weirded out by the 3X per month schedule. Why does she have it that way? Consistency is key at that age. I'm also jealous that she comes to your house! We pay $120/month but we have to drive to the teacher. Thankfully, she's only about 10 minutes away.

[sparkythelawyer]

Option 1. There is not a six year old on this planet that needs private voice lessons. The risk outweighs the benefit. If she wants to sing more, is there a community or church kids chorus in the area that she could join? That would give her a vocal outlet but not have the same risk of harm.