Matthew Garcia2 said:Look, if they don't nail the guitar at any of those three local academies, what's the fallback plan?
I am absolutely not forcing them onto some other instrument—that's a non-starter.
It would be incredibly helpful if someone could share their experiences with these "modern" music programs out there.
Maybe even some insight on private tutoring at home... or maybe just DM me if you know a good teacher.
Honestly, everything mentioned before sounds a bit like a late-night infomercial to me. I mean, did they really try to vet twenty kids in a single class period? 🤣
And when it comes to the traditional public music school route, here is something for you to chew on:
If they can't make the cut through the standard entrance exam, why bother pushing it at all? What good will it do them in life? Is it just because you personally feel like they *should* do it?
The reason I ask is this:
As much as there is parental pride and excitement in thinking, "My child is in music school, they have such talent, such an ear...", most parents only realize later on just how much blood, sweat, and tears—both the kids' and the parents'—actually goes into it...
By some strange quirk of genetics, all three of my children are musically gifted; they all passed their auditions on the first try with flying colors (scoring 93% or higher), and we, the thrilled parents, happily enrolled them in music school, completely oblivious to the chaos that was waiting for us...
Point number one.
Music school is a school just like any other; you have to attend classes at least twice a week, complete theory assignments, and practice your instrument constantly. All of this on top of the heavy workload of a standard American school schedule...
Point number two.
The costs are anything but trivial, ranging from transportation to the instruments themselves, and even little things like specialized nail care for guitarists...
Point number three.
A kid enrolled in music school doesn't exactly have a "normal" life anymore, especially if they want to pursue other activities like sports, a second language, or coding. They barely even have time to just hang out with friends on the street...
Point number four.
The frustrations can be beyond words. You show up at the school, and the theory teacher tells you that while your child is the greatest talent in their generation, unfortunately, they show about as much interest in the subject as her own grandmother shows for the higgs boson...
Then you go to the instrument instructor, and he's riding you about how they haven't practiced again and how the mid-year recital performance is going to be a disaster. In short, you're always one step away from constant friction with your child...
Point number five.
That initial choice of instrument isn't always the smartest one. My daughter chose the guitar herself and played it for years, only to declare—literally six months before finishing middle school—that she wasn't interested anymore and wouldn't play it ever again. I didn't force her then, and I won't now...
But, somehow, we managed to talk her into finishing the program, only for her to pull a total Copernican revolution where she decided to switch instruments entirely, and now she's finishing two years of prep for a new instrument with the intention of enrolling in a fine arts high school...
And I could go on forever, because more often than not, stories about music school end with shouting, crying, pleading, threats... even people falling to their knees begging their kids to just quit...
Whether I've actually helped you by distilling my own experiences and those of other parents remains to be seen... In short, we eventually discovered that we all share the same dark desire: to smash our child's instrument into pieces and split every atom within them while asking ourselves, "What on earth were we thinking?"...
So, please, ask yourself one more time:
If someone isn't making headway with the guitar—which, let’s face it, is incredibly crowded right now with so much competition—why not just pick up a different instrument instead?
And if they haven't seen any real progress after three serious attempts, I have to wonder why anyone would keep pushing against a brick wall like that...
If a kid actually shows a genuine talent for the guitar, there’s really no rule saying they have to enroll in a traditional music academy right away. They could always find a local workshop or a casual course, which is a much lighter way to start since you don't have to deal with all that heavy music theory stuff immediately. With enough passion and practice, they might actually end up surpassing those kids stuck in the rigid classical curriculum, and besides, they can always dive into formal training later in life when they're a bit more mature...