[MR] ? on apprenticeships

[Mike C. Baker]

> What is the youngest age appropriate for starting an 
> apprenticeship? (Of the musical variety)


"All opinions"?  <VBEG>

My glib answer to this question is "it depends".

The more serious answer is *still* that it depends, upon the potential
apprentice/student AND the potential master/mistress/teacher.  If the
candidate has already successfully completed a period of time in a
formal page relationship to an adult outside their own family, there
might be a case made for "early entry" -- at least in the SCA as it
currently is structured.

Historically, apprenticeship entry appears to have varied from
birthright to dearly purchased status with no fixed age.  My own studies
indicate that in general apprenticeship was seldom formally and actively
entered into before the age of 6, and rarely after the age of suffrage.


Within the specific context of the SCA, I would personally encourage a
period of teacher-student relationship to precede any formally
apprenticeship for our youth members less than <f/x:  hand reaches into
hat, pulls out number> 14 or 15.  By 15 or 16, the senior partner of the
relationship should be able to get a fair "read" on the temperament and
personality of the candidate with respect to any given field of
endeavor.

Second opinion, for my personal situation (I Am Not A Member Of An SCA
Peerage):  unless I really know the individual, I hesitate to take a
formal student in my role as a Named Bard until the student is at least
in high school -- and preferably someone living locally to me if not yet
in college / university.  I'll teach anyone willing to learn -- it is
the *formal* relationship that bears this limitation, in my mind.

Adieu, Amra / ttfn - Mike / Pax ... Kihe

Mike C. Baker
SCA: al-Sayyid Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra, F.O.B, OSCA
"Other": Reverend Kihe Blackeagle PULC (the DreamSinger Bard)
Opinions? I'm FULL of 'em
alt. e-mail: KiheBard at hotmail.com  OR MCBaker216 at cs.com
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