Growing Musical Children
Growing Musical Children - Courtesy of Ralph Shaw1) Use Good Quality Soil - Ralph's DVD: The Complete Ukulele Course for Kids begins with a short demo showing the difference between a good quality uke and an inferior model. He demonstrates how a badly made ukulele will play out of tune and sound awful even when properly tuned.
Shortly after its 2004 release he was approached by a mail-order company. They wanted to sell a Children's Ukulele + Instructional DVD combo in their catalogue. They thought his DVD would be perfect for this package. However... after viewing the DVD they decided to drop the project because, as they candidly told him, his demonstration of a 'bad' ukulele was exactly like the one they were hoping to market! Gone was an opportunity to make some extra money but on the other hand he was proud to do his bit towards creating some awareness around ukulele quality.
Ralph started playing ukulele in 1990. At that time ukuleles were generally thought of as starter instruments for children. The thinking was that if a child showed interest and ability in the ukulele only then would it be worthwhile to invest in a 'real' instrument such as a guitar, piano etc. The problem with the "try a cheap instrument first" approach is that a bad instrument will always sound bad no matter who plays it! What possible chance does a 9 year old beginner have with something like that?
They end up placing the blame for their awful sound on their own meager abilities. I wonder how many thousands of kids have been put off playing music for life all because of their initial failure with a useless uke? Get the best instrument you can afford. A ukulele with a sweet and resonant sound is FAR more likely to be picked up and strummed.
2) Spend Time With Your Children in the Garden - Every grown up musician I know plays music because they enjoy it. It is vital that the spirit of enjoyment, love and fun of music be fostered in our children. Think about this: One of the most difficult life skills that many of us learn is the ability to talk. Yet who teaches us this? No-one! We hear our parents and siblings talk and slowly we figure it out. We all want to be participants in our surroundings.
When parents (who don't sing, dance or play music themselves) vigorously enforce a daily practice regime on their offspring how are their kids supposed to take that? Will music feel like a timeless activity or like a chore? Ralph runs a ukulele club and parents often bring their children along. The little ones delight in being surrounded by happy people who sing and play music. Seeing the happiness that is on those kids faces just lets you know they are going to be musical adults!
3) Add Food, Sunshine and Water - So much of our kid's time is spent either watching screens (games/TV/computer), doing homework or on out-of-school activities that there is little room for idle dreaming. A free flowing imagination is the wellspring of genius. So think about how you live. How much screen-time do you and your kids have compared to other occupations? Do they really need to be doing 4 different out of school activities? and...If you think your child is getting too many frivolous homework assignments discuss that with the school. Tell them Ralph Shaw sent you!
4) Allow Time for Growth - When Ralph was 8 years old there was a knuckle-headed boy who was way behind in his reading. While most of the class gobbled up one book after another he was sounding out every syllable. It was painful to watch. A few years later he was surpassing the rest of the class with his reading and other intellectual abilities (though not all were school approved)! His brain had just taken longer than most to develop the myelin sheathing necessary for full brain functioning.
Ralph didn't know all this then but apparently its very common. The lesson here is to stay positive and let your kids develop in their own time. Many children don't have the coordination that it takes to form chords and strum. Some kids can do this at age 6 but others might be 11 or 12 before they are ready. Just keep introducing them to music in all its wonderful forms. Let them watch you struggle and strive to master your art. Let music be a natural part of life. Remember: You won't make a plant grow faster by pulling on the stem.
