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I started taking piano lessons when I was in the first grade, and intended to start the older boys fairly young as well. As it turned out, the activities we had were enough and I didn’t get started on piano. Last year, things were going better so I thought it was time to start tickling the ivories, as it were. I tried a couple of local piano teachers but they had full schedules; ultimately I ordered some books on my own and sat down with the boys at the piano.

Really, we got along pretty well and enjoyed playing together. I did discover one day exactly how badly out of tune the piano was so I abandoned the quest until we could get it professionally tuned. This fall, we started again more in earnest and made some pretty good progress.

However… We didn’t stick with it, and here it is April and we haven’t touched the books in months. The boys have been taking a sign language class with some friends and that ends in a few weeks. A friend of mine who teaches piano has time in the schedule, so we’re taking the plunge and starting formal lessons in May.

The boys are convinced that it’s possible that I’ll be ruining their otherwise very perfect and school-free summer. Overall thought – I’m not really getting a lot of resistance so we’re going to forge ahead with the plan. So. Starting piano lessons formally with two boys age (almost) ten.

I’ve been pondering what to do with the younger boys… when to start them on lessons. Just finishing kindergarten at 5 years old, I’m thinking we’ll limit them to adding Cub Scouts in the fall and that’s plenty. Perhaps in 2nd or 3rd grade.

What about you? What musical instruction (if any) does your child get? At what age did they begin? Do you want them to have that instruction for a certain length of time?

Originally posted at GNMParents, now archived at ForeverParenting.com.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents considering musical instruction for their children.