Music school recommendations?

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.

ivo said:3. I signed all three of my kids up for music school when they started 2nd grade. Usually, though, kids start music in 3rd grade so they finish both elementary and music school at the same time (since it's a 6-year program). A few kids start music and elementary together in 1st grade, but that's pretty rare.

not sure that's actually smart—waiting until 3rd grade to start music... if they go to high school later, they end up with two different graduation requirements to worry about (music + high school diploma if they don't pass everything with top marks)
Starting in 2nd grade seems like the better bet to me.

zakan14 said:Regarding the choice of instrument, I'm not sure it matters that much to the kid. At 5 or 6, they don't really care; they barely know what an instrument even is.

Like someone else already mentioned from experience, forcing a kid to play something for six years can be a nightmare if they were pressured into it... maybe it's better to wait a few more years so the kid can actually pick an instrument they want to play?

I’m planning on enrolling my little one in music lessons starting at age five.
We don't have a saxophone around the house anymore, but we do have a clarinet 🙂, a synth, and a piano
. Plus, they'll be starting English classes at four
. I’ve got everything mapped out😍
.
(Unlike me, the kid can already sing quite well—or, more accurately, hum along beautifully)
.
Whenever we visit my former brother-in-law, the kid loves banging on the drums just to make some noise while watching his uncle play the blues🙂
. And since their cousin is a total metalhead guitarist, if my child doesn't end up pursuing music...

🤮 Sky-high ambitions.

Just let kids be kids.

rustymaker60 said:I’m planning on enrolling my little one in music school by the time they turn five.
We don't have a saxophone at home anymore, but we do have a clarinet 🙂, a synth, and a piano
and they’re already starting English classes at age four
I’ve got the whole roadmap planned out 😍

(unlike me, the kid can already sing quite well—or, well, hum pretty effectively)

They love banging on the drums over at their former uncle-in-law's place—just making noise, really—while watching their uncle play the blues 🙂
plus their cousin is a total metalhead guitarist, so if my child doesn't end up in the music business...

Gosh, thinking about all this reminds me of a funny situation from back when I was in the military. I was lucky enough to land a spot in the military band for eight months, which honestly stands out as one of the best times of my life. So, there I am, practicing my sax for six to eight hours a day—which is hands down my absolute favorite thing in the world (don't get me wrong, I love women and everything else in life, but nothing beats pressing that brass tube and hearing that sound—it's pure magic!)—when this guy walks up to me. He’s some high-achiever who graduated from a prestigious conservatory and is a regular pro in the orchestra, and he looks at me and asks, "Man, how on earth do you manage to practice that much?!"

And that right there is the core issue with the American music education system (and society in general). It’s one of the main reasons why I decided not to go to a conservatory to pursue music professionally; instead, I chose a career path to make money doing something I don't love quite as much, just so I could play purely for the joy of it. Because of that mindset, I definitely won't be rushing to enroll my child in formal music school at age five.

I must confess, I am completely clueless when it comes to music... I lack even the most basic understanding of theory or terminology. However, I would dearly love to learn more, if only to support my children should they show any interest in pursuing it.
How much do local community music programs typically charge for beginner lessons? 😁

krix said:🤮 Sky-high ambitions.

Let kids be kids.

🙂

krix said:🤮 Their ambitions are through the roof.

Just let kids be kids.

Oh, so we should just let them grow up to be uneducated ranch hands? 🙄
Let them wander the streets aimless and clueless instead? 😵

Suddenly, it’s a massive issue when you actually want to give a child the chance to learn a second language or pick up an instrument.
What a joke, I can't believe the kind of place I live in.

That’s exactly my issue with the American music education system (and society at large). It's one of the main reasons I decided against going to a conservatory to pursue music professionally. Instead, I chose a career path that pays the bills even if I'm not head over heels for it, just so I can play music purely for the joy of it. Because of that mindset, I definitely won't be enrolling my kid in formal music school at age five.

Look, whether it's age five, six, or seven—you just have to see how it unfolds and judge based on what your child shows you.
If there's no genuine interest or passion, then it's just not meant to be.
You should give a child the chance to explore different interests first, and if they don't enjoy it, they don't have to stick with it.
As far as I'm concerned, they could grow up to be a gardener, a surgeon, or an astronaut—as long as they become an expert in their field, choose something they're talented at, and work hard at it.
It really is that simple.

The whole point is that kids should just be kids. They need the space to explore and actually enjoy the things they love.
From what I see with 5, 6, or 7-year-olds taking music lessons, they all seem to genuinely love it. It isn't about repetitive drilling—it’s about playing music.
That’s why I’d gladly provide that for my own child, even if it requires a massive sacrifice of time and energy after coming home exhausted from work.
And honestly, it’s not even about ambition. I couldn't care less if my kid ends up playing for the New York Philharmonic or winning trophies at competitions. It wouldn't matter to me if a teacher told me they had the talent for it.

So why on earth would anyone think music lessons for children are some kind of burden?

zakan14 said:The whole point is that kids get to be kids by exploring what they actually love.
From what I see with 5, 6, or 7-year-olds taking music lessons, they all seem to enjoy it. It’s not about drilling them; it’s just playing music.
That’s why I’d happily provide that for my own child, even if it means making a huge sacrifice of time and energy after coming home exhausted from work.
And it isn't really about ambition—I don't care if my kid ends up playing in the New York Philharmonic or entering competitions. It's not like I'd care even if a teacher told me they had the talent for it.

