In the shoes of a Learning Disabled Child!!!

I have nurtured this desire to learn some form of music someday. But in the rat race of the daily routine never really got even near to do anything with music except maybe listen to FM Radio. A friend started learning the key board and that kindled a desire in me to follow suit. Peer pressure u see!!!

I have no clue about the language of music. I was introduced to the Notes. Chords, Major and Minor notes etc. I was very enthusiastic in the first few sessions but as the difficulty level increased all seemed like Latin and Greek . I was thoroughly confused and in one session I could not understand the new concept that was being introduced but was hesitant to ask for clarification. Although the teacher was very kind and encouraging, I started feeling a kind of failure. I felt everyone around me was much better than me. My classmate, a six year old boy could play the notes so effortlessly and here was I putting in so much efforts without getting the desired results. Friends, the negative tape in my mind started sending the messages “I can NEVER learn this” “Music is not my cup of tea” “I am no good” etc etc. My keyboard was not the right model since it did not have the chords. Hence I had to just sit and do nothing in one session. The teacher asked me to practice what was taught earlier and wanted me to buy a specific key board to be with the class. On that day I really felt like a child who has forgotten to get his text book or his craft material to class! I actually started having thoughts of giving up.

A truth that I already knew dawned more clearly on me .I could visualize a child with learning difficulties experiencing exactly the same feelings that I was going through…I had nothing at stake…no tests, no exams, nobody shouting or reprimanding me for my failures and still….I was feeling so low about myself.
Imagine what the child who has so much at stake….so many people to please…parents, grandparents, teachers, tuition teachers etc, etc must be going through when he is unable to do things the way his peers are able to do. He has never tasted success in his academics. He is confused as to why he is not able to do things that his friends can do so effortlessly. His little head is always worried about how he could score better in his tests so that he could make the significant people in his life happy and so many other thoughts!!!

I always felt I could empathize with the child and understand what he is going through…..but this experience has actually put me in the shoes of someone who is overwhelmed with new things to learn….and this has made me realize first hand what a child would actually be going through…