Lazer Beams writes "Jewgrass, or don't throw away your past."
Jake Marmer is Shanir Blumenkrantz blogging. Shanir was the bassist fo Danny Zamir's "Satlah" project and I first heard him with the "Lemon Juice Quartet."
Dear Amy:
My 11-year-old cousin is an amateur musician, but his "music" consists of pounding on piano keys as loudly as possible for hours at a time.Click the link for Amy's answer.
(He's not disabled or autistic, just an average kid.)
His piano playing becomes a problem when he and his family attend holiday gatherings at my parents' home.
For the entire time his family is at our house, he is pounding on our piano, even during Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
It's really obnoxious and takes away from what should be a nice family day.
His parents seem to think that his musical antics indicate that he has "talent," so they take no action to limit it, even when visiting other people's homes.
In fact, they often sit in the piano room and listen adoringly. They would view it as an insult if anyone asked him to stop playing, even for a short time.
We have tactfully suggested that he begin music lessons to improve his skills, but his parents think that it will "stifle his creativity" and cause him to "lose interest in his art."
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, my mom and I have gone back and forth as to the appropriate way to deal with this, but we are at a loss.
The Piano Police
