OT: Deep thoughts while on the john

[Steve V]

Hey ladies.. I mean, laddies. 'Been hanging out in Hawaii, north
shore Oahu. The only thing good about being back is 1. my drums 2. my
gas grill 3. my own john.

Anyway, while on the john I did some thinking. I remembered how at
age 5 (and up) I used to make drum sets out of tupperware, coffee
cans, pots/pans, pillows, and cardboard boxes, and in my mind I was
making some pretty good grooves. Yet my parents hadn't a clue. Never
did they consider about putting me in band, or even a "will somebody
get that kid a real drum!?" I was good at a lot of other things. I
was musical, artistic, athletic, mechanically inclined. They did put
me in piano lessons --which was a good thing, but man.. *yawn!* I
wanted to hit stuff with sticks!! The usual "too loud" excuse about
getting a drum always prevailed. I just let it die. Here I am in my
30's finally developing my rhythmic talent, among other things.

For those of you with kids, pay close attention to what their
interests are and do whatever you can to cultivate their talents.
Talk to them, ask questions, be part of their world. Every kid has
the potential for something huge --as parents we need to find out what
that is. Raising kids is SO much more than putting food on the table
and clothes on their back.

<*sniff* I need a Kleenex>

SV

[Glenn Dowdy]

"Steve V" <svallee@ihpc.net> wrote in message
news:40c75d83.0309011906.8944e8c@posting.google.co m...
>
> For those of you with kids, pay close attention to what their
> interests are and do whatever you can to cultivate their talents.
> Talk to them, ask questions, be part of their world. Every kid has
> the potential for something huge --as parents we need to find out what
> that is. Raising kids is SO much more than putting food on the table
> and clothes on their back.
>
My 15 month old already has his own drum kit, and by the time he's five
he'll have 3/4 size guitars and basses to try out. I too never had the
chance to play music until late in life, so I don't want mine to have to
miss out.


> <*sniff* I need a Kleenex>
>
TMI.

Glenn D.

[Kevin Buffardi]

While, in theory I agree with you, but I gotta say that your parents were
right too. If you ask me, piano lessons is the best way to start off in
music in the western world. It gives you such a great grasp on the
structure and 'rules' of western music theory, that it is much easier to
pick up other melodic instruments. Sure kids will want to bang on stuff,
but if you think they have the skill and motivation to persue music, piano
lessons (as painful as they may be for the kid) may be a blessing in
disguise.

Personally, I was given the option of taking up an instrument in elementary
school band (which I did -- percussion) or take piano lessons. I don't
regret learning percussion at all, but I do wish I had paid more attention
to the keyboard instruments.

--
Kevin Buffardi
"Rockstars -- is there
anything they don't know?"
-Homer Simpson

[-MIKE-]

> My 15 month old already has his own drum kit, and by the time he's five
> he'll have 3/4 size guitars and basses to try out. I too never had the
> chance to play music until late in life, so I don't want mine to have to
> miss out.
> .....
>
> Glenn D.


That's cool, Glenn.

But be careful, you might turn him into a jock. :-)


-MIKE-

--
http://mikedrums.com
mike@mikedrumsDOT.com
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

[Adam]

Kevin Buffardi (kbuff1xw@mwc.edu) wrote:

> While, in theory I agree with you, but I gotta say that your
> parents were right too. If you ask me, piano lessons is the
> best way to start off in music in the western world. It gives
> you such a great grasp on the structure and 'rules' of western
> music theory, that it is much easier to pick up other melodic
> instruments. Sure kids will want to bang on stuff, but if you
> think they have the skill and motivation to persue music,
> piano lessons (as painful as they may be for the kid) may be a
> blessing in disguise.

Yeah.
I started piano when I was seven, and absolutely hated it. I hated
it for years, until eventually the playing, theory and knowledge of
harmony just clicked. I'm not and never have been a good pianist,
but I can play well enough by ear to entertain myself. Piano is
invaluable if you want to write music, or if you want to study
theory, and very useful if you want to go on to study music at
university.
Now I am just very thankful my parents made me stick it for all
those years :-)

--
<INSERT SIG HERE>

[Dik LeDoux]

"Steve V" <svallee@ihpc.net> wrote in message
news:40c75d83.0309011906.8944e8c@posting.google.co m...
<snip>
> <*sniff* I need a Kleenex>

You sure it isn't TP you need?

