Raising Musical Kids A Guide for Parents

by Cutietta, Robert A.; Mercadoocasio, Harvey

• ISBN13: 9780195129229
• ISBN10: 0195129229
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-11-15
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

As a musician, a music teacher, and father of three musical children, Robert A. Cutietta can view the challenge of raising musical kids from all sides. Now, in a volume written specifically for parents (with or without musical background), he draws upon his extensive research and varied personal experience to offer a complete, practical guide to this common parenting issue. Does music make kids smarter? At what age should a child begin music lessons? Where should I purchase an instrument? What should parents expect from a child's teachers and lessons? How do I get them to practice? Raising Musical Kids answers these and many more questions as it covers everything from assembling a good listening library for kids, to matching a child's personality with an instrument's personality, to finding musical resources in your community. Cutietta is a gold mine of common sense and straightforward advice. For instance, his novel reward system for enforcing practice will be a godsend for parents. Knowing that children can--and usually do--get most of their music education within the public school system, the author explores at length the features and benefits of elementary and secondary school programs, and shows how parents can make the schools work for them and their children. And along the way, readers will enjoy Cutietta's good humor--his tales of 3rd graders wrestling with huge string basses--and the common sense way he dispels many stereotypes, such as the all-too-common "only boys can play drums." Throughout, Cutietta emphasizes the joy of participating in music for its own sake. This is a book that parents everywhere will treasure as a complete road map for developing their child's musical abilities.

Author Biography

Robert Cutietta is Dean of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. For years a teacher in the public schools, Cutietta is both a choral director and an electric bass player and is currently the composer for the Television series Lost Legends of the West.

Table of Contents

Introduction What On Earth Prompted Me to Write This Book?	ix
The Ground Rules	3	(6)
What Does Music Study Do for Your Child?	9	(9)
What Age to Begin Music Lessons	18	(20)
Measuring Musical Talent	38	(6)
Creating a Musical Home Environment	44	(12)
Finding a Good Private Teacher	56	(10)
Choosing the Right Instrument for Your Child to Play	66	(19)
Getting Kids to Practice	85	(19)
What Is Good Practicing?	104	(13)
Music in the Public Schools	117	(10)
Music in the Elementary School	127	(12)
Music in the Secondary School	139	(18)
Musical Competitions	157	(5)
Music, Teenagers, and the Home	162	(8)
Computers and Music Learning	170	(12)
Finding (and Using) Community Musical Resources	182	(7)
Careers in Music	189	(14)
Da Capo al Fine	203	(4)
Appendix A Resources for Parents	207	(16)
Appendix B Songs That ``Americans. of All Ages, Should Know and Can Sing''	223	(3)
Appendix C The National Standards for Music Education	226	(1)
Appendix D Suggestions for Listening	227	(2)
Notes	229	(12)
References	241