This is his second year playing saxophone. He took piano lessons for a year in third grade but wanted to quit because he hated it. I think that was mostly because his teacher was very rigid and didn’t understand ASD/ADHD/SPD at all.
Anyway, He comes by his musical talent *very* naturally and genuinely enjoys band.
Last night, he told DH he was seriously considering switching to percussion.
His band only has two kids in the percussion section so I know it would benefit the band as a whole, but I’m *slightly*? struggling with letting him “give up” on the sax after two years.
He’s still wants to be in band and I’m thrilled about that. But then part of me is like, shit. This means he’s gonna want a drum set. 🤦🏻♀️
Bottom line... Me struggling with this is dumb, and I need to get over myself, yes?
Post by Patsy Baloney on Jan 15, 2020 16:56:37 GMT -5
I don't have a kid old enough for band yet, but am (was!) a band kid.
I'd let him continue with both!
Keep the sax, let him noodle at his leisure, and let him try out percussion. We had a large band all throughout my middle school/high school years, and we had kids who played different instruments for different seasons/groups to fill needs and get the experience they wanted. It opens up a lot of opportunities (for example, a friend of mine wanted to be in jazz band, but played clarinet. So she moved to sax for jazz band time. Another wanted to be in jazz band, but never made it through auditions with trumpet, so he played bass, another friend was a percussionist for marching band, played flute for regular band, etc.).
I don't have a kid old enough for band yet, but am (was!) a band kid.
I'd let him continue with both!
Keep the sax, let him noodle at his leisure, and let him try out percussion. We had a large band all throughout my middle school/high school years, and we had kids who played different instruments for different seasons/groups to fill needs and get the experience they wanted. It opens up a lot of opportunities (for example, a friend of mine wanted to be in jazz band, but played clarinet. So she moved to sax for jazz band time. Another wanted to be in jazz band, but never made it through auditions with trumpet, so he played bass, another friend was a percussionist for marching band, played flute for regular band, etc.).
See, I was a hard core band geek. Primary instrument was clarinet, but I played it and sax for pit orchestra and did color guard for marching band.
We rent his sax, so if he truly wants to switch to percussion, we’d stop with the rental. lol
It's normal for kids to want to branch out as they gain confidence in a skill. I would absolutely let him try (assuming it's okay with his director), but, I get your hesitation on the drumset (LOL). You can try using practice pads before going full swing at home.
I feel like the more musically inclined kids picked up more than 1 instrument. So yeah I think it would be good as long as the band director is OK with it. And I agree that he could continue with both.
Post by Patsy Baloney on Jan 15, 2020 17:17:17 GMT -5
Well, that's the great part about rentals - you won't end up with a sax as a doorstop! If he's wanting to try it, I'd let him, but probably set a, "Time to decide, kid," date so you can discontinue the rental in a timely fashion if he decides to switch over.
If the band teacher is okay with it, I'd definitely let him. As an anecdote, a good friend from middle and high school started on flute and then switched instruments a couple of times throughout high school. She's now a music teacher. She figured out early on that music was her "thing."
My kiddo (same age) does 2 instruments, one in general band and one in jazz band and loves it. She hardly ever practices one instrument and gets regular weekly lessons in the other. And did the cello for one year in 4th grade and dropped it.
Post by sandandsea on Jan 15, 2020 18:06:52 GMT -5
If he’s expressing an interest I’d let him switch. Ds is only 8, but he excels in the things he says he wants to do and doesn’t even try in the things he doesn’t want to do. Basically he’s more invested and Interested in his ideas and it’s sounds like your ds has a passion and is exploring that passion. I’d go for it. And buy earplugs.
My kid is only in fourth grade but I was sort of hoping she would switch and try a new instrument next year. I think this is such a great time to learn as many instruments as she wants and then sort of “focus” on her preferred one when she is older.
DD started in fall (6th grade, 1st year) with flute. Yay, I still have my old flute and she used that. But, she decided she wanted to play trumpet. So, we are renting a trumpet and letting her go with it. My only requirement is she finishes what she starts (i.e. doesn't quit band in the middle of the year). She played 1 semester of flute and started with trumpet in 3rd quarter. I hope she loves it and sticks with band throughout school, but I also won't push it as long as she finishes out whatever year she starts.
(I was in symphonic band with flute, jazz band 1 piano and jazz band 2 with tenor sax so I'm definitely a proponent of band)
If he’s expressing an interest I’d let him switch. Ds is only 8, but he excels in the things he says he wants to do and doesn’t even try in the things he doesn’t want to do. Basically he’s more invested and Interested in his ideas and it’s sounds like your ds has a passion and is exploring that passion. I’d go for it. And buy earplugs.
Meh, you don't need to buy earplugs unless you plan on buying him a drum set. DD2 did percussion and the practice pad is rubbery and doesn't make much noise when they practice.
As far as switching instruments, that happens all the time. DD1 is in her 6th year of band (she's a junior) and she's probably the only one of her group of friends that has stayed with the same instrument the whole time.
