Because the teacher was a jerk. I wish I never quit. I loved playing sax.
Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
31–40 of 260 posts
Re: Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
#32Because it's pointless!
Re: Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
#33It’s about - matching content to interests. I took classical guitar, my guitar teacher realized I was really into blues (way into very capable rock guitar), so I learned classical for the theory and enjoyment of pieces e2e, and blues for a significantly growing interest as a “rock kid.” The more solid electric guitar I learned, the more I realized the classical background was making me good, and it played back and fo…
> I don’t know if high school bands are still out there with all the tech now?
They are. I don't know about numbers but kids getting together and singing with a guitar, bass, drums and maybe a keyboard still happens.
Re: Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
#34It’s about - matching content to interests. I took classical guitar, my guitar teacher realized I was really into blues (way into very capable rock guitar), so I learned classical for the theory and enjoyment of pieces e2e, and blues for a significantly growing interest as a “rock kid.” The more solid electric guitar I learned, the more I realized the classical background was making me good, and it played back and fo…
> I don’t know if high school bands are still out there with all the tech now? They are. I don't know about numbers but kids getting together and singing with a guitar, bass, drums and maybe a keyboard still happens.
Good good
Re: Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
#35It’s about - matching content to interests. I took classical guitar, my guitar teacher realized I was really into blues (way into very capable rock guitar), so I learned classical for the theory and enjoyment of pieces e2e, and blues for a significantly growing interest as a “rock kid.” The more solid electric guitar I learned, the more I realized the classical background was making me good, and it played back and fo…
Best thing I ever did for my musical avocation was to join a party band. Technically we sucked. But we gigged; we had fans who enjoyed our gigs; and while I had been in award-winning more classically-oriented formations, they didn't ever lead to international tours, nor did they never give the rush that an audience screaming for an encore does.
What's the difference between a squirrel and a french horn player in the back of a cab? The squirrel is probably going to a gig.
"Later in the evening as you lie awake in bed
With the echoes from the amplifiers ringin' in your head"Re: Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
#36As someone who runs a music label, ans has been doing this since 1999, it's not worth it to invest heavily into music. The people that make money in the industry, aren't the people that play the instruments. It's a long gone dream of just making music that has turned into payola, social media corruption, fake audiences, and negative things like drug abuse, lip syncing, fraud, suicide and ghost writers. Don't wish it…
The more I practice, the more enjoyment I get out of playing. TBH, it never occurred to me to seek financial gain from it.
I love playing but the idea of financial gain from it is laughable. I get lots of other benefits, though.
I imagine, like most other creative arts (e.g., programming), first you have to really want to do it, then that makes you learn how to do it, and if you wind up learning to do it well you may be able to make money at it. Maybe.
Re: Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
#37I've been teaching beginning guitar lessons for about seven years. Guitar is a little different in that, outside of classical guitar, there's very little traditional pedagogy, but from experience I think these things are generally true about most instruments. 1. When you start learning you sound terrible... for a long time. It's very difficult to stay motivated when you can hear your problems. 2. It's very difficult…
I've found it surprisingly low effort to get good enough at guitar and, in fact, piano, that you can start to see social rewards, i.e. people actually want you to play, at least a little.
Meanwhile I put in more hours and had far more formal instruction at a woodwind than either of those combined and... yeah, nobody wanted to hear that shit, it sounds awful (cringe-inducing, even) unless you're excellent. Years of effort and practice and no-one wanted to be around when I was playing (and I can't blame them). It's super discouraging to have spent that much time and effectively have nothing to show for it—nothing that sounds at least OK, even to you when you record it and play it back.
A couple half-assed months on guitar or piano can get you to, "hey, that sounds pretty good!" and get people to start singing along to whatever you're playing.
You can't do a pop- or folk- or standard-tune sing-along with a damn saxophone. I mean, you can, but nobody wants to unless your playing is so good you could go pro.
I think the difference is that they're good accompaniment instruments, and can play chords. Plus there's very little technique to learn to achieve acceptable & reasonably consistent tone.
Now, I'm sure getting to the point of being able to play solo instrumentals that anyone cares to hear on either of those, is much harder (I was getting there on the guitar at my peak, but still hadn't achieved it), but there's just nothing for most other instruments, as far as natural encouragement or reward from others, until you're awesome at them.
Re: Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
#38Because it's pointless!
All leisure activities are pointless if you don't care for joy or beauty.
Re: Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
#39I've been teaching beginning guitar lessons for about seven years. Guitar is a little different in that, outside of classical guitar, there's very little traditional pedagogy, but from experience I think these things are generally true about most instruments. 1. When you start learning you sound terrible... for a long time. It's very difficult to stay motivated when you can hear your problems. 2. It's very difficult…
Also you have to play with other people. I'm a lifelong musician and former professional musician, and I was always in bands, both school and rock bands with friends, right from when I started playing.
I think that's just crucial, I never would have stuck with it just sweating it out in the basement. You aren't a musician if you aren't playing with other people and in front of audiences.
Re: Kids and music lessons: why do many promising players quit early?
#40As someone who runs a music label, ans has been doing this since 1999, it's not worth it to invest heavily into music. The people that make money in the industry, aren't the people that play the instruments. It's a long gone dream of just making music that has turned into payola, social media corruption, fake audiences, and negative things like drug abuse, lip syncing, fraud, suicide and ghost writers. Don't wish it…
You can choose to work outside the industry.
I left the industry in 2013. I saw some of that toxicity and bleak future that you described.
This year I am starting to get back into a music side career, treating it like a bootstrapped startup. Using email marketing funnels to sell digital or CD, being cautious about investing into it. Haven’t proven it out yet, but I think I will enjoy trying.
If anything, it’s a good excuse to learn digital marketing, which would come in handy if I want to try selling anything else online.