We followed the curriculum that Charlie’s piano teacher, Jeff Young, developed. He has made up a book and describes his method briefly here—–I can try to describe it more in another post!

Could you please share a little about, ” . . . a carefully structured ABA approach for piano?”

I would really appreciate it. I’d love to hear how you thought this through and worked this out.

Shari

Great to hear about Patrick and the cello—-thanks for mentioning about G.

I am *very* surprised to hear that you’re going to request cello lessons in Charlie’s IEP. G took viola with the rest of his class in 5th grade and could not read music no matter how hard he tried. Since I can’t help him at home, we asked for extra help and were told TOO BAD; it isn’t academic and it isn’t necessary for him to function so it isn’t gonna happen.

Wishing again I had a few pennies to live in a kinder school district.

My son Patrick plays cello and loves it. This is his fourth year playing the instrument and things really start to sound much better after about the first year.

Ya know, in the end, it really does end up being the family who picks up all of the pieces for our children. It is really a wise decision to select an instrument that you feel comfortable and familiar with.

In school, some paraeducators/personal assistants can help, at first. But, once the music gets at a certain level, that type of personal engagement with a school staff member gets more and more difficult find. If I didn’t know how to play the keyboard, Nick could not have moved on with his xylophone at school. I had help him learn all of his marching band music, then he could go to the school with is one on one who really only needed to support his behavior on the field. (Fortunately, this year, he had someone who was a musician for marching band.)

I’ve observed a few things along Nicholas’ musical journey:

1. For the marimba, if I play it often, he tends to come around and “flirt” with it more. He internalizes the sounds, without any imperatives for him to play. After he comes down the stairs from his bedroom to watch, and within minutes, he is talking the mallets from me and playing himself.

2. When Nicholas was learning to play the guitar, it helped to have his instructor with the same instrument sitting across from him. I was concerned that it might be better to sit side by side (since it would be opposite, sitting across from him), but it didn’t end up being the case. It also helped for Nicholas to hear what the scales on each of the strings and across the neck sounded like. Once he watched, played, and eventually understood the intervals, it was easier for him to have fun with his instrument, with or without sheet music.

3. Mid-range (in pitch) instruments are more attractive to Nick. I think that he would have enjoyed the cello, since the notes wouldn’t sound as high for him. Therefore, he wouldn’t be worrying about filtering out bothersome piteches. He could just enjoy and play.

4. I started with 5 minutes on, 5 minutes play. Then, 10 minute son, 10 minutes play, etc. Now, he can play until the end of each of his lessons.

5. Having the right private teacher (none of Nick’s had a kid like him before) is the key. They have to be nice and find a “rhythm” of study with Nick. The good ones always do. My goal is to find a teacher who will be able to give Nick a private lesson when I’m not there. I travel, and sometimes I can’t be there.

6. I take a private lesson, now and then, on the same instrument that Nick plays so that I can stay a little bit ahead of him. Also, I think that there is something to be said about having a day, here and there, that Nick sits back and watches the big picture at the lessons. It doesn’t look like he is watching, but he is. I can tell when we get home.

Kristina, I enjoy the comments that you and everyone on this list have made.

Have a great weekend.

Warmly,
Shari Krishnan

I think it’s a fabulous idea for Charlie to learn to play the Cello.