Music Lessons - Middle Class?

[Aspergers_Aspie]

Would you say having music lessons is middle-class?

 

[Aspychata]

Think that music lessons gave me daughter a creative outlet that wasn't tied to social economic status. She started with piano. She then played guitar. She still is an artist. I started her doing art as a young child. She also uses it as a creative outlet to express how she feels. The arts help us express our creative passionate side, whether it's playing an instrument, writing a poem, etc.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

The narrator of the tv programme 'Police Interceptors' said the excuse of a speeding driver was that his son was late for his saxophone lesson was the most middle class excuse he has ever heard

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

No, not at all. Everyone should have access to music, and there are folks in low income neighborhoods giving piano and violin lessons. Many of the greats of jazz came up in poor neighborhoods. Schools have bands that any child can join, and also, nearly all music stores and community centers usually will offer a cheaper price for a low income child to get music lessons.

Besides, what's so bad about middle class people? They are the backbone of any society. They work hard and struggle every day to have a good life to pass on to their children.

 

[Mia]

Would you say having music lessons is middle-class?

Depends on the country your in. Canada for example has public schools, convents, colleges and university's that offer music lessons to all economic classes.

A sibling took piano lessons given by the nuns at her school, they offered them for free after school to those who were catholic with some ability. My husband had music classes both in public elementary and high school and college, and then university. Managing bursaries and student loans by the time he reached university.

 

[Judge]

If this was a more recent episode of that show, the narrator is actor/comedian John Thomson. I'm guessing it was intended as a sarcastic and humorous comment. Not to be taken seriously- or politically.

John Thomson (comedian)

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

When it comes to newspapers, according to this article, broadsheets are designed for middle class people. Tabloids are aimed at working class people:-

Tabloid vs. Broadsheet

 

[Aneka]

Technically, we no longer have a middle class or working class- although there is still something that qualifies as upper class or the "upper 10 000".

Music is the universal language for humans and the backbone of every culture, society and community- throughout the history of mankind.

 

[Mia]

When it comes to newspapers, according to this article, broadsheets are designed for middle class people. Tabloids are aimed at working class people:-

Think it must again, depend on the country you live in. Europe in general sees more differences in class stratification. North America has tabloids, although growing up in Canada outside large cities there was no access to them. Only broadsheet newspapers were available. Although you could on occasion find magazines that were similar to tabloid newpapers.

 

[Judge]

I don't pay much attention to alleged benchmarks noting class stratification. Mostly because in modern times, people tend to think their worth is based on what is in their possession rather than what they truly own or more importantly, what their true net worth actually is.

Where too many people are just a paycheck away from bankruptcy. Whether they're defined as being working class or middle class. Chances are they're both up to their eyeballs in debt.

Music lessons are just another thing to go onto the credit card...no matter what your net worth is- or isn't.

 

[hatfullofrain]

If you mean it was something kids with money did and not something I did, then yes.

Anyone can have music lessons in theory, but not everyone can afford them.

 

[VictorR]

It can be, but not significant on its own. The same would apply for a lot of tutoring / dedicated type programs and services.

Something that scares me is how expensive organized sports can be, especially ice hockey.
I fear that the current and next generations will miss out on a lot of things solely due to cost, and as things stand, one would likely have to be upper-middle class to have their kid regularly participate in the sport.

Something else that I consider a marker of socialeconomic status in North America would be travel. Gone abroad (aside from visiting relatives)? Disneyland/Disneyworld? Going to summer camp every summer?

Edit:
This is an interesting Canadian article with a 12 point checklist for socioeconomic privilege. For what it's worth, I scored 3.

 

[Booknerd515]

It can be middle class as there are some people in my schools who weren't able to afford them. I had music lessons myself for violin as it was a necessary thing given the type of orchestra class I was in (there were different levels of orchestra classes) so it was required for that. I remember there were some kids that were jealous of me that I was able to have them and do better than they could but really some kids at my school couldn't afford much and I felt bad for them. Even though the term middle class is technically a bit outdated people used it as a slur towards me sometimes. Some kids in my school just thought that if people were having money to afford things like music lessons then they didn't have any problems at all no matter how many times I tried to tell them I was autistic and had health problems.

 

[unperson]

My parents sent me to singing lessons, cos I had no interest in sport, which was the usual extra curricular childhood activity.

Music is used as a form of therapy with disability, so it's not necessarily a middle class thing cos of the different category of life.

 

[Aspergers_Aspie]

I went to High School (in the UK) in the 90s, I don't know if Aspergers was really well known back then or music as therapy for Aspies. And I didn't know I had Aspergers until I was nearly 30

 

[Mia]

Something that scares me is how expensive organized sports can be, especially ice hockey.
I fear that the current and next generations will miss out on a lot of things solely due to cost, and as things stand, one would likely have to be upper-middle class to have their kid regularly participate in the sport.

When my brother and I played hockey as children, we had used equipment that was passed around by families. Because as you grew the sizes changed obviously. There was a local sports store in the community that gave used equipment to anyone who wanted it and you returned it for larger size skates and hockey pads and helmets. There are lots of these community organizations in canada.

 

[Major Tom]

I was pretty poor growing up, but I got my music classes both from the public school and also family members. Some people who are poor and unknown rise from it through music for example Brushy One String among many others.

 

[Soleil]

A lot of public schools offer music classes, I think. My elementary school had one after school. I also had a piano class in high school, which was entirely free.

Slightly related, one of the students there was, I'm guessing, autistic. Like, the "classic autism" kind, with earplugs (until he gets to the piano) a caretaker/ parent always at his side, lots of fidgeting and seemingly not paying attention, etc. Fantastic pianist (a savant). The only one who came close was the kid who spent hours each day practicing at home.
I was okay-ish, but I had trouble focusing (that's my ADD).

And my dad was in a band in his younger days, and still practiced drums and guitar, and he taught us (me and my brother). My brother was great, and I... I was not. I did better on the drums, but still not great.

The reason music lessons are considered middle- or high-class is because it all costs money. Lessons are expensive, but even if you learn for free, you still have to buy/ rent an instrument.

 

[unperson]

I went to High School (in the UK) in the 90s, I don't know if Aspergers was really well known back then or music as therapy for Aspies. And I didn't know I had Aspergers until I was nearly 30

oh I probably didn't include enough backstory in my post, but my parents didn't put me in music as therapy because I had a dx, it wasn't a known condition then, it was more because I was a strange child, and just something they tried. I didn't get dx'ed till 40. My parents were'nt wealthy, but not poor either. Just average assets and quite frugal.

 

[VictorR]

When my brother and I played hockey as children, we had used equipment that was passed around by families. Because as you grew the sizes changed obviously. There was a local sports store in the community that gave used equipment to anyone who wanted it and you returned it for larger size skates and hockey pads and helmets. There are lots of these community organizations in canada.

Yes, but ice time is killer. Where I am, it's about $300 / game or practice session to rent a rink (or at least that's what it was when I was part of a group sponsoring a team a decade ago). The west coast in general is disadvantaged for winter sports since population is more spread out, and it's not cold enough in places to play outside so there's the double whammy of venue costs, but also travel for league games/tournaments.