Live for Kids

[jonny72]

My 9 year old niece has played about with GarageBand a bit at school (well, actually at our local football club whilst as part of an after school class scheme) and is showing an interest in making music. Obviously I'd like to encourage her but how?

GarageBand is out of the question for her at home as they've got PCs, plus I'm not sure its that good a starting point anyway (other than the loops). I'd like to go down the Live LE route but I think that's an even worse starting point for a kid.

It needs to be simple for kids, with lots of loops and basic instruments and effects which are easy to understand and use and preferably with a good few simple tutorials.

I reckon this could be achieved pretty easily with a Live pack aimed at kids, containing everything I just mentioned plus it needs to work fully with Live LE.

Maybe it is something Ableton could produce? Or PureMagnetik, Track Team Audio, Covert Operators etc?

Sure it wouldn't appeal to everyone but I'm sure a lot of us have got kids that could make use of it.

What does everyone else think?

Views and comments from the Ableton staff would be appreciated as well.

[weeddigger]

Dude, kids are pretty smart, I say get her the Suite, tell her what does what, and how to figure out more, and see what happens...

[rbro]

My 9 year old niece has played about with GarageBand a bit at school (well, actually at our local football club whilst as part of an after school class scheme) and is showing an interest in making music. Obviously I'd like to encourage her but how?

GarageBand is out of the question for her at home as they've got PCs, plus I'm not sure its that good a starting point anyway (other than the loops). I'd like to go down the Live LE route but I think that's an even worse starting point for a kid.

It needs to be simple for kids, with lots of loops and basic instruments and effects which are easy to understand and use and preferably with a good few simple tutorials.

I reckon this could be achieved pretty easily with a Live pack aimed at kids, containing everything I just mentioned plus it needs to work fully with Live LE.

Maybe it is something Ableton could produce? Or PureMagnetik, Track Team Audio, Covert Operators etc?

Sure it wouldn't appeal to everyone but I'm sure a lot of us have got kids that could make use of it.

What does everyone else think?

Views and comments from the Ableton staff would be appreciated as well.

I've actually thought about teaching electronic music for kids as like an after-school activity type thing. My kids love playing around with Garageband and Live. I think it's every bit as valuable and enriching as learning to sing "Drill ye Tarriers Drill" or some shit they teach you in chorus.

[knotkranky]

I think that's the version we've been using.

[weeddigger]

And when I said, give 'em the Suite, I meant, give them some toys to play with (ie. Operator and it's buddies). Let them start experimenting with a synth and how it can change sound.

[Tone Deft]

omfg no.

get her a nylon string guitar.

FFS teaching a kid how to launch clips, check e-mail and open/close filters is far from teaching them music, do that crap later. give them instruments YOUNG, it'll pay off exponentially, that other shit will come naturally later if she develops an ear for music by playing an actual instrument.

[rbro]

omfg no.

get her a nylon string guitar.

FFS teaching a kid how to launch clips, check e-mail and open/close filters is far from teaching them music, do that crap later. give them instruments YOUNG, it'll pay off exponentially, that other shit will come naturally later if she develops an ear for music by playing an actual instrument.

I say do both. Live's an instrument.

[knotkranky]

I bet every kid that plays a lot of "Rock Band" will never learn to play a real guitar.

[Debra Van Valkenburg]

Actually, I could use a kid version for myself..

[rbro]

I bet every kid that plays a lot of "Rock Band" will never learn to play a real guitar.

That's bullshit too, well with Guitar Hero anyway. Guitar Hero inspired my kid to pick up the real strat I had bought him. It's all good I say. Anything that inspires your children to be creative and to gain a love for music is moving in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. In fact as I speak, my 9 year old just wrapped up yet another version of Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames" on guitar hero and has now moved on to the garage to play his real guitar. He wants a drum set for Christmas.

[weeddigger]

I agree with Tone. The kid maybe should learn a more "traditional" instrument first... But then again, why not both at the same time?

Kids are sponges for knowledge.

Make this one a powerful sponge.

[knotkranky]

I bet every kid that plays a lot of "Rock Band" will never learn to play a real guitar.

That's bullshit too, well with Guitar Hero anyway. Guitar Hero inspired my kid to pick up the real strat I had bought him. It's all good I say. Anything that inspires your children to be creative and to gain a love for music is moving in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. In fact as I speak, my 9 year old just wrapped up yet another version of Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames" on guitar hero and has now moved on to the garage to play his real guitar. He wants a drum set for Christmas.

Yeah alright, but I think lots of kids will attach themselves to strictly electronic music helpers, for a lack of a better term, like the Wi and all that other crap. I've seen it with a friends kid. He only knows controllers. I dunno, maybe it cuz all the kids kick my ass at that shit.

[Tone Deft]

I bet every kid that plays a lot of "Rock Band" will never learn to play a real guitar.

That's bullshit too, well with Guitar Hero anyway. Guitar Hero inspired my kid to pick up the real strat I had bought him. It's all good I say. Anything that inspires your children to be creative and to gain a love for music is moving in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. In fact as I speak, my 9 year old just wrapped up yet another version of Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames" on guitar hero and has now moved on to the garage to play his real guitar. He wants a drum set for Christmas.

hopefully he'll stick with it.

it's a nice story but imo the jury's out, I'll bet Guitar Hero has sold more guitars, doesn't mean they'll all get played. guitar posers are a dime a dozen, guys who have guitars but don't play them.

all respect, but owning a guitar does not make your kid a guitar player.

best of luck, truly.

drums?!?!?!?! does your son need any middle aged loser friends?


btw I kept reading this thread as "Liver for kids"

[rbro]

all respect, but owning a guitar does not make your kid a guitar player.

best of luck, truly.

drums?!?!?!?! does your son need any middle aged loser friends?


btw I kept reading this thread as "Liver for kids"

He plays it constantly. Now that he can actually wrap his little fingers around the neck enough to play a few chords, we've graduated to playing some Green Day and "I wanna be sedated" by the Ramones. I'm just trying to get him to play it at the 4th grade talent show this year. Anyway, my point and approach is give them shit to make noise with. Guitars, Computers, Drums etc. Let 'em go nuts for a while. I didn't even attempt to teach my kid any chords or anything until he had a good few months just making noise with it. You can really tap into some great creativity if you let kids discover some of this stuff on their own and not get too bogged down in "teaching them the fundamentals" right off the bat. Just my 2 cents of course, ymmv etc.

[Tone Deft]

that's really cool, you're a good father.

can Guitar Hero lead to real guitar playing?? yes.