From the BBC:
"The electric guitar has overtaken the violin in a list of most popular musical instruments for children to play, says a music exam board.
Some 13% of five- to 17-year-olds play the electric guitar, compared with 12% for the violin.
...
Back in 1999, the recorder was the most popular instrument among this age group, with 19% learning, just 2% of children played the violin and 1%, the electric guitar."
http://www.bbc.com/news/education-29117849
PS. BTW 8 years ago I was signing up in GuitarNoise... I miss those days...
It's good news - it means my School work is busy busy busy.
I joined GN in 2002, and remember the celebrations when the forum got its 500th member.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Something about those 1999 numbers don't complete the story for me. If these numbers are real, the Violin went from 2% to 12% in 15 years. That's massive. 1% to 13% for gee-tar is even more massive. Where did the the Recorder go? Did schools lose budget and kiss recorder training good-bye for elementary schoolers? Did Violin and Guitar user actually grow, or did just the percentages go up because of poor recorder popularity?
Yes, folks, that's some sad state of affairs my mind is in after a career of owning and number crunching data. I never had a pocket-protector, though. :mrgreen:
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Recorders are still there.
I think the rise in the guitar numbers is down to the school music services actually employing guitar tutors; when I was at school you simply couldn't study guitar except through private tutors so the numbers weren't recorded.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
I had no idea guitar was being taught in any schools. That's so cool. 8) 8)
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
In my kids school all kids learn recorder in music in the 4th grade. They can join band in 5th, but no stringed insterments. Brass, woodwind, percussion that's it. Any stringed insterments, you are on your own. Some other local schools have started up a string option, and its doing very well, so I hope ours does also.
Paul B
I know that some of the public schools have dropped music programs entirely. So anybody who wants to learn an instrument has to take private lessons or find some other way of learning. My friend who gives piano lessons now has a studio and has hired people to teach other instruments, including guitar.
Renee