Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.
My kids love music. They are a direct product of their parents who were once in a classic rock band together, and grandparents who played in bands (some who still do), and great grandparents who were professional musicians. Although my singing was just for fun, RNYD still plays (in the house) and has actually been recorded. This love of music has absolutely rubbed off on the kids. We enjoy listening to records together (yes records) and discuss different types of music frequently.
When R&R Music School joined our directory we were excited to offer our readers another excellent music program in the county. Once I read their bios (see here) I was even more excited to try it out. We went as a family and I learned a lot about how they operate.
“We believe that music provides a sense of community and is an integral part of life. Our mission is to provide quality education in traditional methods and theories while fostering creativity and passion for the art.” – R&R
As an educator, I know the value in “differentiating” for the varying learning types of my students, I was so glad to see that Ryan and Ryan (R&R) do too, and they incorporated it into our lesson.
Inside their studio is a fantastic space with several rooms available for lessons, a comfortable waiting couch, a kitchenette, nice (clean) bathroom, recording studio, and instruments EVERYWHERE.
We spent the first 10 minutes of our visit just walking around and looking at the instruments and allowing the kids to ask questions. Once they had been given a chance to look around the kids split up and had separate lessons.
(A) went into the room next door and practiced drums with Ryan (M). He LOVED this. When I went in and watched he was actually keeping time with snares, cymbals, and the base drum. It was awesome- he looked so very proud!!! He is currently obsessed with the song “We Will Rock You” so Ryan made sure to teach him that. (A) didn’t even realize that he was learning while Ryan was counting and helping him keep time. Ryan picked up a guitar and played along- they were jamming!
You can see (A) counting as he keeps time in this one.
Ryan and (A) rock out!
I can’t get over the proud look on this face.
In the other room little (E) was learning about the different sounds in the string instruments she got to strum and listen to a banjo, a ukulele, a guitar, and a bass. She and Ryan (T) discussed the high versus low sounds. Then Ryan showed her where to find the corresponding low and high sounds on the piano.
(E) learns about different instruments and their sounds.
Ryan takes (E) to the piano to transfer her new knowledge about high and low.
The kids switched rooms and (E) was given a chance to play drums while (A) came into the room with Ryan (M). He wanted to do some piano and I was very nervous. (A) is a typical 5 year old and doesn’t sit well for long periods of time.
(E) hits some drums. She will rock you!
To my surprise, his approach was completely different. Instead of lecturing (A) on posture and finger position, he taught him where middle c was, and then showed him where it was on a simple sheet of music. He showed him the relationship between the keys, the alphabet, and the sheet music. Then they played the song…. They played it a few times with reminders and by the end (A) was playing a song on his own. What a sense of accomplishment!!!
Ryan shows (A) how to read some music.
(A) plays a song on the piano.
When they were done with their individual lessons we all got together and “jammed” in a group lesson where the kids were allowed to showcase what they had learned in a band atmosphere. They even invited RNYD to play with them. The kids got to play the drums (another reprisal of “We Will Rock You” ensued). At first, (A) played the drums and then, (A) “played” his own bass that he had brought along, as the kids took turns singing and playing other percussion instruments.
All together now!
RNYD gets in on it!
We really had a blast during our lesson. I loved that (A) felt such a sense of accomplishment plus was able to have such a great time. When we got home he said “I can’t believe I had my first Rock and Roll Lesson today”. That’s great. Learning in a different way really had him wanting more (he went home and showed his grandfather who plays keyboard immediately).
Music is wonderful. The value in learning how to play and having music in your life has been proven time and time again to be beneficial. I love the divergence from a “once size fits all” theory behind learning music. The basics are all there, but they are hidden in an experiential approach where students leave feeling accomplished, and are somewhat unaware that they have learned something. When I am in the classroom, I often utilize similar techniques, and they work.
For some video of our lesson visit our YouTube Channel~ Click here!
To inquire about lessons contact Ryan and Ryan at:
16 North Route 9W
Congers, NY 10920
Phone: (845) 267 – 3311
