Posts by Terry Turner842

On Monday, June 5th at 5:00 PM, there will be a presentation by the Zlatko Baloković Music School featuring student performances, held at the Kranjčević High School Library on Ivanićgradska Street (Brooklyn)

The final concert for students from Sesvete General High School is scheduled for Tuesday, May 30th at 7:30 PM. It will take place in the lobby of Sesvete High School on Bistrički Street.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, May 30th and 31st at 8:00 PM, there will be a concert by students from Vatroslav Lisinski High School held at the American Music Institute.

Then on Saturday, June 3rd, around 11:00 AM, the V. Lisinski High School wind orchestra is performing at Flower Square.

For the upcoming dates and everyone else!!!
All week long, the guitar department from Elly Bašić High School is holding concerts at the local church in New York City. I just got back from the first one in the series, where about fifteen middle schoolers performed.
It’s actually quite educational and informative for any parents who might be considering enrolling their kids in music school soon—specifically for classical guitar in this instance.
Link here for the full program details.

PS I'm calling on everyone to post the production dates for Sesvete General High School so interested parents and kids can go hear what this is all about.

vinova lozinka said:... for a school with, say, 40 employees, it only takes a handful of idiot teachers to ruin everything. Their laziness or twisted teaching methods spread incredible negative publicity. Just imagine what bad vibes from a professor—like the one mentioned above—can do to a school's reputation!

Alright, calm down! I see you're absolutely fuming, so I won't bother arguing with you. Honestly, I actually agree. I would just say that a few out of 40 isn't exactly a catastrophic number, though. There are plenty of schools out there with much worse ratios.

Vin said:Unfortunately, a huge number of mentally unstable people work at the JCS. I suppose it happens when people can't fit their massive ambitions into reality, so they end up going into teaching because their "career failed."

It seems you have a very clear understanding of the faculty profile at the JCS. I can fully understand your point—since I work in education myself, though not music; a completely different field—but I wouldn't be quite so bitter about it.
I feel for these kids who complain about teachers; clearly, they have the drive and the talent, but the disconnect is just massive.
My own experiences with the JCS, through my children, have been very positive. Maybe they just got lucky. I don't know.

Vin said:When you add the fact that it's hard for a man, the traditional "provider," to deal with the frustration of working for $1333 (starting salary), it becomes obvious why talented male teachers are such a rare breed.

No, no, let's slow down, there are all sorts of 🙂ers among us.
I suspect the core of this issue isn't teacher personalities (or gender, for that matter) but rather the way they are educated (or even raised). There is simply too little distinction between vocational training and pedagogy during university studies. Nowadays in schools (both elementary and high school), you have people teaching who treated methodology, pedagogy, and psychology as an afterthought in college. Practicums were basically a joke to them... They actually wanted to do something else, not educate children. That wasn't offered to them, or they weren't clearly informed about what their actual career would entail. Imagine an engineer who finishes a math degree only to find themselves in a 5th-grade classroom struggling with fractions, having zero interest or knowledge regarding child development. The kids go crazy, and the teacher is miserable. The situation is: total chaos!
As for those $1333, (I'm a 5) I have no comment. 😠
Best regards, Vin

Mary said:...people who graduate from music conservatory play in orchestras, work in schools, or act as accompanists, and in my opinion, those are all very lovely careers.

I suppose I can agree with Mary that those are all wonderful jobs, but there is one major issue here. Working in a school is primarily an educational role. These people finish their music degrees and then end up doing something entirely different—child development. It’s night and day!
Maybe it works at the university level, but what about middle school? If you look back at some previous posts, you'll see how many students struggle specifically because of this. Professors don't seem to grasp the actual nature of the job they are performing...

bluemaker said:In my view, it isn't a failure if someone decides not to enroll in a specialized music high school after middle school. However, it is a failure if they stop engaging with music entirely—even just listening—because that suggests they never actually loved the art; they were just going through the motions because they had to.

I completely agree.
Think about all the subjects kids are forced to study in public school. Nobody expects them to win a Nobel Prize in literature or chemistry, and nobody cares about how much money they might make studying history or civics. For some, it might work out, but that isn't the primary objective.
So, here is the question: What is the actual goal of attending music school, or rather, what is the purpose of music education?

gentlecanyon92 said:just forget about the neighbors...
obviously your kid isn't going to be playing music at 10 PM...
afternoons and early evenings are fair game for whatever they want...
:

That’s hardly the norm! My kids are such live wires that I practically have to hunt them down through the house with a shotgun just to get them to eat dinner, shower, pack their bags, or—heaven forbid—finish some homework. It’s never too late for a concert in this house... Don't even ask.

zakan14 said:From what I see with kids around 5 to 7 starting music lessons, they all seem to enjoy it.

I’m personally aware of several failed attempts at joining the US Army. I know people who quit after just three months, or even right after their first year. Usually, the reason they drop out early is that the kid wasn't ready and the parents didn't really get it.
A lot of kids don't even make it to high school after middle school, which could also be seen as a form of quitting, especially if you know they're just letting all those skills and interests they picked up go to waste.

