I am a homeschool graduate.
Homeschooling is a delightful thing. We learn and can, for the most part, learn at our own pace. To an extent, we have a freedom to learn how we want and we learn to love learning.
However. There is a phenomena about homeschoolers that I wonder about.
It would seem that majority of homeschoolers, from Indiana,USA to Queensland, Australia and in between, at some point in their home education, have taken piano lessons.
Why?
Some would say that parents want musical prodigies. Or that music theory looks good on a college application. Parents want their children to learn music because they never learned music and their children deserve better.
Lovely theories. But not true.
I propose something much more likely.
The parents of the world know that homeschoolers are some of the smartest children. They know that others are resentful of this (why do you think homeschool is banned in some parts of the world?).
In short, homeschoolers take piano and music theory so that they can band together and use music as communication. In case of war.
Now. As much truth as I’m sure this is, I do have to wonder about the reasoning behind this. I am sure that somewhere in the world there are homeschoolers that have no music knowledge. And also, a few of us stop practicing when the lessons stop. And then we forget how it works.
Why not something else, though? Why music?
Why haven’t all the homeschoolers learned to knit and communicate like that? (Knit and Purl stitches being like Morse code.)
Or, since we all have to learn math anyway, why not hexadecimals to communicate?
Anyone want to learn how to communicate via blue pawprints left on three items and then we have to figure out the message? (We could call it Blue Clues.)
Thoughts, reader-peeps? Why do homeschoolers learn to play the piano? And if you aren’t homeschooled… you didn’t see anything…
Spiral-Bound 
YES TO BLUES CLUES!!! XD I’ve taken piano lessons since I was in second grade, so when I started, I was actually in private school. That’s about ten years of piano playing….
I have no clue how to knit, but I can crochet. 😉 But that knitting thing totally makes me think of Mrs. Whats-her-face in A Tale of Two Cities, who was always knitting!!!! XD
WE GOTTA FIND A PAWPRINT THAT’S THE FIRST CLUE… XD
I’ve not read A Tale of Two Cities, but I have heard about that woman. 🙂
YES! Homeschoolers should put blue pawprints on their blogs…
I’m not surprised you’ve heard of her. She’s creepy. O.O
Okay, that would be awesome. Just anyone who has been homeschooled stick a blue pawprint on their blog and we don’t tell anyone what it is. XD
YAS. This must happen. 😉
I LOVE IT. We just need to find someone to design a pawprint for it. I think we’ll get in trouble if we actually use the real Blue’s Clues one.
Probably. 😛 I could design one. It probably wouldn’t take me too long…
Ooh! That would be awesome! If you’ve got the time and everything. 🙂
I will! I’ll probably do it when I’m stuck on a physics problem or something. 😉
😉 Good procrastination.
*slowly raises hand* Um. None of us Fischer kids have ever taken music lessons. We do, however, have a piano (sort of. It’s kind of between keyboard and piano). And we all have, at various points, learned a bit of music theory and piano. But that was all teach-yourself. So maybe it still counts?
I enjoyed this conspiracy theory, but I’m afraid I don’t see it as just homeschoolers who always seem to have piano lessons. Pretty much everyone I’ve ever met has taken piano lessons (or some kind of music lessons, but mostly piano) at some point, homeschooled or not.
Still. I want to know. How does this music communication thing work? 😉
Also…A Tale of Two Cities…
Just realized I should clarify what I meant by that last line.
*ahem*
A Tale of Two Cities has probably scared anyone off from the knitting code thing.
Ever? You sure complain a lot about the violin for never having taken music at all… 😛
Most people I know don’t play piano, except the homeschoolers and a very few who weren’t homeschooled. Of course, I am unsocial pineapple, who does not leave the house except for church. XD
Yes, I’ve heard about the woman from ATOTC from Liam. 🙂
Nope. Never. Violin is teach-myself too.
That could be it. 😉
Perhaps. But still… you do know some music theory. My point still stands.
Except it’s not only homeschoolers who know music theory.Those ones are trustworthy. (Stop putting holes into my conspiracy theory! XD )
Sorry-not-sorry! *sticks out tongue*
Hmm. I’m homeschooled and never really did piano lessons. My mom tried to have me learn from a book when I was younger, but I never got far. My homeschooled friends did take lessons for a while, though. I knit and crochet….but it somehow doesn’t seem like an effective communication method.
No, knitting sounds like a terrible method of communication, indeed. XD
But she did try to get you to learn music! 😉
Oh. My. Gosh. I didn’t realize the truth in this until I started really thinking about it xD I stopped piano because it was kind of a miserable experience for me and my clumsy fingers, but…o.o
EXACTLY. O_O
I don’t think I have any good theory behind it. I guess I always wondered though. I did take lessons for a while but I was just interested to see if I could even play the piano while being dyslexic. So mine was just a personal challenge type thing…I doubt everyone else has the same reasons so my theory holds no water. Maybe everyone hopes they will be the next Mozart.
Oh of course. I’m completely kidding about this theory. It was just fun to think about. 🙂
My parents tried guitar with me. My younger sister taught herself to play the keyboard. She can listen to a song or theme and play it. Like Darth Vader’s theme on Star Wars. But I agree with the Blues Clues thing.
I have a couple of sisters who can play by ear.
It’s a fabulous idea, isn’t? 😉
🙂
I actually am a homeschooler who has not taken piano lessons. Well, okay, fine. I took about a week’s worth, and then it just…didn’t pan out.
But hmm. The only thing I can think of is—math is supposed to be the language we use to communicate with aliens, right? So clearly, math isn’t an option because we don’t want aliens deciphering our messages. Why not knitting, though? I don’t actually know how to knit, but I can crochet, and I know that me being left-handed actually means all of my crocheted things are actually backwards. I don’t know if something similar would happen with knitting, but…backwardsness could be confusing.
Music, though… On a serious note, I love music because it makes me feel things. It’s not just sound and lyrics—it’s emotions, it’s associations, it’s powerful. Music is powerful, plain and simple.
So why not utilize that power?
That’s my theory.
Also, if this random blue paw on our blogs actually happens, I’m all for it. I will so totally do that.
That is a good theory. And music is absolutely awesome. 🙂
Excellent! All we really need at this point is the pawprint itself.
I thought so, too, hehe. Thanks.
Hmm. Somebody’ll need to draw it, I presume? I could maybe do it, if school will let me…
You’re welcome. 🙂
proverbs31teen also volunteered to design it. Maybe you two should collaborate?
Ooh, maybe. I have no idea how to collaborate something like that, but I think I’d be willing to try.
Ooh. If you two want to, of course. You two are also welcome to communicate via my blog comments, if you want to. 🙂
Thanks.
You’re welcome. 🙂