New York Piano Center

Archive for the ‘music’ Category

Why is Music Important for Kids?

This question has been debated for as long as time has existed. Even the great Greek and Roman philosophers approached the question: is music something that should be taught and does it help the development of children? Plato answered “I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for in the patterns of music and all arts are the keys to learning.” And again “what then is the education to be? Perhaps we could hardly find a better than that which the experience of the past has already discovered, which consists, I believe, in gymnastic, for the body, and music for the mind.”

In all cultures of the world music plays an important role. While these roles may change depending on the culture it is impossible to separate music from the life of an individual. While some may argue the role of music in our lives it is impossible to escape it. Even in the popular culture of Australia it is impossible to go shopping without hearing music. Music provides a means of communication and expression of culture and individual identity.

Children are immersed in music from birth and will be for their entire life. If this is the case why teach it? Is not the constant immersion in music enough? To this I say; is the fact that we witness the results of scientific principals on a day to day basis result in the understanding of those scientific principles? No it does not and likewise for music it does not either. The day to day encounters we have with music can move us but the understanding of this music can help us grow as individuals.

In many cultures the family plays the main role in music education. Families are most commonly the ones that teach children the music of their culture. As young children, we are commonly sung nursery rhymes. These provide entertainment for the child and often information in small repeated fashion. Children learn through the repetition and structure that the information was delivered in. many nursery rhymes teach fundamental life lesson and therefore sets music up as a means of educating. Children learn from music from a young age and will continue to for the rest of their lives. In a world where globalization and consumerism are dominating cultural identities are drifting into the background and children are more likely to be sung pop songs as lullaby’s than nursery rhymes. The benefit of nursery rhymes and progressive learning has become an issue. Children are missing out on fundamental learning opportunities.

The Mozart effect which gained a large following in the 1990’s claimed that listening to Mozart as a baby will make a child smarter. While this movement was short lived and there is little proof that it works there has been no denying that children who learn music will achieve higher in other aspects of their academic life. In earning music children learn to express their identities, gain confidence and develop sense of time and space. A research team at the university of Munster in Germany discovered that students who study music have more developed abstract reasoning skills which are closely linked to learning in the areas of science and maths.

I do not believe that there is any argument to this question…music is a vital part of a child’s education and should be taken seriously. Listening to music is not enough! A child must learn to think musically and that is what will help assist the development of the child and their academic development.

written by Gemma Lee from www.shinemusic.com.au teachers of piano, saxophone, violin, singing, drums, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, flute and clarinet

When your private studio has innovative and interactive music teachers resources, you can certainly focus on developing your students’ interests in music. Through these, you can also motivate them to craft music as both their profession and passion. Teaching music can be a difficult task. It requires much time and effort; thus, makes music education more challenging, dynamic and versatile.

Ideally, a music teacher must have these objectives in mind:

• to offer a custom-made and challenging program for his musically-inclined pupils to maximize their music potential;

• to provide a holistic music education through listening, performing (solo and group) and composing skills; and,

• To realize that everyone has such potentials to understand, express and create music.

Effective music teachers have such resources that can really encourage students to attend classes regularly, motivate them to participate and cooperate, and most of all, inspire them to love music. Many music teachers resources are readily available via the Internet. In just a matter of a few clicks, you can learn how to enhance your teaching strategies pertaining to music education.

There are various music teachers resources that can definitely be used as your motivating factors in teaching music to a vast number of students with different personalities, demands, needs and desires. Here is my comprehensive list:

• Cooperative learning. It is an instructional paradigm in which teams of students work on structured tasks such as homework assignments, laboratory experiments, or design projects. It is being administered under conditions that meet five criteria: positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, appropriate use of collaborative skills, and regular self-assessment of team functioning.

Many studies have shown that when correctly implemented, cooperative learning improves many aspects like information acquisition and retention, higher-level thinking skills, interpersonal and communication skills, and self-confidence. In here, it seeks to foster some benefits from the freedom of individual and collaborative learning.

• Opportunities. It can be an advantage if an enhanced curriculum is made to unleash students’ musical skills and talents. They must be given such chance to perform and compete – be it solo or as a group, representing their school in music-related activities as well as various competitions.

• Exposure. Also, just like opportunities, exposure can be of great help to become more interested. Familiarity and awareness to several music scenes can actually make them look forward to the next musical sessions. They can attend concerts, recitals or band rehearsals. Visiting some professional or conventional recording studios can be fun and exciting ways of learning music while exposing them to the real world.

With all these innovative and effective music teachers resources and strategies, I am so certain that you could meet your academic goals and visions. Good luck and happy teaching!

Silky Soul Music is the brainchild of Frankie Beverly’s son, Anthony, who is serving as the project’s executive and co-producer. Beverly developed the idea to properly honor his father’s contributions to the music industry in a way that has never been done before. It is the first and only album recognizing Beverly and Maze’s nearly 40-year career including 12 albums and 30 hit singles. The 10 songs selected for the CD represent some of Maze and Frankie Beverly’s greatest hits. Featured are a host of Grammy Award winning and nominated gold and platinum-selling artists in R&B and Gospel, including Joe, Kevon Edmonds, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi, Mint Condition, Raheem DeVaughn, and the Clark Sisters.

The number two album of the week is Green Day’s “21st Century Breakdown”, the Punk trio’s long-awaited eighth studio album. The album is the best-selling trio’s first studio album since 2004’s two-time Grammy Award-winning Punk Rock opera American Idiot, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart, spawned five hit singles, and went on to sell more than 12 million copies worldwide. 21st Century Breakdown is divided into three acts: “Heroes and Cons,” “Charlatans and Saints,” and “Horseshoes and Handgrenades,” and follows a young couple, Christian and Gloria, through the mess and promise of the century so far. Songs include “Know Your Enemy”, “21 Guns”, “East Jesus Nowhere”, “Before the Lobotomy”, and “Restless Heart Syndrome.” 

The remaining top ten is as follows:

3. Backstreet Boys – This Is Us-Special Edition

4. Colbie Caillat – Breakthrough

5. Winger – Karma

6. Lynch Mob – Smoke & Mirrors

7. Pink Martini – Splendor In The Grass

8. Michael Jackson – Michael Jackson’s This Is It

9. Rosanne Cash – List

10. House Of Lords – Cartesian Dreams