How Can I Turn My Children Into Harvard Organists?
The Harvard Crimson has a great story about the organist at Memorial Church. He's only 31 but he's stepping down after four years there. We learn:
Lane grew up in Walkersville, Maryland, a small rural town that Lane has watched transform into suburbia for nearby Washington D.C. and Baltimore.
Although his family was not particularly musical, Lane says that he always gravitated towards music. According to Lane, his mother briefly studied piano while pregnant with him.
“I’ve always wondered whether that explains my musical bent,” he says.
He started to play the piano at the age of five, attending his first piano lesson on his first day of kindergarten. A year or two later, Lane had moved on to the organ.
Since Lane’s father is a pastor, Lane had access to an organ from an early age. The entrepreneurial youth used his talents to play for the church to supplement his allowance.
“I never practiced enough,” Lane says.
But although he attributes some of his technical deficiencies to his sparse practicing, he says that he appreciated the freedom to explore and develop his talents independently, developing a life long love for music and the organ.
Still, “I never set out to be an organist,” says Lane, who was involved in musical theater throughout high school and hoped to move to New York after graduation.
My dad's a pastor and my parents gave us piano lessons from a young age. You would never know that I had 12 years of lessons, however. My brother and sister, on the other hand, play beautifully. My sister is a great accompanist and my brother is one of those guys that can play by ear. Meanwhile, I ... struggle.
But I'm so thankful my parents gave us lessons. So we'll get the kids started soon and hope they end up liking them as much as Lane here.
I'm curious if any musicians here have good advice about how parents can support their children in this regard. Tips for what to do and what not to do would be most appreciated.
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Mar '12
Re: How Can I Turn My Children Into Harvard Organists?
I've got 4 kids and husband's family with musical talent. We lived in London for the last 5 years and the kids attended a wonderful school that focused on things like art and languages in the early years and hitting academics hard starting around 9 years old. The school manages to nurse quite a few accomplished artists of all sorts. When my eldest was 5 and showing musical interest, I asked his music teacher what I should do. He told me just to make music available. Have instruments lying around. If able, have musicians--whether babysitters, parents, or friends--play music in the house. Have a variety of good music playing often. Have music be part of their environment. What he did not suggest was formal lessons beyond the school program (they took violin) unless the child requested lessons.
Much to my disappointment, that was easier to do in London than here. Here, everything is about lessons and they certainly don't play violin at school. And don't get me started on art work.
Re: How Can I Turn My Children Into Harvard Organists?
Thanks, AHLondon. This is helpful advice. Although I am now curious about art work ...
Re: How Can I Turn My Children Into Harvard Organists?
I took piano lessons for about ten years, viola for maybe four or five, and organ for two. All I can say- and I suspect this is the case for anyone who teaches anything- is that any teacher giving private lessons has to make sure that they practice, and needs to push the students. I learned the most from music teachers who knew how to get good work out of me.