Adult classes

I don't know how many times I have heard an adult tell me that they wish they had taken piano as a child. Often they would like to start lessons, but it is hard with their busy schedules.

Group piano for adults can be a rewarding way to learn the instrument. In our classes at the Cherubs Clubhouse, we all play together as an ensemble. This is less intimidating for the beginner than a one to one situtation.

Group classes also provide a new social network for the adult. Learning to play piano can help with mild arthritis, relieve stress, and increase verbal memory and concentration skills. In a 1998 study, adults with previous music training had 17% better verbal memory than those without. Also, there was evidence of music study in their brain: musicians had an enlarged left cranial region in the brain.

So treat yourself, piano is good for you! Contact me at imaginationsmusic@bellsouth.net if you are interested in beginning group piano lessons.

New year, new semester, new blog

Monday, January 4 begins our spring semester of private piano lessons. Please be sure to bring your books and notebook to your first lesson of the new year! This semester we will be preparing for our formal recital in May. Each student will be assigned a new piece of classical music to preform from memory on the recital. We will also be researching the composers of our music so that the children can write their own program notes for their recital pieces.

This week at the Cherubs Clubhouse we will be hosting two free demo classes. On January 6, at 10:00am we will be having our free Kindermusik class for kids 0 to 4. On January 7 at 4:00 we will have our group piano demo for kids 4 and up. Come try out a class! The purpose of these demos is for each parent to observe a few sample activities from our curriculum. Children react in different ways to their first experience in a new class. It is not uncommon for some to be very shy about participating or others to be distracted by their new surroundings. The best way to get a feel for one of our classes is to try it for the duration of a term. It often takes several classes for a child to become accustomed to the class routine and focused on the classroom activities. As a parent or caregiver, the most important thing you can do is participate in the class yourself. If you are tentative about participation, or not focused to the classroom activities, your child will follow suit. The more engaged you are with the class and with your child, the more engaged your child will be. We are still taking registrations for our classes beginning in January, so be sure to visit our website to learn more.

I have decided to begin a new blog! I will maintain this blog as an informative resource about our classes at the Cherubs Clubhouse, Bruno Montessori and my Inverness studio. My new blog will be focused more on music and child development. Check it out!

Did you know...

Why piano ensemble?

Piano ensemble can be a fun way for beginners to start formal study of the instrument. Group piano ensemble can also be a valuable supplement for private students as well. Piano classes begin for children as young as 4.

In piano ensemble, we utilize 6 electronic keyboards, midi-technology, hands on theory materials, and games to facilitate the learning of new concepts. From the very beginning, we work towards good technique and posture at our touch sensitive keyboards. In our classes, the students play together as an ensemble in order to develop a strong steady beat and solid understanding of rhythm. Instead of rushing through several rhythmic values, we focus on reading and understanding each one. But playing together as an ensemble, the students develop the valuable skill of "keeping going" and listening to the other ensemble members. Solo piano students often have the "stop-start" mentality. Often, if they make a mistake, they immediately stop time to fix it(and sometimes even comment about it) or even slow down for the more difficult parts. While we do want to practice difficult passages individually (with a metronome at an appropriate tempo) as pianists we do need to learn to continue playing past mistakes on recital.

Another aspect of the piano ensemble class that I like is the approach to staff notation. Instead of beginning in a pre-reading notation for the first 2 months and then switching to the staff; we focus solely on rhythm, steady beat and keyboard geography at first. Then when we have a firm foundation we start our work on the staff. Sometimes, by learning a "pre-staff" notation, students learn to guess the correct notes by the fingering and hand position. In our group classes, we do not teach by hand position but by the location of the notes on the staff. We thoroughly learn each note on the staff before adding a new note.

An important aspect of group piano is the social aspect. Many students are intimidated by private lessons. By participating in a class, piano changes from being a solo activity to a team activity. The children are self motivated to practice because of the influence of their peers. They more readily participate in games and activities simply because it is more fun to participate in a group. The younger children learn from the older children and the older children learn by being teachers and leaders.

Check out my website for a list of piano classes starting at the Cherubs Clubhouse this spring. For students already studying privately, we will also be having piano camps during the summer as well as summer ensemble classes. For more information on the Mayron Cole Method for group piano, click here.

January Demos!

Give your snowman a break! Come celebrate the kickoff of our spring music classes at the Cherubs Clubhouse in Pelham! We will have a FREE Kindermusik session on January 6 at 10:00 for kids 4 and under as well as a free piano session on Wednesday at 4:00. On Thursday, January 7 at 4:00, weather permitting, we will have a another FREE demonstration of our group piano class for kids 4 and up. Come see what music classes we have to offer at the Cherubs Clubhouse. There are still spots left in most of our classes so come try out a class and see what you think! We have students coming from all over the Birmingham area to our classes so be sure to come see for yourself what all the buzz is about!

Come play on our WARM indoor play gym for 15 minutes after our 30 minute class. Check our website for a complete list of our classes! Our January term will start on January 13.