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How to Break the Video Game Cycle
How to Break the Video Game CycleLet them play live music Video games have unfortunately become a way of life for elementary through high school students. They have largely replaced reading books, playing outside with friends, and for kids not athletically inclined, even casual sports activities like playing catch and throwing a football. Why not get your kid turned on to actually playing live music with each other instead? Teenagers especially are addicted to their iPods, engaging in a lot of passive listening to rock favorites. The latest video game craze, Rock Band, offers children the insultingly low level activity of pushing buttons on a fake electric guitar in order to ìplay alongî with the band on the video. It doesnít even allow a child to try to play a tune on an instrument with real guitar strings! Live Music as an Antidote If children took music lessons on an instrument of their choice, they could eventually form a real band and have the fun of playing the music they love with their friends. Once they master the basics, they can learn enough theory to learn how to compose their own melodies and harmonies. The amount of fun and creativity kids can get out of playing together socially far outweighs the dubious value of largely solo play at video games which generally are devoid of any creative or artistic activity whatsoever. Why Music Lessons are Important Often, parents buy their child a guitar, keyboard or drumset, and the child attempts to teach him or herself basic chords without a private teacher. This method doesnít work for 99% of the population, including adults. The reason is that although a child can teach him or herself basic rudiments with a book, it is a rare child who will have the awareness that music theory is an important part of the process of learning to play music. Without a teacher to explain the language of music along with the mechanics of playing an instrument, the student eventually becomes frustrated, and the guitar ends up in the back of the closet. Just as children need to be taught to read words and create sentences and paragraphs, so they need to be taught to read music and compose their own tunes based on the theoretical underpinnings of western music. Where to Find a Knowledgeable Teacher Amadeus Conservatory of Music has just begun offering private lessons after school in all instruments at the Rye Presbyterian Church, across from Rye High School. The faculty at Amadeus teaches all instruments and voice. They are graduates of the finest conservatories, including Yale, Peabody, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute, and Moscow Conservatory, among others. Lessons are offered for children of all ages through adult, including early childhood instrumental classes. In some cases lessons can be taught at private homes. Visit the website www.amadeusconservatory.com for further information on teachers, or call 967-0987. |