Gresham (age 4) has been playing violin since January
I thought it might be fun to post some pictures of the boys and their violins! Both of the older boys started violin at the age of 4 1/2. It was very natural for us, because I am a violin teacher! I have taught private lessons for the past 10 years, and just “retired” from 6 years of teaching at a local private school (homeschooling plus a new baby meant it was time to step back!).
I started Suzuki violin lessons when I was 10. I started with Suzuki piano at age 5, and when we moved to Texas, we started lessons with a piano teacher who also taught violin. I watched kids finishing up their lessons when we arrived, and I was instantly hooked! My boys don’t exactly share my love for violin, but I think that there are a lot of benefits to learning it anyway. They all definitely enjoy music, and when they are older, they will be able to switch instruments if they want to. I am hoping that at least one of them will decide to do the cello!
We have been doing lessons at home, but I have also taken Aidan to a really wonderful Suzuki teacher in Dallas for a few lessons. I’d like to take him some more this summer, and have Gresham do a few lessons, too. It is really motivating for them to play for someone else besides mom!
Here are the benefits that I see from music instruction, specifically violin:
- Increased ability to concentrate
- Development of rhythm and pitch
- Increased coordination
- Increased ability to stick with something even when it’s hard
- Enjoyment of playing in a group or orchestra
- Opportunities for service – like playing Christmas carols for residents of a nursing home
- Enriched family life – it’s fun to enjoy music together!
Do your kids do music lessons? What benefits do you see?
2 Comments
Lori Mar 6, 2012
I would love for my kids to learn violin and piano. My oldest is 5 and my dad bought her a violin a year ago, but we haven't had the money in our budget yet for lessons. Do you think this is something I could teach at home, even though I do not play any instruments? Also, how do you find the time for lessons & activities? Like I said, I'd love for her to take some music lessons, but we'd also like for her (and our other children when they get older) to also participate in some league sports, our homeschool co-op, and maybe some dance/gymnastics/etc. We live 30 minutes from town and I'm just wondering if it's going to all be possible. Right now, when we go somewhere, it seems like our whole day is thrown off, and we usually don't get our homeschool lessons done, unless we do them before we leave.
Melissa Dec 22, 2014
I love the cello. Show your boys The Piano guys videos from you tube and also Kevin Olusola on cello and from Pentatonix.
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