Unschooling music

Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art.
Charlie Parker


We've been told time and time again, that one must have a teacher to learn to play the violin/piano/guitar. I wonder to myself why? If we can LIVE it, we can create it. All of my kids sit and play on these instruments, none of them receive instruction against their will. None of them play on demand. But they love sitting at the piano and tinkering, holding the violin and figuring out the notes. Josh played the trumpet for a year before he said that he'd like a teacher. The important fact was that he had a desire to learn, and we found a good teacher, and he did learn (enough to figure out the Star Wars theme by himself lol) He also quit when he felt he had learned enough. He wants to fiddle with the guitar for a while. I love that they have the freedom to pick up what they want. I remember being told I had to learn the violin, when I wanted nothing more than to caress the cello. The cello had a beautiful, deep sound, but never was I allowed to touch it, because my hands weren't 'right'. I'm still sad about that, and as soon as I have a little pile of cash and a good cello in front of me, I'll spit in the proverbial eye of my music teacher and learn how to play. Without someone telling me how to do it.