When Daniel’s mom first reached out to me, she was very frustrated. She started the conversation with an unusual statement. “Before you say no to me, let me explain. My son Daniel is three and a half years old, and all he wants to do is play drums. He bangs on everything around the house, so we found a three-piece drum kit, and bought it for him.” She went on to explain they had tried drum lessons with several teachers, but the teachers were short on patience and did not teach traditional skills such as “reading music.” As a piano teacher, she knew that mastering the fundamentals set the stage for success.
Daniel’s mom asked me if I would be willing to teach her young son lessons or at least give it a whirl. Of course, I stated that I was willing to try, although three and a half years old is an incredibly early age to start formal drum lessons. However, if the child is like “Traps the Drum Wonder” AKA Buddy Rich, the rules are different; parental involvement is necessary. So, we agreed that if she also participated as a co-coach, we could give drum lessons a whirl.
Daniel is now four years old, and he is playing like a champ. Per our agreement, mom attends the lessons and collaborates with him at home. As you might expect, we have a good groove going. Because mom’s conviction was incredibly strong, I was willing to try. And the strategy of a joint approach has worked well. Together, along with Daniel’s interest and talent, we have set the stage for success.
Environments have an enormous impact on the outcome of any creative undertaking.
Therefore, I beg the question, “Is three and a half years old too young to start individual music lessons?” That usually depends on the instrument, the parental support, and the home learning environment. Because of developing physicality, I am hesitant to teach drum lessons to anyone under the age of five, but in this scenario the parent and teacher initially agreed on certain necessary considerations; thus, in this situation, age has not played a factor. The most important ingredients in our approach have been teamwork and consistency. Without Daniel’s mom being involved as a co-coach, what we would have accomplished would not have taken place until much later in Daniel’s development.
Growing up. It is the mystique of music that invites you to be a musician.
In many cases the environment in which you live plays a big part in the allure music has on you. Daniel’s mom consistently plays piano in their house, so Daniel’s exposure to music is constant. He can see that his family reveres music. And by working with Daniel on his practice, she establishes more interest in music for Daniel.
The one approach that makes a dramatic difference for me as Daniel’s teacher is his mom’s reinforcement. I teach him to his true creative level, while also making his lessons fun. But his mom gently steps in to reinforce what he has learned which, in turn, helps make learning drums fun for Daniel.
Together, as a team, we celebrate and honor his learning. That is the main reason this scenario is working so well. We also know that as Daniel matures, the drum domain will solely become his. Daniel has grown up in a home that venerates music, so there is no doubt that this young musician will continue to be remarkably successful.
When teaching, I always try to remember what attracted me to play music.
In my house everyone appreciated music. My dad had two careers. His “day gig” was as a custom home builder, a career in which he was successful, but his true passion was playing jazz on the weekends with his sextet comprised of three saxes, piano, bass, and drums. It was then I watched my father morph into a more spirited fellow. He would switch from his ’58 Volkswagen bug, to his 1964 red Cadillac convertible, and as he drove off, I would observe his demeanor evolve into one with more pep in its step. He replaced his construction garb and work boots with a tuxedo and shiny black shoes. Every two months or so, my dad’s band would rehearse new charts at our house. We lived on a small street comprised of twelve houses that he had built, and when the band practiced, the neighborhood had a different vibe because music was in the air. The energy was electric! Seeing this excitement affected my brother who played drums which in turn affected me because drumming looked fun, and the drums were right downstairs in the basement, so why not? It was around that same time that Ed Sullivan introduced us to the Lads, and as I watched Ringo Starr, I knew unquestionably what I wanted to do for a living.
In music families, the apples don’t fall far from the tree.
Menzie Pittman is the author of The New Musician.
