The short answer is that it depends on the instrument and the child. It’s very standard for teachers to offer free trial lessons to see if the child is up to the challenge of one-on-one instruction. Instruments like piano and drums are easy starters for children because they can have immediate success playing the basic songs. Instruments like guitar and bass are another story because of the size of the instrument. Many kids that want to play guitar can start out with ukulele. It’s much easier for small hands. They then transition to a child size guitar and then eventually the full size instrument. On the classical side of things, instruments like violin, viola, cello and string bass are very regularly taught to children as young as 4 or 5 years old. Whatever the case, I believe it is super important to give kids a head start learning music. If you are interested in exposing your child to music, reach out and we will set up a free trial lesson!
Wedding Musicians in Orange County
Whether it’s a wedding or just a simple party, live music can help make an event much more special and memorable. For important events like weddings or funerals, it is important not to go cheap with the music. These are emotional experiences and music can be especially powerful. For these events it is wise to contract an experienced musician that can alleviate stress. An experienced musician can answer the questions that plague every event planner concerning music like; which types of instruments sound good together? How much should I budget for live music? How many musicians do I need to hire? The easiest way to go about hiring live music, is to simply hire a contractor. A contractor knows the market well, has a network of trusted musicians, and knows who to hire and for how much. The contractor can also help with music selection. They will know if a certain song will work in a particular setting and instrumentation and can guide you to selecting music and musicians that will result in a more beautiful wedding, or a more memorable party.
Instrument Rental for Kids
For beginners, finding an instrument can be a stressful and overwhelming experience. Should I buy or rent? How do I know if an instrument is good quality? How do I know if I’m getting a good deal? Stringed instruments come in many sizes and can range enormously in quality. Oftentimes for beginners, renting an instrument is far easier and more cost effective in comparison to purchasing one. It’s important to remember that kids grow fast! For example, a ½ size cello may only fit a student for a year or two before they are ready to upgrade to a larger size. This is an easy fix for renters as they can simply go trade out their instrument for a larger size. For the adult learner though, you won’t have this problem. You will only ever need a full-size instrument. A problem you will face however, is the issue of finding a quality instrument. Adult learners tend to struggle allowing themselves to sound bad in the beginning stages of learning. A very common mistake people make is purchasing a low-quality instrument to make sure they are willing to stick with the hobby, but it is the low-quality instrument which causes them to give up on the hobby! The poor-quality instrument is difficult to play and makes it impossible to create good sounds, so they give up thinking the problem is their own lack of talent. The unfortunate truth is that violins, violas, cellos and basses are EXPENSIVE! A decent cello, for example, for a beginner could range from $1,000-$3,000. Renting is starting to sound like a good option, isn’t it? So, where should you rent from? Luckily, there are many options around Southern California. I highly recommend calling around to many different venders and compare pricing. Some venders even offer credit toward purchasing the instrument. This is an amazing deal! If you end up sticking with the instrument, your rental money was not wasted! It can sometimes be applied toward the purchase of the instrument! Depending on the agreement, renting is often the safer route too because rental instruments are typically insured. I’ve heard far too many horror stories of students being less than careful with expensive instruments. Insurance is an amazing plus!