anyone have a family like me?!

scarymoon1

I've decided to learn a musical instrument so i bought the instrument last week and I'm getting lessons next week. Told my family and they laughed saying things along the lines of

you haven't a musical note in your head
I don't know where you get your notions/ideas from
you will get fed up of it
you need to have the music in you
you cant read music

Basically nothing supportive. I'm old enough not to heed their advice by now but should I be angry that they were not so supportive. Its only a musical instrument I've decided to learn and I'm really excited about it - you'd think I told them I was going to space!

P. Breathnach

Lots of families are like that!

There is little benefit to you in getting angry about it. It's good that you can shrug off their silly comments. That's the best way to cope with such negativity.

Stavro Mueller

+1. Not every family is the Waltons. My immediate family has no interest whatsoever in my hobbies but it isn't something that bothers me. I have the hobbies I have because they're things I enjoy doing and I don't care what others think. Best of luck with your music lessons - I hope you prove the critics wrong

o1s1n

My girlfriend's family are like this and to be honest, I find it very hard to deal with. Mine are the total opposite, supportive of whatever I do. I really can't understand why family members would be so nasty.

Good luck with the instrument op! Ive been trying to play the guitar for about 13 years now. Still cant play, but its still enjoyable

Are you still living with them?

If so, they're probably just not looking forward to the racket. No matter how talented you are, the sound of someone starting to learn an instrument can be pretty annoying.

It's too bad that they're not more supportive, but I wouldn't really hold it against them. My Dad would be of a similar stance about the things I do, even treats the fact I'm in college as a silly idea, but it's not that he means any harm, it's just his way. Look on the bright side, it's character-building! You're pursuing the things you want in life without needing their approval.

Bonibus

My parents regularly dismissed things I was doing - oh you'll never make the school team/choir etc. To make a very long story short, it sort've drove me on. I learned the guitar and have played all over the country. If a nephew or niece shows any musical ability, my mum still gives me absolutely no credit, she just tries to think who else could play something in our family about 3 generations ago.

Queen-Mise

My family are a 'little' bit like this - although they don't say the negative stuff. It is more that they are so many of us if we were all to show enthusiasm about all our hobbies, it is all we would talk about - and honestly none of us care that much.

We want to know you are well & relatively happy, and that's about it.

LegacyUser

When you've been doing it for a couple of months laugh in their faces when you say 'oh you said I wouldn't keep this up didn't you?'

scarymoon1

no im not living at home - i dont know what it is about them - i guess they just want me to do things that they did/do. The fact they basically said more or less i wont be able to do it has spurred me on to be good at it - so maybe their negativity has been a good thing.

Richy06

F**k em!

You can learn how to play music, if you approach it right. You can train your ear to listen and hear things in a way you never thought you could before. You can learn to read music. If you have a passion for music, outside of playing, then you have 'the music in you'.

You WILL get fed up, but don't let this deter you. It's the journey that's the fun and interesting part. Don't ever stop learning or think you know it all and it will always be something that fascinates you.

You'll also have moments of overwhelming pride and joy when you accomplish little milestones along the way. As long as you know you want to do it and want to put the hours in, then you'll get as much out of it as you put into it.

Then you can rock/metal/folk/jazz/tinwhistle all over their faces someday.
Just let their negativity roll off your back. They're probably just thick they don't have the initiative to do it themselves, so they ridicule and demean.

eyeball kid

scarymoon1 wrote: »

no im not living at home - i dont know what it is about them - i guess they just want me to do things that they did/do. The fact they basically said more or less i wont be able to do it has spurred me on to be good at it - so maybe their negativity has been a good thing.

Don't know why any family would act like that to be honest. I think its great if someone tries to do something new. If you are learning something like guitar, then it is relatively easy enough to learn 5/6 chords with which you can play 70-80% of all well popular known songs. Think of the look on their face's when you are able to keep people entertained at the next family gathering for a couple of hours!

Even if its not a guitar and you can't play some very well known popular songs easily, its still a great skill to have and there's absolutely no reason to pursue this. If its something you want, work away. I really think its brilliant when anyone of any age decides to take up an instrument.

Best of luck with it anyway!

Jenneke87

Unless you´re living at home and decided to take up bagpipes please ignore their comments. My family was also skeptical in the beginning when I decided to pick up an instrument and recently my sister asked if I wanted to play the intro song at her wedding, so don´t be suprised if at some point they do a complete turn around......I hope you´ll learn to play fantastically.