I’ve been reading “Alexander Schreiner Reminisces”
He quotes Sigmund Spaeth as saying, “Everyone should dabble a bit in music, just for the fun and sociability. Sing in the church choir, play in an orchestra, participate in making music with friends and neighbors. But do not expect your child to become a professional musician unless he shows a decided interest in music before he starts school!”
Schreiner goes on to tell stories of his children’s early interest in music, “All of which makes me wonder what I was doing musically while I was cutting teeth and learning to walk and talk. I’ve been told that mostly I was listening. I loved to hear the weekly choir rehearsals in our home. The morning after, I was busy at the piano playing by ear what I had heard the night before. My parents decided that my musical interest was worthy of lessons, but alas, no teacher would have me. They said that I should wait until I had learned to read. So my lessons began when I was seven, and at eight I was carrying the full load of a church organist, playing for both choir and congregation.”
Later he has a section, which I will fully quote here:
How Old Should One Be to Begin Music?
This question is frequently posed by parents to musicians. I have given my share of responses, and have written short articles on the subject. My feeling, in essence, is to ask the child! Children should have music lessons when they want them, which means, when they are interested.
Of course, one can learn at any age. One can begin at eighty. Whatever one learns, according to the gospel, he will take with him through the eternities. However, if one wishes to become proficient in music, he must begin very early.
A lawyer, a physician, an engineer, or a scientist can begin to study seriously in his field during his years in college, say at age twenty. But if one wants to do professional work in music, twenty is much too late. One needs to begin by age eight or earlier.
In a happy, playful, facetious way, I have said that Mozart began at age three and Beethoven at age four, but I didn’t begin until the age of five. All these years since then, I have been working like thunder to catch up!
For amateur purposes, it is possible to begin music at any age. But for professional purposes, if you begin at twenty, you can never catch up with someone who started ten years earlier."
END QUOTE
Alexander Schreiner was a child musician prodigy, and since he is my great-great uncle, I have always had a special interest in his life. I think there really is an element of truth to his sentiment about trying to catch up with Mozart and Beethoven, even though his music education began much earlier than his formal lessons.
In my own studies of prodigies, I have seen a common thread. I believe that what leads these children to success is first an interest and the opportunity, and finally work. Our tiny children LOVE to read, but they are still working at it. If we give them the opportunity, and make it interesting, they will want to work at it, and they will succeed.
Here is the value for my own 5-year-old who is reading well. He is very interested in anatomy, and says that he wants to become a doctor. We’ll see, I’m not going to hold him to it! But for the time being, he shows a keen interest, and we bought him an anatomy book, with some awesome 3D pictures. Instead of simply looking at the pictures and guessing what everything is, he can amuse himself by reading about it. He loves that book, and shows it to everyone who comes to our home.
In the case of Alexander Schreiner, I have to wonder if those music teachers would have taken him as a student if he had known how to read. Certainly knowing how to read has helped my 3-year-old, who is decidedly showing an interest in music. (Much to the delight of her mommy! :yes: )
So I close with this question: What is the value of waiting to teach your child reading (math/music/etc) until they are 5?
