Hi Ya'll!!
Mite started piano lessons with a private instructor, considered the "best" in our state. The instructor also knows Mite through a children's choir that he directs.
Mite is very gifted in music. This was first noticed by us when he sang the Barney Song at the age of 8 months and by a year was singing several songs.
Then in kindergarten his teacher noticed his ability in voice and recommended joining the choir he is in now. We put it off, due to my personal illness, and the choir location being 20 miles from our home, fo 2 years, but finally joined last spring. He quickly accelerated through 3 levels of performance and made it to the advanced choir. He sounds like an angel and has been asked twice this year to solo in church! (proud, beaming Momma!!)
His music teacher at school told me, just after Mite had joined the choir, that Mite had an incredible "ear". When she would teach the kids a song, she would often play a little bit of that song at the beginning of the next class to see if the kids would recognize it (ie play a few notes from middle of the song). She said Mite would raise his hand within 4-5 notes and say something like, "Well, that is definitely the pattern in SONG that you taught us last time, but it is also the same pattern in "song X, song Y, song A" and also if you just play DAH DAH DAH instead of DAH DAH DEE, it is also a pattern in "Song P".
So, the kid's a little freak in music.
Fast forward to the new piano lessons with the director/piano instructor. The instructor has been told about Mite's neuromotor disability and how it affects his hands. So, I was dismayed when after the second lesson the instructor sent home practice that had skipped to about the middle of the book! Mite can look at the music and sing it. He can name all the notes, rests and can click it out with his tongue, rhythm-wise. But, this stuff not only includes playing with both hands at once, but also with 2 notes at a time on opposite and on same hands!!!! It isn't difficult stuff, really. I can play it even though I don't know how to play piano, but for Mite, with his poor confused little hands, with dirty fingernails, it's just not going to happen. I could see MAYBE sending home one of these pieces to work on, but he sent home 5, plus about 7 pages of theory (which were a breeze for Mite).
Mite is frustrated beyond belief. The director doesn't get that Mite can get the music intellectually, but his hands just aren't there. Frankly, I don't think the director believes Mite has a disability. He seems to get all red and makes comments like "all boys struggle with these things" and the like.
Mite wants to take piano lessons. Mite knows it will be difficult. There are well known pianists who have dyspraxia and have said that using music actually helped them with their hands; so, he should have the option to try, imo.
Any suggestions?
