Off the Wall 2013 programming here!
Off the Wall programming
Click here for further details.
Music For Young Children
There have been many articles about the importance of piano lessons and boosting a child’s IQ but we should not forget how much fun it is to learn to play an instrument. It provides children with a sense of accomplishment. The development of healthy self-esteem and self-confidence should encourage any parent to enroll their child in Music for Young Children (MYC).
MYC is a keyboard-based school of music that starts children ages 3-10. Classes are taught in small groups of 4 to 6 and include rhythm ensembles, singing, ear-training, sight-reading, note-reading, theory and composing techniques. It is a game oriented, activity based approach to learning to play the piano where the class atmosphere is relaxed, child-centered and fun for the students. An adult accompanies the child which ensures the young child feels secure and comfortable.
When is the right time to start children in music lessons? Formalized training should start as young as three. Music is like a language and the best time for that window of opportunity is from 3-10. Group lessons are one of the best ways for young children to learn because they are not only learning from the teacher but also from each other. Group piano lessons help students develop the positive attitudes and skills needed for collaboration, leadership and peer acceptance. Opportunities for individual playing with the teacher are built into class time while the rest of the group is involved in activities and games.
Started in 1980, MYC has grown to more than 24,000 students in 2011 in Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. Music for Young Children is a high-quality program that strives to teach "musicianship", with an emphasis on fun and enjoyment. In the past ten years, the program has expanded to include a pre-keyboard class for toddlers and a piano program for teens and adults. Local teacher, Brenda Horst, has been teaching the program in Stratford since 1990. A classically trained pianist herself, she was originally a parent in the program with her 3 year old daughter, Christina. She was impressed with how well the program was designed and taught, that when their teacher moved from Stratford, she agreed to taking over the program to have it continue in Stratford. She averages about 60 students a year and would like to start opening up classes for teens and adults.
The Music for Young Children program has to be counted as the dominant force in the musical training of young children in Canada today.
Many of the new students arriving each year in my studio are graduates of Music for Young Children. They arrive superbly prepared and well motivated for further study.
MYC teachers have found the right balance. They successfully blend the pleasure and joy of music making with the rigour of a well-crafted pedagogical progression.
Marc Widner, Chief Examiner emeritus, Royal Conservatory Music Examinations
For information about Music for Young Children call Brenda Horst in Stratford at 519-271-7535 www.myc.com/teacher/bhorst .