Post by Mrs. ChanandlerBong on Jan 15, 2020 22:33:27 GMT -5
You can buy a drum pad, but mutes for concert drums and drum sets also exist. My son's percussion teacher prefers the mute over the pad, because you get the "real feel" of the drum.
I am also a colorguard/marching band/drum corps former performer and enthusiast, so the sound from their practicing ( DD plays trumpet) doesn't even register with me.
Put me in the camp of letting him play both or switch to the drums to try it.
Post by sineadorebellion on Jan 15, 2020 22:35:56 GMT -5
I would let him switch too. My DD (12) is in her second year in percussion and loves it. The practice pad and bell kit isn't super loud but to be honest now that she's in middle school she barely uses it anymore. Percussionists rotate frequently within their instrument family so sometimes my daughter plays snare drum and others she's on the timpani, bells, even piano. I love that she gets that opportunity to learn all these different instruments.
If it’s ok with the band director I would let him switch. I started my musical career with piano lessons, stopped after a couple of years, played flute and piccolo, trombone, and base guitar through the school band, and then took guitar lessons at home in 12th grade. I was a committed band geek and spent most of my lunch periods in the band class tutoring grade 7 and 8 students. I also learned to play the violin, sax and clarinet (not well) but enough to introduce a younger student to the instrument. I stayed on flute in concert band and my Mom bought me one eventually.
I was lucky that my school had an instrument closet and we never had to do rentals. That is more of a commitment for sure.
On the opposite side my younger sister took violin lessons as a young kid (ages 5-7 maybe?), dropped it, and played bassoon in high school, for 6 years straight. I think she mostly played it to fuck with my parents because listening to someone practicing bassoon is ridiculous. It’s also a nightmare to ttransport. She started off as a tenor sax too
Post by fivechickens on Jan 16, 2020 8:03:11 GMT -5
I was in band. I played flute. When I was 10 I had surgery that required I wear a cast on my torso and up my neck which made it difficult to play flute. So I switched to clarinet. When the cast came off I considered staying with the clarinet but decided to go back to flute (mostly because the people in the flute section were more fun).
He isn’t quitting band so I say let him switch. It’s a good thing for him to know multiple instruments.
Post by penguingrrl on Jan 16, 2020 8:27:17 GMT -5
I’m a fan of letting a kid follow their interests. My oldest started on clarinet, added violin 2 years later, then guitar a few months after that. Now she’s working on teaching herself piano. No reason not to try and explore everything while you have the opportunity.
I’m a fan of letting a kid follow their interests. My oldest started on clarinet, added violin 2 years later, then guitar a few months after that. Now she’s working on teaching herself piano. No reason not to try and explore everything while you have the opportunity.
I wish I’d had those options when I was in band! We lived in a small town with limited resources, and I would have loved to have learned the cello and piano. But there were no strings instructors to be found and my parents were too poor to afford lessons anyway.
I’m just really glad we live in a small city in a school district that provides options, for sure!
I’m a fan of letting a kid follow their interests. My oldest started on clarinet, added violin 2 years later, then guitar a few months after that. Now she’s working on teaching herself piano. No reason not to try and explore everything while you have the opportunity.
I wish I’d had those options when I was in band! We lived in a small town with limited resources, and I would have loved to have learned the cello and piano. But there were no strings instructors to be found and my parents were too poor to afford lessons anyway.
I’m just really glad we live in a small city in a school district that provides options, for sure!
Our middle school music program is amazing, which makes me so happy!
If he genuinely enjoys playing music and has a talent for it, then I think it's really natural for him to want to expand the number of instruments he plays. And I bet he has already thought quite a bit about the pros/cons of continuing on an instrument he is more familiar with.
One of the things that I enjoyed most about middle school band is that once we learned the basics of trumpet, our band director would let us try the other instruments in the family -- French horn, baritone, and so on -- if we were interested. It meant we got to try something new and see how we liked it, and it allowed him to pick from a broader range of pieces/parts, and it also sort of introduced the whole band to the instrument, at least how it sounded, because sometimes one or two different brass instruments would change the way the whole band sounded. There are quite a few percussion options that could really change things up in fun ways for a school band, and if the director only has two people in that section, adding a third person could mean exploring that more than she/he has been able to.
Post by somersault72 on Jan 16, 2020 9:55:15 GMT -5
I'm actually in the same boat, DS is 11 and in 6th grade and wants to switch from sax to percussion (although he's just an average sax player). If he still feels this way I'm going to let him switch for 7th grade. I think 2 years is long enough for him to know if he enjoys it or not.
My daughter (5th grade currently) did violin last year, enjoyed it. Took the summer off and thought she wanted to quit (she forgets she likes things, she's weird) but I told her to stick with it. She then was pushing hard to play trumpet this year as band was offered this school year. I didn't want her to quit violin but wasn't thrilled about trumpet but decided to let her do both. She has discussed with me after doing both during the school year that she thinks she will drop back to one (violin) after this school year is done. I'm so glad I let her come to that decision by herself rather than her being bitter that we wouldn't let her do trumpet and MADE her stick with violin.