My daughter began taking violin exploration. I call it exploration because well, she's too young in my opinion to develop a true passion for an instrument. This is the perfect time to explore and learn and develop interests.
I've always known that an instrument lesson would be in her future. Ever since she was a wee one, she was interested in musical instruments. So far she's amassed a small band of instruments that includes hand bells, a clarinet, an acoustic guitar and a saxophone. We started with the violin as it's one of the first instruments a child can explore at her age and because she's been walking around with two paper towel holders or drum sticks and pretending to fiddle.
The classes are short one on one bursts which is the most a 3 year old can really handle. More importantly it's the most this mom can handle. We've only completed two classes but we've already had a meltdown that fell along the line of mortifying for mommy meltdown. As her instructor played her violin, she fell to the fall, covered her ears and started screaming and shouting that the violin hurts her ears. I contemplated a possible ear infection but honestly, there haven't been any other signs of an ear infection. I also know she has had sensory sensitivities but she's heard the violin in the proximity she was with the violin before.
Amazingly though she retained a lot. I asked her to explain the different parts of the violin to her dad and the procedure to care for her violin and recalled most if not all of the parts discussed and the procedure. She's still not keen on handling the violin in the rest position and I've had to resort to a little bribery to practice her chin rest exercises but I remind myself that she's only 3 and we are only exploring.
I'm quite proud of her though but wonder what her apprehensions are with picking up the violin. She seems to be more interested in putting it down on the table and explaining the parts than to actually play it.