Dik

[Glenn Dowdy]

"-MIKE-" <mike@mikedrumsDOT.com> wrote in message
news:8TednaJEsa58usmiXTWJjg@comcast.com...
> >
> > Glenn D.
>
>
> That's cool, Glenn.
>
> But be careful, you might turn him into a jock. :-)
>
As long as his sport isn't football, basketball, baseball or hockey, it'll
be okay.

Glenn D.

[Steve V]

"Kevin Buffardi" <kbuff1xw@mwc.edu> wrote in message news:<bj16uo$dulnu$1@ID-80902.news.uni-berlin.de>...
> While, in theory I agree with you, but I gotta say that your parents were
> right too. If you ask me, piano lessons is the best way to start off in
> music in the western world. It gives you such a great grasp on the
> structure and 'rules' of western music theory, that it is much easier to
> pick up other melodic instruments. Sure kids will want to bang on stuff,
> but if you think they have the skill and motivation to persue music, piano
> lessons (as painful as they may be for the kid) may be a blessing in
> disguise.
>
> Personally, I was given the option of taking up an instrument in elementary
> school band (which I did -- percussion) or take piano lessons. I don't
> regret learning percussion at all, but I do wish I had paid more attention
> to the keyboard instruments.


They didn't see it as a starting point, they just really wanted me to
play piano. But yes, the piano lessons really did open my eyes to
music theory early on, as well as singing in the choir at school. I
sang alto, and to hear my part in relation to the other three I would
read the music and tap the alto part with my right hand while tapping
another w/ my left. At least it's paying off now.. I can read/write
drum notation with ease. TABs are VERY limited and visually
confusing.

[JaKe]

Steve V wrote:
>
> Hey ladies.. I mean, laddies. 'Been hanging out in Hawaii, north
> shore Oahu. The only thing good about being back is 1. my drums 2. my
> gas grill 3. my own john.
>
> Anyway, while on the john I did some thinking. I remembered how at
> age 5 (and up) I used to make drum sets out of tupperware, coffee
> cans, pots/pans, pillows, and cardboard boxes, and in my mind I was
> making some pretty good grooves.

I saw a dude at The Bumbershoot festival in Seattle yesterday who
strapped on a big ol pasta pot, coffee cans, and a large plastic carboy
jug. He also used empty plastic bottle filled with pennies taped to his
feet. Anyway, he had a huge crowd and he was banging away havin' a
blast while his bucket filled up and overflowed with cash. So maybe he
never grew up and got a set of dem der drums after all :-)

--
JaKe, Seattle
"The monk bought lunch"
Jim Morrison

[J.R.]

"Steve V" <svallee@ihpc.net> wrote in message
news:40c75d83.0309011906.8944e8c@posting.google.co m...
> Hey ladies.. I mean, laddies. 'Been hanging out in Hawaii, north
> shore Oahu. The only thing good about being back is 1. my drums 2. my
> gas grill 3. my own john.
>
> Anyway, while on the john I did some thinking. I remembered how at
> age 5 (and up) I used to make drum sets out of tupperware, coffee
> cans, pots/pans, pillows, and cardboard boxes, and in my mind I was
> making some pretty good grooves. Yet my parents hadn't a clue. Never
> did they consider about putting me in band, or even a "will somebody
> get that kid a real drum!?" I was good at a lot of other things. I
> was musical, artistic, athletic, mechanically inclined. They did put
> me in piano lessons --which was a good thing, but man.. *yawn!* I
> wanted to hit stuff with sticks!! The usual "too loud" excuse about
> getting a drum always prevailed. I just let it die. Here I am in my
> 30's finally developing my rhythmic talent, among other things.
>
> For those of you with kids, pay close attention to what their
> interests are and do whatever you can to cultivate their talents.
> Talk to them, ask questions, be part of their world. Every kid has
> the potential for something huge --as parents we need to find out what
> that is. Raising kids is SO much more than putting food on the table
> and clothes on their back.

That's sort of what my parents did with me. They got me a sort of low grade
drum set because they saw I had a lot of pent up rage from getting
humiliated in school. Then the lessons came. At first that kinda sucked all
the fun out of it because I was playing my way and learning a lot I think,
and it was hard to do it someone else's way. Sometimes if they have the
music in them, teaching may actually set them back.

My parents never understood me a lot, they still don't really, but they did
hit it lucky when they got me into playing drums.

JR

[David Crigger]

in article vl9t5gqoj7nlbf@corp.supernews.com, J.R. at me@here.com wrote on
9/2/03 12:49 PM:

> Sometimes if they have the
> music in them, teaching may actually set them back.

I've heard it said many times - but with decent teaching, I've never known
it to happen - though it may seem that way to the kid/student at the time.

DC