The title says it all-- inspired by an open-house group piano lesson DS2.7 and I attended yesterday, he has asked to take guitar lessons.
We have a reputable local music school that offers lessons to children as young as 3, and I believe lessons can be as short as 15 or 20 minutes weekly. DS attentively sat through a 30 minute group piano lesson on Sunday, but began to goof around the 20-minute mark. He can sit for literally hours to read book after book, so attention span isn't a concern so long as the interest is there. We could potentially register for lessons starting in September. I only studied privately starting at 8, so I have no first-hand experience with music instruction for very young children.
What is your experience with exposing your young children to private music instruction early? Does it feed a broader love of music? Is the emphasis on enjoyment rather than skills acquisition at that age? How does the asynchrony between mental and physical abilities play out? Is this an endeavour better saved for a year or two down the line, when emotional and physical maturity catch up somewhat to the brain?
Regardless of whether we go the guitar lesson route, DS will be signed up for a group music and movement class for 45 minutes each week. I'm not in a rush to put him in lessons--and I wouldn't have actively considered the option absent his request. My initial instinct is to wait a month and see how strong this interest is, as registration doesn't begin until mid-summer. If DS isn't consistently enthusiastic, I'm inclined to wait until the next session, when he'll be 3.25, to reevaluate.
