Kickstarting Your Kid’s Hobby

Famed

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami once quipped, “The most important thing we learn at school is the fact that the most important things can’t be learned at school.”

In order to help you bring out your child’s latent talents, we spoke with local professional artists – musicians, photographers, artists, and chefs – to help you bring these skills to the fore. Hopefully their advice and tips will resonate with you and help get your child on the road towards an enjoyable hobby.

A Budding Beethoven?

Your child doesn’t have to be Mozart – writing symphonies at age four – in order to play music for a hobby or even to become an accomplished musician. Many accomplished and well-known musicians didn’t even start playing music until their teenage years. But, says professional keyboard player Tzvi Lampert, “an ideal age to start is between 7 and 10, depending on the kid’s level of interest and level of talent.”

Lampert, who is a keyboard player, band leader, and music teacher at Brandeis School, explains that music is a way of thinking, so the younger one is when they start, the easier it is for them to get into it, similar to young people learning a new language.

There are obviously many different musical instruments that one can learn. Ask any child which instrument they want to play, though, and most will instantly respond: drums! Hmm…add that to the quar

antine mix and now things are really becoming combustible.

The truth is that it’s not just the effect that drums would have on your sanity that should eliminate drums from your list of possibilities. There’s another reason as well.

“The joke that all musicians tell,” says Lampert, “is: what do you call the guy who hangs out with musicians? The drummer.” He is quick to add that there are many drummers that are very musical, but the really great drummers also play other in

struments. Drums shouldn’t be the first instrument one plays if the goal is to be a well-rounded musician, he explains.

Rabbi Yitzy Ross, who leads a family band consisting of himself along with seven of his sons ka”h (his youngest, age 5, is in the process of learning keyboard), is not opposed to looking at a child’s personality to determine which instrument is suited for him. In fact, during our discussion, when asked about that, in the process of think-

ing out loud, he noted almost to himself, “Well, let’s see, my oldest plays tenor sax; the next one plays drums; Avi plays guitar; Mordechai plays trumpet; Moshe plays flute; Yehuda plays alto sax….”

Reb Yitzy, whose family band website is rockmishpacha.com, notes that although parents and children oftentimes gravitate towards keyboard and guitar, that is a big mistake.

“They should proceed with caution and consider other instruments,” he says. “Guitar and keyboard have a 94% failure mark after one year. But if you give a kid a saxophone, the kid can play a song after three lessons. Then he starts building up.”

Tzvi Lampert explains that what makes piano somewhat difficult to learn is that it is essentially like an entire orchestra.

“You are not just playing one note at a time like a horn,” he explains. “On keyboard, you are playing melody, base, harmonies, melodies, and sometimes counter melodies at the same time; you have 10 fingers to work with. So, to really play piano right, you really have to be able to do a lot at one time.”

Even so, if your child is inclined to play keyboard, the type of keyboard that you should get depends on what the goal is.

“In the frum world, there are two main categories of those who want to play,” says Tzvi. “There are parents who want to teach their kids how to be a one-man band playing heimishe music, and then there are parents who want their kids to learn by the book – playing classical, reading notes, learning theory, etc. For each of those approaches there are different recommendations.

“If you’re doing classical-type lessons, you want to buy something

that’s as similar to piano as possible, meaning 88 weighted keys and realistic sounding. If, though, you are looking to have your child play fun music or one-man band music, you want to get a machine that is fun, that has cool beats. It should have good guitar sounds, good saxophone sounds, something that the kid will have fun with and be able to explore with because it’s not as regimented.”

Reb Yitzy encourages kids to consider horn instruments.

“The nice thing about sax, trumpet, and flute is that they are easy to move around; they don’t require an amplifier; and the kid will get a song out within a few lessons,” he says. “That will inspire them to continue playing.”

Guitar is probably not the right fit for a shy child, explains Reb Yitzy, because it usually requires being up front while playing. But guitar can be great for a child with ADHD that has the ability to focus. “I know that sounds like a conflict but it’s not,” he says. “For example, there are kids who are all over the place but they can get entranced, and once they get entranced, they have a lot of energy to learn that which entrances them.” but there is a large space between a brilliant musical ear and being tone deaf. Pretty much anyone who is diligent and willing to practice can become an accomplished musician and can certainly play as a hobby.

“You can be the sous-chef – fetch things from the cabinet, pass her a utensil, take out the eggs from the fridge – but let your child do the actual cooking.”

He also notes that violin, which is believed to the hardest instrument to learn, is well-suited for one who is an introvert, as it requires someone to be comfortable playing many hours by themselves.

One common misperception about playing an instrument is that to do so one needs to have a “good musical ear.” That, though, is the farthest thing from the truth. Yes, if someone is tone deaf it would be a great challenge for them to play an instrument,

Reb Yitzy relates that a famous guitar player was once asked what makes him a good player and he responded, “Practice.” The questioner continued, “But what sets you aside from other people?” he replied, “Practice.” And to every question asked of him regarding his talent, he replied, “Practice.”

