School Music Programs Are Important

Occasionally (okay...hardly ever) a student signs up to study guitar with me that is not only talented but is serious about pursuing guitar. Those that do, usually want what I have for them and if they don't we find out pretty quickly where we stand on that aspect.

Here's the catch. The serious guitar student wants to do something big with music so they attend university in an attempt to get some formal training. They're probably thinking something like "hey, I like music, I'll study music in college!". The trouble is, by that time, it's quite likely too late to get serious about a formal music education unless they've participated in some sort of school music program.

Usually, as it is with guitarists, they have no formal music background, are a social rebel, and have eschewed all manner of institutionalized music programs. Other instruments, or school music programs, even if available, or not cool enough for the average guitar toting adolescent. Yet when they get to be college-aged they often do a little self analysis and say - "hey - I better try to learn what's going on with this" or something to that affect.

Even if a child is lucky enough to study guitar at a young age with a qualified teacher, it doesn't take the place of traditional ensemble playing. They need to play or sing in some kind of formal ensemble as soon as they can.

Entering a university guitar program without any formal music training besides "I can learn off of recordings and tab and have played in bands with my friends" is setting a pretty high goal. After all, you're at a university. Would you hope to be a math major with no formal math schooling? How about English? It would take some pretty hefty intellectual gifts to accomplish a pre-med program with no prior science classes. For whatever reason, it hardly ever occurs to young guitarists that they should take choir, or play in marching band or orchestra. I'm not saying that it can't be done, but trying to get a handle on learning to read music on your instrument, not to mention writing and analyzing at a university level with no experience can't be quite challenging to put it mildly. Just because a student has some talent, doesn't mean they can do all that too. And that's what all the other university music students will be doing.

Just as with athletics, usually it's the students who have excelled at a particular subject or activity in high school, that go on to pursue that specialty at college. All the best high school students from their separate fields are working to make the grade at university. All of the outstanding award-winning high school athletes, musicians, and academics are surrounded by their award-winning peers.

So here's the important part. If you know a youngster that's interested in singing, or playing guitar, or piano - encourage them to participate in whatever formal music training and ensemble playing is available. If they can study guitar and/or play in a school ensemble, that's fantastic. If not, any musical ensemble is better than none. That way if they do decide to get serious about music later, they'll have a better chance at succeeding at a university level.