Posted by Leland on February 08, 2004 at 00:11:31:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Trumpet for a 4-year old? posted by Ivory tickler on February 07, 2004 at 12:25:40:
The aspects of spatial visualization & coordination could also be said of, say, playing soccer. But, music is such a whole-brain activity that any approach would help.
I'd say to start on piano while young. I didn't start really trying to learn piano until my mid-twenties, and it was a real struggle just to pass the proficiency test to graduate college. I think I grew up before I learned piano -- "Wow, look at all the keys, and I use ten fingers, AND two thumbs... who knows where those extra fingers came from!... and I have to use my feet, too... this must be really complicated..." And, thus, playing piano was very complex in my mind, and that was a huge hurdle to overcome.
Whether I actually MADE it over the hurdle is known only to my professors.