Although practice is important, forcing a child to practice is probably not a great idea. Reb Yitzy prefers the method of showing his children

videos of good musicians and getting them to want to practice through their inspiration to be like that musician. He adds, though, that if a kid wants a certain privilege, there is nothing wrong with conditioning receiving that privilege on having practiced for twenty minutes or so.

Due to the current situation, many teachers are offering Zoom lessons. Tzvi says that private one-on-one music lessons is the best way to learn. There are also online courses, from beginner to advanced, that you can purchase. “But,” cautions Tzvi, “like everything on the internet, there’s good and there’s bad, and it’s not really easy to tell them apart.”

If you want to go with an online course – some beginner courses are as cheap as $30 – it’s a good idea to get a recommendation from a musician regarding which course to take. Because, like with anything else, “you don’t know what you don’t know” and you don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with a bad course or with a bad teacher.

Reb Yitzy cautions that even though playing a musical instrument is a great hobby and it’s okay to pick one up just for fun, it is important to learn how to read music from the get-go.

“This happens all of the time – a kid plays by ear and gets pretty good but then hits a wall because he can’t read music,” says Reb Yitzy. “There are many really talented musicians who play by ear and sound great playing, but they will inevitably be limited or hamstrung at some point due to their foundational weakness.”

Although it may sound like a tall mountain to climb, playing a musical instrument is a great hobby that starts with one small strum.

The Next Julia Child?

Until cooking shows and food competitions became ubiquitous over the past two decades, cooking was seen as a utilitarian activity – we need to eat so we need to cook. But it’s no longer like that. Cooking is now a soothing hobby for many, which also has the function of putting food on the table. It’s not age prohibitive; given the proper tools and education, a ten-year-old girl or boy can put together a gourmet meal. That’s not to say that cooking is not complex – it is. But many of the skills used for cooking are the very skills that children are taught in school.

“When you give a kid any recipe, there’s a lot going on. There’s reading, math, comprehension, and science,” notes TJH columnist and celebrated chef Naomi Nachman.

The way to get kids involved in cooking, says Naomi, is to have them plan family menus.

“They should look through cookbooks, especially Perfect Flavors, which is my book…wink…wink…and get them to build and create menus. On top of that, are there any dishes that they want to try or ever express interest in making or that inspires them? Get them into the conversation. Talk about what they’d like to try making. They should also help with the weekly shopping list and listing ingredients.”

Naomi particularly enjoys teaching children to make pizza.

“What kid can’t relate to a slice of pizza?!” she says. “Also, when you make pizza, the kids have to learn how to handle yeast, which is a live and active ingredient. The water can’t be too hot because it would kill the yeast. Sugar makes the yeast grow,

and salt can kill it. So, there’s a science aspect to that. And pizza is delicious.”

She muses, “Since this whole quarantine started, we haven’t bought a pie of pizza. We make it all on our own. It’s just as good. And the kids connect to it because they made it. That’s a winning combination.”

Although cooking is an excellent hobby for young children, they should be taught kitchen safety, Naomi cautions. There are many videos online geared towards children. In fact, Naomi has a video on knife skills which can be seen on Kosher.com.

There are many easy dishes that children can make out of the gate. For example, franks ‘n’ blanks are fun, easy, and it’s hard for them to taste bad (if you like hot dogs) – all you really have to do is wrap a hot dog in puff pastry dough, throw it in the oven for 45 minutes, take out some mustard and ketchup, and everyone has a blast. Dinner is served, bellies are filled, and your child earns a boost of confidence in the kitchen. If you want to spruce it up a bit, you can have your child make some mashed potatoes (with a little salt, pepper, onion power, and garlic) and pat it onto dough, cushioning the hot dog. Now we’re talking about a real, authentic New York-style deli dish. Get a red checkered tablecloth and fuhgeddaboudit!

“While your child is making his or her first dish you obviously want to be in the kitchen,” says Chana Kahn, who ran a sleepaway camp’s kitchen, “but you should resist the urge to grab the spatula and do it yourself. You can be the sous-chef – fetch things from the cabinet, pass her a utensil, take out the eggs from the fridge – but let your child do the actual cooking.”

Chana adds, “I just had my twelveyear-old son make a chicken gumbo soup. It was actually delicious, and it’s like a full dinner. Although it may take a while to prepare, it teaches the child how to cook chicken, cut and sauté onions and various other vegetables, and to manage a cooking soup – an amazing skill for life.”

Aside from the actual cooking, children can learn how to “plate” a dish to make it more appealing to their “customers.” They can experiment with different sized plates, sprigs of herbs, sprinklings of confectioner’s sugar, or even dollops of sauces. This way, they can turn their dishes into culinary masterpieces – a true art form!

Cooking can serve as a source of pride for a child and can be a confidence booster when there’s only crumbs left on the bottom of the cake pan.

And, of course, the more your child cooks, the less you have to cook – a win-win all around.

An Amateur Ansel Adams?

Nowadays, being an amateur photographer is easier than ever.

“The iPhone cameras and the editing functions are high quality for beginners,” says professional photographer Sarah Schwartz. But in order for photography to become a hobby rather than just something to keep your child busy between Zoom classes, they are going to have to invest time and effort. “True photography requires patient and focus. Oftentimes you have to take many photos before getting the shot you are looking for,” says Sarah. “It requires you to still everything around you and focus on the object you are shooting.”

