The Young Musician, 1935 - Ursula Wise highlights the importance of not dulling a child’s interest

 March 27, 1935 in Nursery World

The Young Musician 

A little boy who is quite exceptionally gifted musically is the subject of one of this week’s letters

“Michael’s Mummy” writes: “We have been much interested in your articles for years now, at last, I am writing myself. This is not exactly a problem, but I should be very glad to have your advice and perhaps to know if this is a usual thing in children. My little boy of just six is always at the piano. He has never been taught anything, and does not even know the names of the notes, yet he can pick out and play really well any tune he knows of hears on the wireless. He just gets the tune in the right hand, then works at the left until he has got perfect chords. He always plays in absolute correct time, and can transpose a tune into any key, putting in sharps and flats. He also plays a lovely ‘Amen’ when finishing any tune, with chord in both hands. He has himself composed two little tunes which I have written down, they are in perfect 4/4 and 2/4 time. I should be so interested to know if this is usual or quite natural. I do not want him to learn music yet as he is very intelligent, and I think has enough brain work at school in the mornings. The piano playing is simply a game at present. I should be very much pleased if you would tell me what you think and whether he should be taught anything yet? I may add that he sings quite sweetly in perfect tune and time.”

Michael is certainly gifted beyond the ordinary in music. A great many children of twice his age could barely succeed in doing what he can do, and since he has accomplished all tis spontaneous development, it is clear that music is with him a very special gift. I certainly think it would be good to let him have some musical training, but it would be extremely important with such a child to get a really good teacher. It would be a tragedy if he got into the hands of anyone who would dull his interest and lose the opportunity which the child’s gifts offer. The teaching should be simply a way of enriching the boy’s experience and his means of delight. But it would be a pity not to develop such a gift to the fullest extent.