Figure 1.--These German brothers in 1969 are all dressed alike. The oldest boy is playing the piano. Presumably the other boys are also learning. Someone though seems a little unhappy. We are unsure how common it was for German boys to learn piano.

We do not yet have much information about instrumental music in Germany. We do not know much about the relative popularity of the various instruments that children have played. We note portraits of boys with instruments. The violin and piano seem very important. Portraits of boys with instruments. They do not seem to be as common as similar American portraits. But they may because our German archive is still relatively small. We hope that the photographic record will shed some light on the relative popularity of different instruments. Of course this has varied over time. A factor here is social class. We are not entirely sure how social class affected both the interest in music and the instruments chosen. Few woirking-class families, for example, could have afforded a piano or even had room in their apartmnts to put a piano. Boys varied as to their interest and enjoyment with music. Here cultural factors are very important. Given the German muical tradition, this must have been a string factor in Germany. This can be seen with the image of German brothers enjoying music making around the piano (figure 1). A reader writes, "In the picture one of the boys does not look too pleased about singing and looks troubled. He seems to have been chatised and looks rather angry. This is also an amusing photograph but we we will never know why the older boy is looking so angry!"

Specific Instruments

We do not yet have much information about instrumental music in Germany. We do not know much about the relative popularity of the various instruments that children have played. Here we can draw from the photographic record, although this is an imperfect indicator. We note portraits of boys with instruments. The violin and piano seem very important. For some reason we do not note images of boys olay a wide diversity og images. Perhaps tis was because the violin and piano were such important instruments in classical music. Guitars were important in the very early 20th century, perhaps because of Wandervogel and then again in the 1960s because of the explosion of rock music. Portraits of boys with instruments. They do not seem to be as common as similar American portraits. But they may because our German archive is still relatively small. We hope that the photographic record will shed some light on the relative popularity of different instruments.

Chronology

The popularity of different instruments have varied over time. Here a major factor is changes in the popularity of different kinds of music. And of course social and political trends affect the selection and even nterest in makin music. We suspect that duyring the NAZI yers that boys were directed into other pursuits than learning musical intruments. Of course there were musucal units in HJ groups, especially drum and buggle instrumentalists. After World war II, the German Economic Miracle and wide-spread prosperity in the West meant that virtually all families could afford musicl instruments and instruction for their children. We are less sure about the situation in the DDR (East Germany).

Social Clsss

A factor to be considered in connection with children learning musical instruments is social class. We are not entirely sure how social class affected both the interest in music and the instruments chosen. Few woirking-class families, for example, could have afforded a piano or even had room in their apartmnts to put a piano. Boys varied as to their interest and enjoyment with music.

Cultural Factors

Here cultural factors are very important. Given the German muical tradition, this must have been a strong factor in Germany. This can be seen with the image of German brothers enjoying music making around the piano (figure 1). A reader writes, "In the picture one of the boys does not look too pleased about singing and looks troubled. He seems to have been chatised and looks rather angry. This is also an amusing photograph but we we will never know why the older boy is looking so angry!"

Created: 10:25 PM 7/26/2005
Last updated: 5:29 PM 1/8/2009