How old was your child when he/she started taking arts classes ?

Are you a stay at home mom? Or is she watched by a nanny/sitter with the capability to cart her around and participate in classes? If so, I think three things/classes are totally doable prior to preschool/kindergarten and during a 2-3 day preschool week. In fact, I think it's a good way to get your daughter social and active, try a lot of things and not do "too much." Once she starts preschool, and depending upon how many days she's in, 3+ classes may be overload. But, by then, if you've exposed her to different activities, she will also have an idea of what it is she wants to do so you can narrow down to things she really enjoys.

I'm a stay at home and have been bringing my kids to different classes like gymnastics, ballet, soccer, tball, swimming, music, even real art class where they draw and paint etc., some (music and gymnastics mainly) since they were born/turned six months. A lot of the classes open up at 18 months although some don't start accepting kids until they are three or five and can follow directions etc. When they were really little it was mommy & me type things. They don't really separate from the caregiver until they are about three, unless you do a preschool for twos. By now, my kids are 3 & almost 5, and they have a strong idea of what they like and don't like.

Once school starts for your child, you may need to rethink your extracurricular schedule. In the fall, my son will go to preschool five mornings a week and my daughter for three mornings a week. IMO, two formal extracurricular activities is okay but more than that leaves your kids (and you!) exhausted from running about and having no down time. Once grade school starts, and they go full days, you may need to ratchet down again, maybe just letting your child pick one thing they are really into. I'm a firm believer in letting kids be kids, having free time to play and some down time just to decompress. Between classes, play dates, library story times, school and homework (there's a lot more now at young ages than when we were kids!), your time quickly fills up. I know if my kids were in classes on top of school every day, not only would they be tired and cranky all the time, their imaginations would suffer and they would be asking constantly about why they can't play with their friends. They wouldn't enjoy the classes they were signed up for and isn't the point of doing it so that they can find enjoyment in these activities? So, to some extent, at this point, take your lead from your child. Oh, and one thing of note, at least where we are, a lot of the classes get a lot more extensive when they hit grade school age -- one sport can run you 2-4 events a week between practices and games, some ballet programs are super rigorous with practices every day of the week for a month leading up to recital time, etc., so you have to take that into consideration too.

As for music classes, there are lots of mommy and me type ones available for infants -- Music Together, Kindermusik and whatever local offerings you have -- but individualized lessons typically don't start until around five when a child can read and be taught how to read music. So, for your question about piano and band, that won't be until later.

When you asked whether you were too old, I thought you were 70! 15 is a great age to start. You're young enough to absorb stuff quickly but (arguably) old enough to take things seriously. At any rate, it's as a good time to start as any. In some martial arts like Aikido, there are some people who literally start training in their 60s, so seriously you are not too old. =)

You do know that "art" classes (drawing, painting, sculpture) fall under the category of "arts" classes.

I stick them in there as soon as someone will take them.

as soon as classes alow them to. i think being active is very important in a child life it makes up the person they will become.