My "theory" is that raising a child starts with raising yourself. 😘 Regarding music education, that would mean PARENTS should be the ones actually feeling the music first. If they do, then the kids will find it much easier to dive in and stay committed.
🙂

Come on, Emo§ion, give us the lowdown from your perspective. What actually works for you in your music theory studies, and what doesn't? What’s been a total drag, and what’s actually been fun? (My daughter was asking—how's the harmony coming along? And how are things going with the orchestra?)
For those of us on the outside looking in, this could be pretty insightful.

Correction:
The two-month violin rental fee at the Zlatko Baloković School of Music is $47 Ivanić-Grad local currency.
Tuition is $40 per month. I guess they offer a discount 🙂 for multiple children.

I don't have much experience with the violin myself, but listening to studio productions gives me massive respect for the instrument. It’s pretty obvious that the violin comes with its own set of hurdles—intonation alone can be a nightmare for kids. In our house, we decided to skip the whole Paganini route entirely. 🙂We just said goodbye to the violin. I’d argue it’s significantly more demanding than most other instruments. There’s also this sense that with the violin, you either know how to play it or you don't. You're either in or you're out. With almost any other instrument, you can always pick it up a bit to jam with friends or play in a group. On the violin, that's tough. Maybe I'm wrong, but...
Regarding renting instruments, I'm not a fan. Usually, you end up with something beat up. If you take the cost of a two-year rental, you could probably just buy a decent new or slightly used beginner model and own it forever. I think monthly rent is around $40. It's true that young players start on smaller sizes like a 1/2, then move up to a 3/4, so you do have to swap them out every few years. You can find used ones at a good price, though. If you check the bulletin boards at any local music school, there are always ads for buying and selling gear. Then there's that old idea that you form a special bond with your instrument. Wood is a living thing, after all. And what a sound it makes!
Parental interest is mandatory. I mean, what kind of person lacks their own interests, tastes, or opinions? You can't really live—or raise anyone—without having a stance on things.
Don't view it as a flaw; look at it as an advantage. Just keep moving forward!
Best regards,

Obviously, you have to talk things through with your kid and reach some kind of agreement. Their interests and what they actually want matter, and at the end of the day, that's what counts. But I guess parents still have some room to maneuver here.
Here is another little thing.
We live in an apartment complex. It is currently past 10 PM, and there is no way anyone is going to argue that someone should be playing anything other than a classical guitar right now.
The bottom line: You really ought to consider what the neighbors actually want. 🙂

Moving forward then

7. Honestly, don't waste your time obsessing over whether there's actual talent or innate gift involved. Musicality and ear training develop naturally through practice. I've seen this firsthand just watching my own kids grow. (I don't even try to micromanage them anymore 🙂 I just sit back and enjoy the music 🙂 There are plenty of variables to consider if you're looking at a serious musical career down the road, but the immediate joy of playing is what matters. That’s an irreplaceable experience. I’d suggest any parent give it a real shot and put in the effort.

Best, Terry Turner842

Here is an interesting topic for me.
I didn't attend music school myself, and like most kids in high school, I was obsessed with the guitar. I taught myself quite a bit and really enjoyed it. Over the years, I let it all slide and forgot most of it. Now, I have three children, and they are all enrolled in music programs. (The oldest is doing flute in high school, the middle one is on guitar in middle school, and the youngest is playing piano in elementary school.) This is a whole new learning experience for me. Here are a few tips:
1. Definitely motivate your child to pursue music. Sing, play instruments, dance, be silly. Just enjoy the music...
2. Pick a school close to home. As I see it, the teacher is what matters, not whatever rumors are floating around about a specific institution. Since instrument lessons are strictly one-on-one, building rapport with the instructor is more important than the building's facade. Plus, by third or fourth grade, the factor of "wasting time commuting" becomes a huge issue in a daily schedule.
3. I enrolled all three of my kids when they started second grade. However, it is common for kids to start music when they enter third grade so they finish both elementary and music school at the same time (since it lasts 6 years). Some kids start both in first grade, but that is pretty rare.
4. You choose the instrument during enrollment (if spots aren't filled—so get there on day one, haha), and it is hard to say anything smart about that choice. Every instrument is beautiful in its own way. You also need to consider the cost. For example, a new beginner flute (Ford) is around $500, while a beginner classical guitar (Abraham Lincoln or similar) is about $1,500—$667. Pianos are more expensive. We inherited our piano from my grandfather, so I have no idea what current prices look like, and you also have to factor in regular tuning.
5. The entrance exam is very simple. The child just needs to: a) sing 2-3 nursery rhymes of their choice, b) repeat a few rhythmic phrases by clapping or tapping fingers on a desk, and c) sing a few notes played by the teacher on the piano. They will also check the child's hands and fingers. That’s it.
6. A child can change instruments after a year or two, though I personally don't care for that kind of indecisiveness. My son decided to pick up the banjo after two years, and now he is learning two instruments and really enjoys being in a bluegrass ensemble.

The rest is history....