Matt from Boulder, CO writes: Thanks for your promotion of the closet pickers. Everything that you are trying to accomplish is much needed and right on the mark.
My son, Gabe, is 9 and has been taking mandolin lessons in Boulder for coming on 3 years now. After Rockygrass this year, he says that he wants to be in mandolin contest next year. An honorable goal!!! He has been using mostly the suzuki books, as well as some folk song sheets, in his lessons with a local violinist/mandolinist. My questions:
While his instructor has been great, I sometimes think that I should steer Gabe toward an instructor that will teach him more along the lines of the music he is really interested in, bluegrass. Should I stick with the current instructor to continue with Gabe learning the basics or steer him at this point toward another instructor?
Nice to hear about Gabe. I hope to hear him play one of these days.
The Suzuki approach starts with learning by ear, then going to written music, and everything taught is exact notes — no variations accepted. That’s not “the bluegrass way”, where instrumental melodies typically have small acceptable variations any time they’re played, and improvisational flexibility is valued. But… learning precision and dependable technique is quite valuable for a young person — good technique lasts a lifetime. So that’s a benefit of good Suzuki teaching.
Repertoire is for-sure an issue. Simply put, your son should choose things to play that he wants to hear himself play, quite a thrill for a kid. Could be fiddle tunes (typical contest fare), or solos for bluegrass songs. It’s OK to learn from written music, but if he can pick out notes on recordings by ear, that’s much better for a budding bluegrass musician, quite useful long-term. If the Suzuki teacher can help him with that kind of playing, all to the good. But at some point, Gabe could and should get inspired by learning in person from a good local bluegrass mandolin player who’s good with kids. You should be able to find someone like that in Boulder.
I think musicians should follow what they most immediately want to do. Music at its purest is a pure “pleasure” thing, and the “work” factor in my opinion is not necessary to bring in until the player realizes that that will increase the pleasure (by making more and better music possible, with more and better players).
When the motivation to learn is there, it feel less like “work”. I think a 9-year old already has enough “school” in his life where he has to learn things that may not be interesting. Music should be a respite. If a musician loves music, it shows throughout his/her playing.
Gabe has enjoyed “jamming” with others in the campgrounds of the festivals. While his hootspa is there to approach the groups, his experience and ability to participate is limited. Is there a worthwhile children’s jam group or an opportunity that you know of for him to play with other kids both to grow in this and have fun?
Gabe would be quite welcome in any Wernick Method class, and we have them in the Boulder area. He’d be mainly around adults but that’s typical in almost any jam situation, and he’s probably already somewhat used to that. Sorry to say, bluegrass classes for kids are not common.
However, a great exception is the Rocky Grass Academy nearby in Lyons, every summer preceding the festival. It’s mostly at a very basic level, but would be fun for a few days, and he’d meet other bluegrass kids, an excellent opportunity. Kids who play music together tend to spur each other on, ideal for musical growth and fun.
He could also get his feet wet by working with my jam videos, which present a large amount of standard repertoire and offer different play along possibilities. Details on those are also on the web site. He would certainly benefit from some jamming instruction, and the jamming situation would help him see what skills he needs to develop to be a better jammer, which is essentially a better musician.
What other suggestions do you have to best prepare him for the contest next year?
With his teacher, select up to 6 pieces that would challenge him AND impress the judges, and then work carefully on every part that is not up to snuff (clear, smooth, and rhythmic, with proper emphasis in the proper places). A year of doing that would accomplish a great deal for his technique, and help establish patterns that would serve him well for the rest of his life. This is something like the path Chris Thile was on as a child. For him, one of the cool results was that he started winning serious prize money when he was only 10 or 12 (and not just because he was cute). He developed a lot of musical momentum during that time, and it hasn’t stopped yet.
A great thing about a young kid learning to perform (under what adults think of as pressure) is that they become somewhat immune to pressure. Chris Thile’s dad said when I produced his first record, that he actually plays better under pressure.
Sounds like there’s a lot of fun down the line, but it’s already fun!
— Pete
