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With my family, it was sports that was forced.......I remember getting pushed into playing T-ball one summer, another summer my sister was pushed into signing up for softball, and when we moved to Phoenix, my mom gave my brother a hard time about signing up for Little League.
Music lessons are a whole lot more valuable than computer programming lessons.
Computer programming lessons will teach you a set of button-pushing activities that make a machine do what you want it to, which is what it's going to do anyway; and it becomes obsolete when the next operating system comes out. It's also a solitary activity.
Music is a fundamental human activity that has been engaged in since we were humans; requires substantial interaction with other humans at a variety of levels (teacher, fellow student, ensemble member, ensemble director, older/more experienced/ more accomplished musician, prodigy, etc.); regularly humbles you by showing you all that you don't know; and is usable for the rest of your life.
Absolutely disagree wholeheartedly, this is why most Americans cannot take on programming jobs and employers are going overseas to find them. Programming is cerebral, it requires logic, math, organizational, to creative skills in order to execute. The act of programming is like speaking, you speak the language that the machines can understand but the entire programming concept is a lot harder than music and sports out there. Operating systems have nothing to do with programming. Programming is about languages.
You could be gifted with music or sports and easily perform well but not in computer programming which requires knowledge of the programming language, great reading skills, and a good IQ and intelligence to code or design the system code.
Most software engineers do not code, their job is to design and assemble the system and have programmers execute on the system code required to do the job.
Music lessons are a whole lot more valuable than computer programming lessons.
Computer programming lessons will teach you a set of button-pushing activities that make a machine do what you want it to, which is what it's going to do anyway; and it becomes obsolete when the next operating system comes out. It's also a solitary activity.
Music is a fundamental human activity that has been engaged in since we were humans; requires substantial interaction with other humans at a variety of levels (teacher, fellow student, ensemble member, ensemble director, older/more experienced/ more accomplished musician, prodigy, etc.); regularly humbles you by showing you all that you don't know; and is usable for the rest of your life.
You do realize that programming is what makes an Operating System. The easy to use interface on a screen or your smartphone is done with programming
Absolutely disagree wholeheartedly, this is why most Americans cannot take on programming jobs and employers are going overseas to find them. Programming is cerebral, it requires logic, math, organizational, to creative skills in order to execute. The act of programming is like speaking, you speak the language that the machines can understand but the entire programming concept is a lot harder than music and sports out there. Operating systems have nothing to do with programming. Programming is about languages.
You could be gifted with music or sports and easily perform well but not in computer programming which requires knowledge of the programming language, great reading skills, and a good IQ and intelligence to code or design the system code.
Most software engineers do not code, their job is to design and assemble the system and have programmers execute on the system code required to do the job.
The skills shortage is a myth made up by tech companies in order to import workers who will work for lower wages than an American worker.
America has plenty of talent, just not enough talent willing to work for $12 an hour and no benefits.
If there are other distortions at home, i.e. xBox, then the kid's attention will be easily diverted from musical instrument.
Though you shouldn't force him/her to focus on the musical instrument, the parent should provide a "pure" environment at home so that the kids can concentrate. I never turned on TV when my kids were practicing musical instruments. Moreover, I seldom stayed away from them during practice.
Of course, I was present in every recital and competition. In fact, the parent should be as committed as the kids do if you want them excel.
There are many kids who were forced to take music lessons at an early age. Many of them had no passion for it. So, in the end, while they can play the instrument well, I've always believed that when they perform, it ends up sounding perfunctory. To get an idea---listen to a person play an instrument that has a real love and passion for what they do. Then listen to someone who has no passion but was forced to learn. I recall reading that music programs on the college level that have very competitive criteria when it comes to admissions hold auditions. One of the things they listen for is the passion that goes into playing the instrument.
"Force" is a strong word...Do you know for certain these children are "forced"? Like physically? Emotionally?
Or are they "encouraged"? Or "given opportunities"?
Each family has their own set of values, and often times parents "strongly encourage" children to do things the children don't love because the parents/adults know it's good for them. (Ex.: Eating veggies, brushing teeth, homework, all manner of various activities in pursuit of a well-rounded happy whole person...) The ability to play a musical instrument is a skill set that some people value.
My brother and I were definitely forced to take piano lessons at a young age. Our mother always regretted not learning to play the piano and pushed her latent desires onto us. By forced I mean that no amount of complaining, crying, or pathetically bad piano playing would dissuade her from taking us to our lessons. She finally gave up after about 3 years when it finally became obvious to her that it was a complete waste of time and money.
And no, there were no redeeming qualities or heart warming life lessons imbued in us by these lessons. We simply had no musical talent whatsoever.
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