Music

Welcome back parents/guardians and students.

The grades 3 to 6 now have music books. We will be working form these books through the year. You won’t be getting them back until the end of the year so I won’t have to chase up absent books. Because we now use these books and if your child needs glasses, I encourage him/her to wear them in class. I will try to balance music theory with creative work throughout the year.

Music club

Music club is available and free to all primary aged students and it runs on Thursday lunch times for the first half of lunch. There are many instruments available for the students to “Free time play”. It is not a formal teaching class but it does give the students a chance to compose or explore what they have learnt on our instruments.

Games are not just fun

You may have heard about our games in music classes? Many students look forward to games at the end of the lesson, providing we have time and they have been well behaved. These games are drama based some with and some without music content. They help children develop confidence, team work, music appreciation, music timing, concertation, resilience and help develop expression. The music we choose is usually based on their age and we are careful to avoid lyrics that they are offensive. The lyrics are in line with our school’s values. As far as genre or style of music it varies from contemporary to traditional/classic music and also music from around the world.

Many parents ask me about private lessons. Singing can be learned from an infant age and the brain is the most receptive to learn pitch and rhythm at this age just as we learn language. Some argue that complex music is good for early aged children to listen to. Many instruments can be learned from an early age such as drums and keyboard. If you don’t know the value of learning music beyond just the instrument instead of taking my word for it please Google it? You may be pleasantly surprised?

Guitar

Guitar requires more strength and fine motor skills, (ability to move fingers precisely) and sometimes early aged children such as under eight have not developed these abilities some children take even longer.

Violin

Violin is a particularly hard instrument to learn because the fine motor skills need to be at a very high level. Learning any instrument can greatly help learn another instrument such as learning to play piano can make it easier to learn guitar and vica versa.

A note for piano teachers/tutors I often don’t see them encourage children to make up their own music too. Creativity is a skill that we have to learn so parents please encourage this even if it sounds awful at the beginning. Just like language, it takes time to master.

I have heard many stories over my years of teaching that a child gave up the instrument because he/she didn’t like it. In some cases it is not the instrument but the private teacher/tutor that is the problem. I would recommend you have lessons with three different teachers before your child gives it up? The student needs to connect with the private teacher/tutor and the teacher/tutor needs to work within the child’s current abilities.

Should I only focus on my child reading music only? No, reading music is only one way to learn. We can also learn by “Ear”. Many professional musicians do not read music or have learned it after they became famous. Many cultures do not teach instruments though reading music. If your child is regularly playing music and enjoying him/herself then don’t spoil it by just focusing on reading music if that stops him/her from enjoying music. The point is that learning an instrument at the initial stages is very hard and we want to make it as enjoyable as possible.

To truly develop with an instrument requires regular practice (such as daily) even if it is for a short time. I like to say that if you commit 1000 hours to something, you are going to get good at it. Our brain requires regular repetition before it becomes easy and natural. Can you remember your first driving lesson? It is a bit like that but you may have five peddles and three steering wheels, (depending on the instrument). Learning to play an instrument is hardest at the beginning. It requires a huge amount of mental energy at the early stages and then becomes easier as you progress. A little note Practice does not always make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. In the early stages you have to watch for bad habits because they are very hard to unlearn and entrenched and poor posture and technique can do damage if done long enough.

Parents who really want their child to learn can also think about learning with them? A lot of the younger children see the parents as heroes and will copy what parents do and don’t do.

Wind instruments

When they sound an ear piercing noise and you may want to throw them in a bin. The problem is the student is overblowing the amount of air to use for a recorder or flute is like making a birthday cake candle flicker not blowing it out. The “t” sound we make is enough air to blow. Recorders are about $12.00.

Drums

All you really need are sticks or hand drums. You can use almost anything to hit for drums but the control of drum sticks is essential and they have to be real drum sticks. They cost about $8.oo online or in instrument shops. You can find plastic buckets or old pans and let your child play along to a CD? Electronic drums are virtually noiseless but costly. Acoustic (normal) drums are very loud and most professional drummers prefer them. Hand drums vary in price and perhaps you may have some bongos or tablas? Bongos about $35.oo upwards (don’t use sticks). Tabla prices can be in the hundreds, ideally you need two tablas.

Can’t afford lessons?

*You live in a wonderful age where you can get free instrument lessons on places such as YouTube. There are also many videos on YouTube that show how to make our own drums and play almost any instrument you can imagine however you may need to be with your child to help him or her.

*Please keep an eye on your child when on the internet.

If you have questions for me perhaps we can arrange a time to meet me afterschool sometime?