Three notes to parents with a child or children who learn to play a musical instrument

Education, Music

1. I have noticed that with the right motivation, children approach music and other arts out of curiosity; by obligation, they will flee. I think is a priority to maintain the motivation and joy that prompted the decision to approach music. I wrote a list of some films that can achieve this goal. For sure there are many more, but these are the ones I remember for now. I recommend reading a synopsis or watching a trailer of the movie you decide to watch, as they may contain dialogues or scenes that you don’t want to share (yet).

• Brassed Off (Dir: Mark Herman).
• Så som i himmelen (As It Is in Heaven. Dir: Kay Pollak).
• Les choristes (The Chorus. Dir: Christophe Barratier).
• The red violin (Dir: François Girard).
• Fantasia (Walt Disney Pictures).
• La flauta de Bartolo (Bartolo’s Flute. Dir: Paul Leduc)
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm4gwMSTTrU
• Into the Woods (Movie Version Dir: Rob Marshall).
• Mary Poppins (Movie Version, Dir: Robert Stevenson).
• August Rush (Dir: Kirsten Sheridan).
• Copying Beethoven (Dir: Agnieszka Holland).
• Immortal Beloved (Dir: Bernard Rose).
• Tous les matins du monde (All the Mornings of the World. Dir: Alain Corneau).
• Impromptu (Dir: James Lapine).
• Amadeus (Dir: Miloš Forman).
• Mein name ist Bach (Dir: Dominique de Rivaz).
• The Devil’s Violinist (Dir: Bernand Rose).

2. Also, using the internet as an educational tool, we can find lots of video-tutorials about the performance of musical instruments, some quite motivating; or listen to musical songs performed by amateurs and professionals. Vimeo and YouTube are some examples of places in cyberspace where it is possible to find a wide range of tutorials and performers with different music to appreciate. Many professional orchestras and musicians have decided to publish videos on the internet for cultural diffusion! Simply put the name of the orchestra or a piece that you want to hear and add the name of the instrument.

3. For those who like to entertain their children with mobile devices, look in the downloads section (Play Store, App Store, etc.) for applications that develop musical skills. There are several apps that are used for ear training, or to learn music notation with songs and games. There are also lots of games that approach music in an entertaining way: Maybe they do not seem to develop proper musical skills, but they present a varied repertoire.

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