Professional photographer Gabe

Solomon of LifeCapture Images encourages getting children into pho

Quick and Easy Pizza Dough By Naomi Nachman

I developed this recipe when I was the baking instructor at Camp Dina for seven years. I started the culinary arts program, which became super popular. The kids loved baking pizza from scratch, and the pizza class became the most anticipated class of the program. You can use this dough for pizza, flatbreads, and even cinnamon rolls.

Pareve Yields 1 (12-inch) pie, about 4 servings

Ingredients • 2 teaspoons dry yeast • 1 teaspoon sugar • ¾ cup very warm water (115°F) • 2 cups flour • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine yeast, water, and sugar in a medium bowl; proof for 5 minutes, until bubbling.

Add flour and salt; knead for 2-3 minutes until flour is well blended and a dough ball forms.

Cover; let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Roll dough to fit a 12-inch pizza pan.

Place on sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings and bake for 20 minutes.

tography. How to get into it? Gabe says, “Start by finding something that inspires you. Photograph it from many different directions, angles, steps. Then see which photos you like and understand why you like it.”

Gabe explains that the technical knowledge of photography is secondary to the passion. “Photography is an art,” he says. “If you like a certain picture that you took, then it’s a good picture.”

At some point after getting into photography, the hobbyist may outgrow the iPhone, but that may be a while down the road. Gabe explains, “If you are frustrated that the camera on your iPhone is not taking the picture the way that you envision it, in other words, you are tired of the iPhone machine telling you how the picture should look when your mind is telling you something different, then it’s probably time to buy a camera.”

Gabe purchases his equipment at B&H, which has an excellent used equipment department, he says. But he cautions that before investing in equipment, one should really know what they are doing. “When you feel that the device you are using is limiting your creativity and you need another tool, that is the time to purchase equipment.”

Before buying the additional equipment, you should make sure to have a technical understanding of the item you are purchasing. “If you are looking at a lens or another item and you spend $300, you may have gotten exactly what you needed. But it’s also possible to spend $1,000 and totally not get what you needed,” he says. It’s really important to understand the function of the item you are purchasing, explains Gabe.

Now is the perfect time for children to embark on this new hobby. As long as the passion is there, your child will be successful.

“There is street photography, portrait, studio, nature, candid, family photography and the list goes on,” says Sarah Schwartz. “Since we are all under quarantine now, you can send your child into the backyard and if you have beautiful budding flowers, rocks or other nice landscaping, you can have your child shoot that from different angles with different lighting and see if they find any images

that they find compelling. If they do, they will probably be hooked and want to experiment and take more photos.

“I love what I do,” she adds. “I get tremendous joy from finding the right angle and the right expression on my clients’ faces. Kids can quickly become good at taking photos and can graduate onto more nuanced photography and quickly learn the tricks of the trade.”

What can be more picture-perfect than that? A Potential Picasso?

Your child may not exactly be the next Picasso just yet, but he or she is an artist. In fact, it was Picasso himself who said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

So how do you get your kid to paint her first brushstroke?

Artist Yael Vogel discloses to TJH that she learned to be an artist through watching YouTube videos. She recommends videos by Wilson Bickford, which are the free vid eos that she watched to learn her craft. As to when children should start learning art, Yael says that her young children are now taking Zoom lessons with art teacher Bro cha Teichman. Yael herself, though, didn’t start painting until the age of twenty-five, proof positive that it is never too late to become a fine artist.

Although a child is never too young to doodle and play around with markers and finger paint, art teacher Brocha Teichman says that by age eight or nine kids can start working on drawing exercises. In fact, Brocha’s Zoom course – which consists of four one-on-one fif teen-minute sessions for $100 – is helping many local children get into art.

“It’s nice because I get to teach them some techniques and then they spend the week working on them,” she shares. “They, of course, send me their drawings and by the next session they are ready to ad vance.”

A child does not need to exhibit any artistic inclination in order to become a good artist.

“I’ve seen children who have less natural talent surpass children who had more natural talent because they loved doing it and they are inspired to keep going,” Brocha says.

The nice thing about art is that even if one doesn’t plan on getting lessons, it’s easy to start exploring.

“All you need is a canvas, paints, a brush, and a paper plate to put the paints on and then you can start,” notes Yael.

Both Yael and Brocha share that a simple landscape is probably the easiest thing to start with.

“Just have fun,” Yael advises.

“A bad day drawing or painting is still better than a good day doing lots of other stuff,” quips Brocha.

Michal Lander told TJH that in an effort to keep her children busy during the early days of the quarantine, she purchased acrylic paints and canvases from Michaels for under $100. It kept her four children busy for hours.

“My son has not stopped painting ever since,” she says. “I’m trying to get him to focus more on drawing now because it’s an important skill for an artist to have.”

And we all know that a picture paints a thousand words. “Photography is an art; if you like a certain picture that you took, then it’s a good picture.” KollelNachlas Hatorah כולל בוקר שע"י קהל מחזיקי תורה כולל בוקר שע"י קהל מחזיקי תורה

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