How do you know when your kid got a talent?

Overg

Senior Member
I was wondering, how do you know when your kid got a talent?
I read and heard on many drummers that start to play at the age of 2, and in the age of 3 start to preform with their parents. and so on..
(Jojo mayer, Buddy rich..)

How can that be? I mean looking at my nephew who is almost 2 years, he now start to walk, he speak some words. When I give him a drum stick, usually he take it and put it in his mouth, or just throw it around.

So is it really possible? or just exaggeration of famous drummers history ?
 
Justin Bieber says he started playing drums at 2. That should answer your question.
 
When the kid exhibits it.
 
My son had a pretty decent go with a drumstick on a pad a few months ago, and he was only about six months old at the time, so I think you can usually tell. I guess it depends what counts as 'playing drums'.
 
My son had a pretty decent go with a drumstick on a pad a few months ago, and he was only about six months old at the time, so I think you can usually tell. I guess it depends what counts as 'playing drums'.
Which means ? :)
did he manage to do single stroke? doubles?
 
Well, I mean he succesfully held the stick and hit the pad once or twice. I don't think I could reasonably expect more than that from a six-month-old...I imagine now he's a bit older he could have a better go at it, will have to try that out!
 
Hard to tell at a very young age. My youngest son, who will turn 13 on May 5, managed to play some decent drum licks at age 4 but has showed no interest since.

He does play clarinet in the junior high band however and is really good at it. He scored a 100 percent in a sight reading test recently.
I tried my best to get him to play percussion when band tryouts were held in the 6th grade but he wanted no part of playing percussion. In fact, he balks at playing my drums when I want to hear how they sound after tuning here at home.

As for showing talent at an early age for playing a wind instrument? None what-so-ever! But he can sure play that clarinet!

Go figure.
 
My son, now 17, played with toy musical instruments when he was little. When he became old enough, we bought him a Casio cheapo keyboard, which he wore out. Then we bought him a nice keyboard. Meanwhile, he started playing saxophone in band, so we bought him an alto sax, which he barely played. The band had no tuba, so the band director had him playing a baritone sax owned by the school. This made him interested in bass. We bought him one, and later when he left school band, we traded in the alto sax for a better bass. Now he is the bass player in out church band (worship team), and he plays bass in our two bands outside of church (one praise and worship and one instrumental rock). He has mucho musical talent, and it is cool watching him get better and better. He still plays keyboard too.

I believe his playing with the toy instruments was a big factor in all of this.
 
When you have a talk with your 15 year old kids teacher(who is a percussion professor) and he suggests the schools he audition for in 2 years are Eastman, Curtis Institute, Cleveland Instutue, Manhattan school of Music. That told me last week we're on a pretty good path.
 
Just one question, I hear about this all over the net, and I'm 17 know bands from King Crimson, to Steelheart, to B.B King, who is Justin Beiber?
 
Just one question, I hear about this all over the net, and I'm 17 know bands from King Crimson, to Steelheart, to B.B King, who is Justin Beiber?

Hey kid....I love it.Spread the news.Don't forget Buddy Rich,Gene Krupa,Tommy Dorsey,Count Basie,Art Blakey...just keep going like you are...you'll find out.

Steve B
 
I would think when a qualified instructor says your kid has talent, then he may have talent. Interest, and not pushing, at an early age can be a good thing.
 
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