Encouraging your musical prodigy
You may already be tired of singing along to the tune of “Toot toot, chugga chugga, big red car!” but you have to admit that The Wiggles are onto something here. They really are one of the best things to come along in kid’s entertainment in quite some time.
More than simply a colourful little show to keep kids distracted in front of the TV for a little while, The Wiggles are doing a great job at inspiring a whole generation of young people to take a real interest in music. This is accomplished with songs that are easy to memorize, easy to sing along with, and if your kid picks up a guitar, not all that tough to play.
With either a simple guitar, a drum kit, or a keyboard, you can help to encourage what may wind up becoming a true passion for your child throughout their life. There are a lot of great educational toys for aspiring musicians out there.
Now, we have a little bit of advice on this front… Guitar lessons can be helpful, but the trick about the guitar is that it’s really not all that difficult to come up with something enjoyable by just fiddling around with the strings until you figure something out. Before you spend any money on lessons, watch how your kid plays around with his new instrument. Look up some instructions online for playing simple songs on the guitar. If your kid can get the hang of that, then they may be ready for lessons.
When you’re a kid, musical toys make a great trial process before splurging on a pricy guitar or something down at the music shop. The first time a kid watches The Wiggles, it’s a lot like the first time any of us heard a great Rock and Roll song. The first thing we wanted to do was grab a guitar and start to jam. But of those of us who went to the pawn shop and picked one up for cheap, or begged and begged our parents to get us one, how many of us actually learned to play? One in five would probably be a bit generous. Although, those of us that did learn to actually play our guitar discovered a whole new form of expression, a way to communicate beyond words (and for a lucky few, a way to make a whole truckload of money!).
If your kid cannot stop pounding on his plastic drums, wait until he or she is old enough and get them lessons and a real set. Lessons can teach a kid how to play well, but they won’t teach a kid how to enjoy playing in the first place. That sense of fun, of joy in music, has to be taught at home before you hand the training over to a professional.
One more piece of advice; as soon as your kid starts expressing real interest in music, go ahead and introduce them to some of your favourites, especially any classic Rock and Roll you have laying around. You’re never too young to fully appreciate the sheer joy and catchy melodies of The Beatles, Elvis Presley or Chubby Checkers.
