Thanks, Elmer, but in-person music lessons aren't an option right now. I was able to do that with my own kids, and my late daughter majored in both jazz guitar and performance clarinet (not at the same time) in college. My grandson has always been drawn to music, and even a few years ago impressed me by the way he could identify composers of movie scores.

He's a lot like me, so one of my concerns is that he may discover he can play by ear and then abandon his lessons. (I locked my piano teacher out of my house when I was 13. Oy. I still feel sorry for the poor man.)

I was hoping my son would teach his son how to play the guitar, but he surprised us by showing an interest in the piano.

Is there a music teacher at his school who could possibly give you some advice?

All three of us took lessons as children - both at the instructors house and for a while there was one who came to our home. I lost all interest at some point. My sister stayed with it and even taught for a while after college. My brother turned out to be the one with the most musical talent and taught himself guitar (his children played both violin and piano).

Just an FYI but what I learned when downsizing mother for a senior living facility is very few children learn on actual pianos these days. They have space saving keyboards, nothing so large as to take up 3/4s of a wall.

morz8, I don't think it's necessarily the case that as in your own experience, your having dropped instrument lessons means it wasn't worthwhile. And it also isn't a matter of who has talent and who hasn't.

I think research has found uncontroversially that exposure to music starting at a young age positively affects brain development in ways that other stimuli can't match. It may be a bit late for some of that for alisande's 14 year old. The effects have something to do with developing the ability to concentrate, creating pathways for analytical functions, and development of feelings and emotions that have nothing at all to do with music itself.

A curiously common hobby shared by many brilliant people is the playing of musical instruments. Many play the piano, Einstein played the violin, Carl Sagan played the piano.

The converse is not necessarily true (it's not the case that musicians are particularly gifted intellectually) although when the music group Queen disbanded following Freddie Mercury's death, guitarist Brian May completed a PhD in astrophysics.

I think research has found uncontroversially that exposure to music starting at a young age positively affects brain development in ways that other stimuli can't match. It may be a bit late for some of that for alisande's 14 year old.

He's had plenty of exposure to music, Elmer. Your statement triggered a memory of the time someone told me it was good we had horses for our kids because a girl's sexual development is incomplete without an attachment to a horse.

Morz8, my grands learn at home via a cyber school. There was a time when I was good friends with all the music teachers at school, but life has moved on.

My grandson lives right across the street, so it's easy for him to come over here. I have a Yamaha keyboard upstairs, but it doesn't replicate the action of a piano as well as some of the newer, more expensive models. I'm happy to have him learn on his great-grandmother's full-size grand (speaking of pianos that take up a lot of room). 😊

Why not? You have a marvelous piano. You can play and help out. Try the one with the best reviews. Yes, being able to read music as well as playing would be great.

I was really enjoying learning to play at 7. Then we moved and the old bat used to fall asleep and would only let me do scales. She would also hit my knuckles with a ruler when she woke up. Needless to say I quit. ( The other teacher not only did scales, but had simple songs for me to play. He was great.)

"Old bat" indeed! I'm glad you were able to quit, but sorry a better teacher didn't take her place.

My first piano teacher was a close family friend. I adored him and his beautiful wife. Here I am with him, playing a duet at my first piano recital. They had a white piano! I think I was 7. Always big for my age. They eventually moved away, but we kept in touch. Today, I'm still in touch with his youngest son. In fact, I heard from him yesterday when he sent me a beautifully colorized version of one of my dad's photographs of his dad. I love connections like this.

I hope you didn't think I (who was raised in NYC) believed it.