My young friend scares me

@TheHorse (205771)
Walnut Creek, California
November 25, 2018 1:52pm CST
I've been showing my young neighbor friend guitar stuff since he was 3-years-old. More recently, I scored two electronic keyboards, practice on one at my house, and gave the other to the kid. Like me, he has a good ear, and he can play the Intro to Fur Elise, and other pieces, on the keyboard. But now, like many kids, he spends too much time on the internet, and hasn't been playing piano as much. He scares me, both because he has so much talent that he could be really good, and because he's getting into video games, which stifle development. What's my next step?
15 people like this
15 responses
DW Davis
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
25 Nov 18
Invite him over to jam with you, him on the keyboard, you on guitar. Challenge him to learn new songs.
4 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Nov 18
That would be a new combination. Maybe I'll try it.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Jan 19
Sigh. We're working on some Bach now.
1 person likes this
CarolDM
@CarolDM (203452)
• Nashville, Tennessee
25 Nov 18
Video games are the downfall of many these days. DW seems to have a great idea.
4 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Nov 18
I hope the kid can achieve balance and not be totally addicted.
Go Crossbones
@crossbones27 (48435)
• Mojave, California
25 Nov 18
Get him to play guitar hero. Problem solved,to easy to be true. Either kid will not like it or Guitar hero is not as good as they say it is. Somewhere in there is the answer, hell I think you may like guitar hero too. Video games are not all bad, just depends on what people play. And most play bad blow stuff up games.
3 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Nov 18
I'm going to go play Grand Theft Auto XXVI. I'm feeling the need to listen to Bach and run over Grandmas on the sidewalk
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Feb 19
Well, at least *I* thought my comment was pretty funny.
M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
25 Nov 18
'**Fur** Elise' is a good one. Does she look like a bear? :-)
3 people like this
M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
26 Nov 18
@TheHorse "... he can play the Intro to ***Fur Elise***..."
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Nov 18
@MALUSE Oh, I'm sure she is warm and fuzzy.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Nov 18
Who?
1 person likes this
Hanni Harel
@Hannihar (129482)
• Israel
26 Nov 18
@TheHorse Maybe he is scared too. Did you try talking to him and finding out what he really wants to do and if he is afraid that maybe he will fail?
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Nov 18
Oh, I don't see fear of failure in him right now.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Jan 19
@Hannihar Confidence. And persistence. But I would still like to see him hang out with more kids his own age.
1 person likes this
Hanni Harel
@Hannihar (129482)
• Israel
27 Nov 18
@TheHorse What do you see in him?
1 person likes this
DEBJANI BASAK
@debjani1 (7207)
•
26 Nov 18
Play the guitar in front of him with his favourite song and challenge him that he can't play this song as beautiful as you.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Nov 18
@debjani1 I'll never force it on him. We do sing when we cycle sometimes. And I'll take out the guitar(s) when he asks. He does play my keyboard sometimes when he's over here.
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Nov 18
Oh, he's heard me play. And I think he knows that he has talent too.
DEBJANI BASAK
@debjani1 (7207)
•
26 Nov 18
@TheHorse then? What's the other option?
1 person likes this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
25 Nov 18
I was totally against video games when my grandson started playing them several years ago. But, then after thinking about it and reading some articles I realized that they are teaching them a lot of useful skills. How to negotiate, co-ordination, mathematics, puzzle solving, computer knowledge, inspire new interests, more observant, concentration and such just to name a few. Of course, as with all things, moderation is key.
1 person likes this
celticeagle
@celticeagle (159058)
• Boise, Idaho
21 Jan 19
@TheHorse .......I wouldn't know.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Feb 19
@celticeagle Happily, he hasn't tried to play video games on my computer the last few times he's come over.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Jan 19
A lot of the games I see kids play are repetitive and teach very little.
1 person likes this
Alfredo Rossi
@amadeo (111948)
• United States
25 Nov 18
this is what happening to many young people this is the down fall on this.Such a shame
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Nov 18
It really is such a shame.
DE
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
28 Nov 18
Hmmm... is he one of your clients, pony? If not, then it should be his parents doing something about how he spends his time, shouldn't it? I suppose you could challenge him to practice more, but then you'd need some way to reward him when/if he met the challenge ...
1 person likes this
DE
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
20 Jan 19
@TheHorse As long as you're both happy, then you're doing something right, pony. Congratulations! Most people can't manage that!
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Jan 19
Learning the music is its own reward for him. He is my "pretend son," not a client.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Jan 19
@DaddyEvil We're doing fine. He comes over, brings his keyboard, and asks me to show him the next "bit" of the Bach piece we're working on. He knows I'm not a big fan of computer games, but I let him play a bit if I'm doing stuff that does not involve the computer. Then we get back to "business."
1 person likes this
Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (95188)
• Marion, Ohio
25 Nov 18
You could ask him to have mock concerts or something with you. Maybe that would make it more fun and challenging for him. I like video games too, but they have to be limited in time or you never do anything else.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Nov 18
Oh, he and I more or less do that. We "jam" together.
Loretta
@noni1959 (9886)
• United States
26 Nov 18
Offer to jam with him and maybe he has a friend who wants to play as well. Sometimes a buddy wanting to play can lead into forming a garage band for teens.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Nov 18
We jam together often. I wish he had more friends his own age. His mom keeps him close to her hip. Or mine.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
28 Dec 18
@noni1959 He has many skills under his belt. But he needs more social interaction with kids his own age.
1 person likes this
Loretta
@noni1959 (9886)
• United States
27 Nov 18
@TheHorse It does sound like he needs to branch out a little.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325809)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Nov 18
I agree with DW Davis. Music-making can be a lonely profession but if you can get him involved with other musicians, he might be more interested.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Nov 18
Oh, he's still interested. And he has "sat in" with me and my adult friends when we play. I wish he's get involved in a chorus or something with kids his own age.
1 person likes this
Jim Bauer
@porwest (78761)
• United States
1 Dec 18
Oh man. I thought this was a girl. Good thing I read your post. Some of these kids are so very talented. My nephew is like that. He is just good at whatever he does. Guitar, singing...his mom and dad got a piano in the house and in a week he was playing Bohemian Rhapsody. I was like, "What the hell."
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
1 Dec 18
This young fella is multi-talented as well. I like his long hair. There's something very "Euro" about it. His mom came here from Croatia just before he was born.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
19 Jan 19
@porwest Maybe he'll be the next Keith Emerson. He's really into keyboard right now. The other night he chose practicing Bach over his computer games. That pleased me.
1 person likes this
Jim Bauer
@porwest (78761)
• United States
3 Dec 18
@TheHorse A future rock star, perhaps, with that long hair. Now, where I have seen long haired rock stars?
1 person likes this
Diane Borg
@DianeBorg (784)
• Malta
25 Jan 19
Maybe you can make deal with him, you play with him on the computer and then he has to play music with you.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Feb 19
Happily, not necessary. He loves coming over and playing piano with me. He hasn't asked about computer games recently.
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Feb 19
@DianeBorg We're working on some Bach pieces now. He seems really motivated.
1 person likes this
Diane Borg
@DianeBorg (784)
• Malta
26 Feb 19
@TheHorse That's great, he can improve more his music skill.
1 person likes this
Bridget Thompson
@BridgetThompson (252)
•
27 Feb 19
find ways to keep him interested!! Kids want connection more than they desire screen time
1 person likes this
The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
27 Feb 19
Good point! He and I connect through music, sports, going shopping, and just good old conversation.