Monday, February 2, 2009

Piano prodigy or just talented? What to do?


OK, so as we've mentioned before, our 6 year old is obsessed with the piano. All he wants to do is play the piano day and night. He begs for more sheet music and piano books so that he can pour through them playing every song.

No, he doesn't have a piano teacher, although we've looked time to time. Before, our problem was that no one would take a 5 or then 6 year old kid as a student, but now as he nears the age they accept, we worry about what type of teacher can best suit him.

He's taught himself everything and he just reads through piano course books going through a level book a day if I'd let him. I buy him the next level up, but I try to slow him down. I'm nothing of a piano teacher but every week I sit down with him and assign him like 10 songs to practice during the week, just to kind of get him to play them more smoothly or to practice more on fewer songs.

I can't correct him and I don't know how to explain any notes to him, but I can hear if he misses a note and tell him it's not right. How to fix it is another story. He usually figures it out or if in the end if he can't we go ask a friend who plays piano for help.

I want to find him a good piano teacher, but I'm not sure who to find. He loves the piano so much but wants to go so fast. I worry that a piano teacher might slow him down. I don't mind him working on certain songs for a while, but I don't want a teacher who is going to make him practice so few songs and go so slow that he starts to lose his passion. I want him to be challenged and I want him to enjoy it. So far he seems to be doing fine on his own, so why change it?

Then, on another note, we've begun to wonder is he talented, or does he truly have a gift? Is he a piano prodigy, or are we just over proud parents that think he is really great when he isn't that good?

He's recently downloaded some sheet music off the internet to play and one of the song's he's been playing is the same exact song that we see a 6 year old girl playing on "Britain's Got Talent" and winning. Here, see for yourself, here is our version, and then the little girl on Utube:






OK, so I suppose the little girl is probably faster a bit, but really our little boy has only been playing this song for a week here, but it's still the same song. I think sometimes, gee, why isn't he going on some talent show or something.

Who is to know what he will become. No, he's not like those super skilled little kids playing the piano that you see on talk shows, but we still think he is something else. We just hope we aren't overthinking things. Is he really that good for a non-taught 6 year old, or did I just suck at playing the piano that much that I am a little too impressed?

Oh, and if anyone is interested, you can always check out his piano blog where he plays all his songs by clicking here.

2 comments:

Eric Starley said...

Find him a Teacher Now! He is a musical prodigy. This is not normal for his age, this is amazing!!!! You've got to allow him to develop it by getting him a teacher! Show that video to a university music professor and I'm sure they will help you get him a qualified teacher!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miles said...

If you live in the NY area, I work extensively with gifted children: www.milesfellenberg.com