A lottery or a decision?
The lucky ones ended up on concert stages; for the less lucky, the instrument started gathering dust and in most scenarios eventually changed owners. In our family it started the same way. The only question Anja, Blaž and I were asked at our first meeting was: “So, children, would you like to play the piano?” Ice cream in hand, we nodded, and the journey could begin.
To help you avoid the musical-education lottery, I would like to offer a few questions that lead towards an answer to this one: how do you settle on the right musical path?
Let us start at … the end
It usually goes like this: we type Music schools in Ljubljana into Google > price list > instruments > enrolment date. We compare a few pages and in a couple of minutes we pick the school that sounds closest to us. And that is closest to us geographically.
The process is fine, it is just missing one small step - the first one: what is the goal of this journey in the first place? The answer to that question is the single most important piece of information, and it puts every question that follows into perspective.
So let us try to define our musical goal. To keep it from sounding too abstract, let us put it into words as a concrete milestone on the musical path.
1) Take a minute and skim the following milestones
- I accompany a vocal group in my community on the guitar, with chords
- I fluently play well-known arrangements on various keyboard instruments (piano, electric keyboard, accordion)
- I can teach my younger brother the basics of music at home
- I play the piccolo in the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra
- I write the lyrics and chords for a song and play it on the guitar for someone I like
- I sing at a family party for a 50th birthday
- I use a computer to create and arrange music for a digital symphony orchestra
- I accompany family birthdays and holidays on the piano
- I lead a band of friends
2) Choose one or two directions
Settle on one or two options that, at first glance, resonate best with your child's wishes and your values.
That will be the most important answer on the journey. A considered direction turns every decision that follows into an excellent investment; without it there is a good chance that the energy, time and money you put in will not pay off the way you hoped.
A decision or a lottery?
After the family ice cream from the opening of this piece, my siblings and I were very lucky musically: we had a wonderful mentor and parents who encouraged consistency even when we were not motivated. Thanks to that combination, every member of our family is still involved with music in one way or another today.
On average, though, the reality is that most musicians give up along the way and never return to active music-making. That is exactly why I invite you to make the decision about a musical path the result of a carefully set goal rather than of a lottery.
A few advantages of a clear goal:
1. Clarity when deciding
2. Understanding the small sacrifices needed to reach the goal
3. A clear sense of what to expect before taking on long-term commitments
Have a lovely weekend, Nejc