Talk to me about music classes

[myniyer]

DH has a co-worker who sent his kids to Yamaha Music Schools which he says are wonderful, etc. So of course now DH wants to send our oldest there too, or, he says, at least to some place which will give her a musical foundation.

I know nothing about this school's philosophy and have been able to find little on the web other than this link of their "showcase center for the Yamaha Music Education System (YMES) in the United States."

Anyone have any info on this program or another program they like more? I don't want to push my kids too early... I am musically inclined, but was started very early and it put me off music for a long time.

[GuildJenn]

I studied pop organ and some piano (I'd already studied elsewhere) at a Yamaha Music School in Toronto. I was 14 when I started though so I don't know a lot about the early years aspect but here's what I came away from it with:

Pros: - they had group classes, which were nice to try out things without as much of a cost, and also gave solo instrument folks (piano, keyboard, organ) to have a chance to do more orchestra-type stuff for fun
- on the organ side, anyway, there was a lot of playable and fun music. (IMHO, a reasonably solid and progressive curriculum). On the piano side it was more classical (which doesn't mean not fun, of course) and not quite as flexible
- the competitive aspect was something I enjoyed; Yamaha runs its own music festivals that were overall pretty balanced as these things go (that is, some stage parenting stuff, but kind judges, etc.) and go up to the international level
- no stupidity whatsoever around scheduling like teachers being late or cancelling at the last minute or anything like that

Cons: - up here anyway a lot of the kids were really being pushed by their parents (not that you can always get away from that)
- not quite as rigourous as the Royal Conservatory (although they did the RCM exams too)
- obviously it also depends on the individual teacher/school

[Terabith]

I've heard some great things about Yamaha. I think I may do it with my dd when she is four.

[Belleweather]

Maybe you could start them in a lower-pressure sort of way, and see how they do? DS is already very musically inclined at 18 months, so our plan is to get a (cheap/freecycled, used) piano for our next house and let him play with that, and then gradually start lessons informally in our home when he's 3 or so. If he takes to it and is interested, we'd look into doing something like RCM/Yamaha/Whatever.

I also think it's important for kids who are musical to see other people play music -- whether it's you playing in the home, or community groups, or whatever.

[mom2ponygirl]

Well, I don't have any experience with starting a kid very young. We knew our daughter enjoyed music and seemed to really want to learn. She's begged to learn to play harp since she was 4. We couldn't really afford music lessons at that time, and I always wondered if we were missing an opportunity. So many friends were doing Suzuki and other programs. We did let her start piano a year and a half ago at the age of 7. She has caught up with the kids who started very young, and surpassed many older kids who have taken longer. She recently qualified for our state's piano competition, and she absolutely loves playing. So, I do feel confident that a little later start won't necessarily hurt!

We did do a music class through www.k12.com, which taught solfege, basic rhythms, etc. I think that was very helpful for her. It was done with lots of singing and games, which as an adult makes you feel silly but our daughter loved it.

[katiecat]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

Pros: - they had group classes, which were nice to try out things without as much of a cost, and also gave solo instrument folks (piano, keyboard, organ) to have a chance to do more orchestra-type stuff for fun
- on the organ side, anyway, there was a lot of playable and fun music. (IMHO, a reasonably solid and progressive curriculum). On the piano side it was more classical (which doesn't mean not fun, of course) and not quite as flexible
- the competitive aspect was something I enjoyed; Yamaha runs its own music festivals that were overall pretty balanced as these things go (that is, some stage parenting stuff, but kind judges, etc.) and go up to the international level
- no stupidity whatsoever around scheduling like teachers being late or cancelling at the last minute or anything like that

Cons: - up here anyway a lot of the kids were really being pushed by their parents (not that you can always get away from that)
- not quite as rigourous as the Royal Conservatory (although they did the RCM exams too)
- obviously it also depends on the individual teacher/school

I took organ lessons for about 8 years, starting when I was 8, at a Yamaha Music School in Ottawa. I agree with all the things said above. The classes were fun. I really don't remember anything negative about it but my parents didn't push me. The festivals were a highlight every year and taught me some good lessons about performing.

[honeybee]

I don't know anything about Yamaha (never heard of it, but then, I'm not in music circles much!), but your dcs are about the same age as my boys, and we've enrolled them in Music Together classes.

http://www.musictogether.com

These classes are for parents and young children under age 5, just to give a lot of exposure to music. It's really child friendly. The parents are supposed to be the role models and make it fun. The kids can just watch, and then participate as they become more comfortable with it. It's about providing a basic music literacy.

The curriculum is great. We listen to the CDs all the time. I've learned a lot, which helps me incorporate music into our daily lives more. We have a lot of fun, and I've learned to be a better singer in the process, too! I wouldn't say my boys are becoming virtuosos or anything, but they enjoy the music... and I'm glad they're listening to music inspired from a variety of traditional ethnic groups around the world, instead of the annoying common fare, sing-songy music usually directed at children.