Why would anyone assume music lessons for children are a burden????

Thank God, someone with some sense! 😁 🙂 👍

dustytrucker222 said:I’m completely clueless when it comes to music... I don't know the first thing about theory or any of that stuff. But I’d love to understand more, if only because my kids might show an interest.
What does it usually cost to start out at a local music school? 😁

$40 It's roughly that much per month for two hours of ear training and two private lessons. Honestly, most people would agree that's pretty cheap. 😍
Don't just wait around, though. Don't wait for your kid to walk through the door and say, "Hey Mom, I think I want to take music lessons." You have to spark that interest yourself. 😉

That's just my two cents...

letting kids grow up to be uneducated hillbillies?
just let them wander the streets with empty heads and nothing to do but get high

Suddenly, it’s an issue because you want to let your kid learn a second language or pick up an instrument.
What kind of miserable, backwater town am I living in? For God's sake.

Who even told you that? Don't go getting offended on my account—I wasn't talking to you directly. I'm just sharing an opinion, get it? And where exactly are you keeping a grand piano in that shack of yours? 😬

You need to guide a child, not force them. Find what they actually care about and nurture that. Otherwise, you end up with a jack-of-all-trades who's a master of absolutely nothing. Kids suffer because of their parents' sick sense of ambition. It's a long-term disaster. And one more thing: a child lives their own life, not their mother's or father's. Theirs.

I'm not quite sure why everyone is getting so worked up

There isn't a single shred of sanity left here. If there were, I’d send you somewhere truly unmentionable.

What kind of response do you actually expect when you start rambling about lowlifes and trashy shacks?

Kris said:Who actually told you that? Don't go misinterpreting things again—I'm not talking directly to you. I'm just expressing an opinion, you know? Get with the program.😬

You have to guide a child, not push them. Find their interests and nurture them. Otherwise, you end up with someone who tries everything but masters nothing. Children suffer long-term when parents let sick ambitions take over. And one more thing. A child lives their own life, not their mother's or father's. Theirs.

So, we all agree with Kris regarding finding those interests and nurturing them. It's true that forcing things without any basis can be completely counterproductive. From what I've read in our posts, it seems like this point has been understood well enough.
But then, what was that comment about ambitions involving the vomiting icon??? Wasn't that a bit much? Especially since there was no mention of forced pressure or "sick ambitions" anywhere. In fact, it felt out of place.😲 😲
It's definitely unclear what that remark was even referring to. Who wouldn't want children to just be children?

Just a little side story to throw out there... My kid is five years old, and she’s already got a whole setup at home—keyboards, guitars, wind instruments, percussion, you name it. Back when she was only three, we actually sat down together, jammed, mixed, and recorded our first little avant-garde single using two synthesizers for the CIA. We didn't have the heart to actually pitch it to any labels; we just burned some copies for ourselves to keep. Even now, we still find time to mess around with music every once in a while. She’s only ever brought up formal music school once, mostly just asking what it’s like and what they actually do there. It’s wild, though, because she’s already started scribbling musical notes on staff paper entirely on her own, even though nobody ever showed her how or suggested she try it. At the end of the day, she’s just playing, which is honestly the most important part of the whole thing. If she ever decides she wants to go to school for it, she’ll decide when the time is right and claim an instrument as her own. But if she doesn't want to? Then she won't. 🙂

Someone mentioned starting music at five and English at four... isn't that a bit extreme? I think dustytrucker222 was talking about that.

Robespierre said:Just a little side story on this topic... My daughter, she's five. She has access to all sorts of gear—keyboards, guitars, woodwinds, percussion, you name it. When she was three, we sat down together, played, mixed, and recorded our first avant-garde single for CNN using two synthesizers. We didn't have the heart to pitch it to labels; we just made copies for ourselves. Even now, we still play around occasionally. She only mentioned school once, asking what it’s actually like and what they do there. She even started scribbling musical notation on staff paper without anyone ever showing her how or suggesting it. She just plays, which is the most important thing. If she decides she wants to go to music school, she'll decide when and claim an instrument for herself. If she doesn't, she won't. 🙂

That sounds wonderful, really. But I can't help but feel that parents should offer suggestions and provide a bit of a nudge. I mean, if you asked an eight-year-old if they wanted to start elementary school, I doubt everyone would say yes.
I worry that the realization of wanting to study music might come too late—maybe at eighteen. I know plenty of people, both older and younger colleagues, who tell me they truly regret that their parents didn't guide them more.
So, while I am definitely for a non-coercive approach, I'm also for a more proactive style of parenting. The line is thin, certainly, but it exists.
It was similar with swimming lessons. "Do you want to go, honey?" "No," naturally.
But once she finally started—trusting us to lead the way—she was absolutely thrilled. Now, she swims like a pro.
At least, that's how it works here in the States.

zakan14 said:Would anyone be willing to share their experiences with music school? I'm curious about picking an instrument, dealing with teachers, the school environment, etc. What age should they start? Any feedback at all would be super helpful!

I started my musical training back in 3rd grade, right alongside my regular elementary school classes..
Now, I'm a sophomore in a specialized performing arts high school..
Honestly, don't wait too long to enroll a kid; most schools won't even look at them unless they've at least hit 1st grade and can actually read letters..
Usually, during the audition process, the instructors will decide which instrument fits the child's natural talent best.