To those who have or had young children around their instruments...

If you want to see that "start 'em young" thinking, get into kid's sports. For every kid that starts out at three playing bucket ball, preparing them to excel at tee ball, and goes on to the big leagues, there are hundreds of thousands, probably millions, who don't even get a college scholarship out of it. That's why it is so noteworthy. The little buggers didn't burn out before they were six. That in itself is noteworthy. Lest anyone think That I am cynical, I am. I spent a fortune on sports camps and private coaches. What did it accomplish, one of them got an academic scholarship. Where did it go wrong? Anyway, I think kids are kids, no matter what sport of what instrument you push on them.

Rllink said:

If you want to see that "start 'em young" thinking, get into kid's sports. For every kid that starts out at three playing bucket ball, preparing them to excel at tee ball, and goes on to the big leagues, there are hundreds of thousands, probably millions, who don't even get a college scholarship out of it. That's why it is so noteworthy. The little buggers didn't burn out before they were six. That in itself is noteworthy. Lest anyone think That I am cynical, I am. I spent a fortune on sports camps and private coaches. What did it accomplish, one of them got an academic scholarship. Where did it go wrong? Anyway, I think kids are kids, no matter what sport of what instrument you push on them.

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I think kids playing sports is a good thing because it is a fun/healthy activity and teaches many life skills like sportsmanship, integrity, consequences of action, continuous improvement just to name a few. Similarly, music is a fun way for kids to lean many valuable life lessons. And both are alternatives to video games (not that video games are bad, it's just that it is too easy for kids to spend too much time on them, so having alternatives help). I don't think that many parents think about college scholarships.

I got my daughter a Disney Elena of Avalor ukulele by First Act for her 3rd birthday--it was the show she loved at the time. The character association got her to pick it up more often than a more playable (but generic) colored plastic uke. Surprisingly, I've been able to get recognizable chords from it after I restrung it with Martin fluoros and Aquila Nylguts.

She's now 5 and she knows she can come and pick up "her" Kala Waterman from next to my music stand anytime she wants. She'll pick it up and walk around strumming and singing to herself on a whim. Sometimes when I'm playing, she'll want to come 'play' with me. We also have a piano in the house which she's shown interest in playing, but both my wife and I let her set the pace for learning to play either instrument.

I think her seeing us play music AND starting with a fun association to a beginner instrument/toy will pay off in a genuine interest as she grows.

I got my daughter a kala dolphin ukulele when she was 2. She's played some but never really got into it because she is (now 7) clearly a left handed player and I never go around to restringing it left handed. She will strum along and make up chords or copy them when I play, just left handed. I always encourage her to play and even let her goof off with my Kamaka ukulele.

Steve