by Sherrill Fulghum

Created on: October 01, 2007

In my family this question was not a what if, it really happened. When I was little we had season tickets to the local theatre series and when my brother was seven years old he became fascinated by the drummer in the symphony orchestra that we had seen. The guy even gave my brother a set of drum ticks. Being a musician himself my dad did not have a big problem with my brother wanting to learn to play an instrument. Drum lessons were arranged along with some drum pads, they're much quieter, were purchased. The drum set came later. Being a rather loud instrument some ground rules were laid as to the time of day the set could be played. At least he spared us the music on the radio when he played. The funny part of it all was that my brother didn't restrict himself to the drums; with sticks in had he would hit everything he passed; tables, chairs, walls, and even the table ware.

If a child expresses an interest in wanting to play an instrument, no matter which one, all effort must be made to make it happen even if it is a noisy one like the drums. Music helps children learn in school and even more importantly it provides an outlet for creativity, imagination, and even anger and frustration. Not only that there is a feeling of accomplishment after learning a piece and when in a group they learn to work together.

Music is the greatest drug in the world and best it's legal and it isn't bad for you!

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