That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

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Part IV: I Like the Way You Play: The Jazz Musician
Sparking an Interest in Music
There’s one easy way to tell whether children are ready for music lessons: If
they ask, they’re ready. If you’re in tune with your children, you can tell when
they’re interested. You may notice them paying rapt attention to a musician
in a park or on TV. Or maybe they drum their hands like crazy to the radio.
Perhaps they invent melodies and lyrics. You also can use parent-teacher
conferences at school to get a sense of their musical interest or ability.
Part of your job as a parent is to let your children experience music, musicians,
and instruments. To figure out whether to invest in lessons, weigh your
youngster’s interest in music and playing an instrument with your inclinations
as a parent and your child’s personality and natural talents.
The famous “Suzuki Method” starts children on violin when they’re three or
four years old. But that’s pretty young. Generally, by the age of six or seven, a
child has developed the interest, physical skill, concentration, and cognitive
ability needed to benefit from music instruction.
Before children are ready for lessons, steer them toward music every chance
you get.
� Let your children hear and see live musicians.
• Invite a friend over who plays an instrument and have him
perform.
• Go to a mall that has live music on weekends.
• Visit a neighborhood park with a summer jazz series.
• Sign children up for school field trips to the symphony, or take
them to a performance yourself.
• Attend church services as a great place for a no-pressure sample of
music. Countless blues, country, and jazz performers, from Ella to
Elvis, began their singing careers in church choirs.
� Be a role model.
• Show your kids how to use the stereo, and set one up where they
can use it often.
• Encourage your children to look at your albums and play them.
• Take family trips to record stores and buy a CD if they find one
they like — within the limits of their weekly allowance, of course.