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It has been ages since I wrote. I feel like a bad pen pal! My son will be a whole ONE year old in a few days, and my daughter is learning and growing in JK at Holy Cross. Myself and the rest of the family are settling into Kemptville nicely, and are really able to call it “home” now. I just love the people around here! Here’s what’s new in the studio:

• Registrations for the Fall are being taken. Check the Schedule now.
• Sunrise continues in it’s 3rd instalment
• I am considering hosting classes for babies… stay tuned!
• You’re going to start seeing Music for Young Children more around Kemptville!
• Check our digital TV ad year-round at the Municipal Centre
• Look for our booth at the Dandelion Festival!

If you or anyone you know is interested in group music lessons for young children, private piano lessons or guitar or ukulele lessons for all ages, please contact me today!

Musically,

Mairéad

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,300 times in 2013. If it were a cable car, it would take about 55 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

If you a considering music lessons for your child, you may wonder what group lessons have to offer in comparison private lessons. Here are the top 5 reasons to take group music lessons:

1. PEER INTERACTION – Learning together with your peers is not only more fun, but the lesson can be tailored to a specific age group. MYC classes are structured according to age and experience. And music is a social thing- we play it together, dance to it at parties, and sing together in worship. Learning the piano does not have to be a solitary activity!

2. ENSEMBLE PLAYING- When you learn to play piano in a private setting, it is not too easy to get to play with another fellow musician. The skill of playing together and performing in front of others is crucial to any developing musician. Starting in a group from the beginning means that your child will be a more confident performer and group member (a duo, trio or a band) in the future.

3. FRIENDLY COMPETITION- I never have to openly compare students or pit them against one another, but certainly many of them “step up their game” when they are required to play in front of each other each week! The competition is subtle, and it can be an excellent motivation for many young students. And that can mean less “persuasion” from parents.

4. STRUCTURE- When teaching a group, classes need to move forward and goals need to be met. Having a clear system in place ensures that key concepts are not missed or glazed over. Students will benefit from the routines within music class, and will learn to maintain good practice habits at home, which in turn builds better musicians.

5. IT IS WAY MORE FUN TO LEARN IN A GROUP! Children of a young age cannot be expected to sit a piano bench for  a half hour- it’s counterintuitive. In my classes, we spend an action packed hour moving, singing, tapping, dancing, listening, playing, building, pretending, thinking and learning music in a way that children can enjoy and absorb easily.

Hi folks!

I will be providing coffee, tea and juice as well as a cake for our refreshments after the recital.

If you can provide anything, that would greatly be appreciated. Please leave your name and what you are bringing in the comments section below.

Already provided:

• Dana- cheese and crackers
• Lisa- veggies
• Gwen- chips & dip
• Charmy- cookies
• Mehret- samosas
• Angela & Ally – fruit

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

As mentioned in an earlier newsletter, the recital will be on Sunday April 28th. Here are the details:

What: Our annual spring recital is a time to share music with family and friends. Students gain experience performing for and being a member of an audience. Refreshments will be served after. Please let me know if you would be able to provide any snacks. I will provide cake, tea, coffee and juice.
When: Sunday April 28th, at 2pm (Try to arrive 10 minutes early).
Where: Prince of Wales Manor, 22 Barnstone Drive (directions). The recital will be on the lower level in the Recreation Hall.
Who: For family and friends. There will be plenty of room (or more chairs brought in) for all!

How do I prepare my child to perform?

What to wear: I take a semi-casual approach to performing, especially for first-timers. Your child should dress respectfully, yet still be comfortable. Example: no jeans, but also stay away from tight dress shoes, or constricting buttons/shirts or dresses.

Your sheet music: It is a good idea to have your music copied onto a separate sheet, then backed with a thicker paper or cardboard (like a file folder). This ensures you won’t have to search for pages, or fumble with a large, bendy book.

In practice: If you currently use a digital piano or keyboard most of the time, play your piece fortissimo. The baby grand will feel “harder” to press, so practicing loudly now will make that transition a little easier.

Try to simulate what performance is like in these ways: Play for friends, family, the dog, and grandma over the phone. Have them applaud for you and don’t forget to bow 🙂

On the big day: Make sure your child is fed and well rested. Don’t over practice in the last minute. A practice in the morning should suffice. If you have prepared well in the days and weeks leading up to this, you and your child won’t feel the pressure. Be aware of your own feelings about performing. If you have stage fright, don’t pass that anxiety to your child. Let your child know that you are proud of their effort and it doesn’t matter if a mistake is made. Find the positive in the performance and focus on that! We’re not trying to build mini-Mozarts; we want to foster a sense of accomplishment for hard work being done. Finally, enjoy the show! Be a role model for good audience behaviour.

How can you guarantee you’ll be there, Mrs. Frizell?

The short answer is that I can’t. I will certainly do everything in my power to be present though! But I do have a back up teacher, my colleague who also teaches MYC, Loralee Bishop. She will have the recital program and has held recitals at this venue before (as well as countless others at various venues).

Please contact me if you have any further questions.

-Mairéad

THIS is why rhythm matters:

… Check it out here.

Level 1 classes (classes for beginners) are as follows:

• Sunshine 1 (age 3 & 4) – Wednesdays @ 6pm & Saturdays @ 9am
• Sunbeams 1 (age 5 & 6) – Sundays @ 9:30am

Call me today to book your studio tour: 613-825-0098 or email maireadfrizell@hotmail.com .

The schedule for Fall 2013 is already being drawn up, with first consideration going to returning students. The registration for them is due May 1st if they want to pay the lower, Early Bird fee. Stay tuned for a newsletter going home in your classes very soon!

New students can contact me any time to schedule a class visit. Come and see what MYC classes are like, and what your child thinks of our busy, engaging, music-packed hour!

-Mairéad