Music Lessons

[Lulu]

Mitchell enjoys music and has quite a good "ear". I would like him to have music lessons - I checked out Mini Maestros on the net, but the classes seem a little bit more structured and serious than I would like, and I have heard the same.

I would like to find something that is fun and incorporates music, he is only three. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Jayney]

Music for young children- Has programs for little ones and teaches them a fair bit. As they get older it gets more intense but all is very fun and clever ways to help young children understand music and play music. On that note time to practice piano with DD#1

[~Jo~]

Have a look and see if there are any other music programs around..there might be some independent teachers out there. Other than that..look at an instrument. We had Emmy starting violin at 3.5 years and she loved it...you can get the little teeny tiny ones.

Jo

[Hollybolly]

Lulu - Where abouts are you located??

I'm a private music teacher & teach kids from 3yrs of age - There are many different things out there that would be great for him!

I teach Munchkins Music classes, which basically are a small group of toddlers (With mums, depending on their age) - and do a 40min class each week.

Although its planned out, its all very casual - We do anything from listening to music and understanding dynamics (loud & soft, fast & slow, etc) to listening to The Carnival Of The Animals and being the animals to the music - the swan, the tortoise, the lion, etc.
We also do lots of singing and playing of percussion instruments - tambourine, castenets, etc - and the kids learn the difference between music you march to and music you waltz to, etc.

From my experience, my program is very similar to most others - If you are in Sydney, the Yamaha School Of Music in Willoughby used to have a great program - I know our local conservatorium has one similar too - I think they're everywhere.

The advice I can offer you is to definately make sure the person running the course has music qualifications... The childcare to me isn't too much of an issue, as for young children, the parents usually stay, but small children with music are like sponges and just absorb everything - Thats why they are almost always brilliant with music so young.
If they absorb the wrong things music wise, it will take many yrs to pull them out of bad habits later on if they wish to pursue musical tuition when they get older - eg piano lessons, etc. (Talking from experience here - I have quite a few students who are just brilliant little musicians but have been held back from lazy tuition )

If your little man has a good ear, my advice is to get him into something now - It doesn't need to be anything structured or serious, but just has to be done by someone who knows what they're doing!!

Let me know what area you're in and I may even be able to recommend someone personally!!!!

Good Luck xx

[Lulu]

Holly I'm in Melbourne. What a pity, your classes sound awesome. PLEASE recommend someone down here if you can!

Mitch has a genetic musical ear - my aunt was awarded an OBE for her dedication to music and a Bartok award. Her music was left to the NSW Conservatorium and she left my family a concert grand Bosendorfer when she died.
Unfortunatley Lulu here didn't continue with her studies and it's such a big regret for me, it all used to come so naturally.......

Anyway, we just have a session here once a week or so - we get out the drums, maracas, toy trumpets etc and play along to the stereo. He loves big band swing, and can pick the different instruments and pretend to play along. He sits there with a faraway look in his eyes (sponge) gets me to play the track again and off he goes. I must get out the Carnival of the Animals - I can't beleive I forgot that!

[Astrid]

I checked out Mini Maestros on the net, but the classes seem a little bit more structured and serious than I would like, and I have heard the same.

That's odd, yes it is structured, but they did not come across as serious to me, but rather fun when I was taking Maggie. She definitely enjoyed it, but was much more interested in dancing than in instruments. May be it is very dependent on the individual instructor how good the classes are. I found Hey Dee Ho to be less fun, but then again I did not warm to the instructor.

[Hollybolly]

I'll have to have a think about who I know down there!!!
Not really anyone for little people - they're all mostly piano teachers who's students are quite heavily involved with exams, etc.

The Carnival Of The Animals is always a favourite with my kids - They can relate to the animals enough to know that the lion is loud & heavy, the tortoise is slow, and the fish (or aquarium) is fast & light.... they like 'playing' the animals, and they can identify to them.
Another one you might want to try if you don't mind the mess (!!!) - Painting to various different music - eg Berlioz' Symphony Fantastique is heavy & strong, and the William Tell Overture is quick and busy.... The kids love it, and are really good at slowing down & speeding up with the music, but it does get EXTREMELY messy!!! Lots of fun though, if you don't mind getting dirty!!! ... and its a perfect introduction to the world of classical music!

Good Luck finding someone.... PS. Oh you're so lucky on the concert grand!!!!!

[dee73]

I took DS to Kindermusik from 6 months till he was nearly 2. I am a music teacher also, and thought these classes were great as they moved at a good pace for the age-group, had lots of fun and games, and you got cds and books to take home. I'm pretty sure they would operate in Vic too if you Google them. They let you go to a class for free to see if you like it.