Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.
When you hear the name New City School of Music what probably comes to mind is the slew of individual (and a few group) music lessons that they offer children and adults who would like to pursue learning how to play an instrument. You may have heard that they were chosen as the Top Music lessons for kids. You are probably also thinking that you need to
wait until your child is 5 or 6 and ready to start these lessons.
Well- you don’t have to wait. What you probably didn’t realize is that they also offer an Introduction to Music class for children ages 3-5. This class although super fun and engaging, is NOT just another music and movement class. It focuses on teaching REAL music theory to children in this age range, without the children realizing it.
(E) and I were fortunate enough to attend an introduction to music class recently and I was beyond impressed. A lover of music myself, I am always interested in the kids learning more and fostering their love as well. As an educator and coach, I am always interested in seeing techniques that others use to engage students, how they teach their skills to those of varying abilities and personalities.
I left this half hour class impressed. All learning types are taken into account, and all instructional goals reinforced in concrete and understandable ways. Ms. Geraldine is great with the kids, she is sweet and they want to please her immediately. Her goal of fostering a love for music at an early age while still teaching fundamentals is not only clear, but achieved through her various techniques.
There is a set routine that the kids learn to follow which is a great foundation. The class starts with an introduction song where the kids sing, move and learn each other’s names.
They then went on to meet her friends “Forte Fox” and “Piano Penguin”. Ms. Geraldine used these adorable animals and their names to teach the terminology for Loud and Soft, then reinforced the ideas with rhythm sticks. The students practiced playing the sticks loud when they saw the fox and quietly when they saw the penguin. They were also asked to repeat the names and what they mean and also remind her which was which when she produced the different photos.
This proper terminology was used throughout the lesson. When students would touch something and call it something incorrect they were gently reminded of the proper musical name and asked to repeat it. This is the same technique I use in my Math class when teaching students to use the proper vocabulary for mathematical terms. One specific time that stuck out in my mind is when (E) picked up a triangle and called the accompanying piece a “stick”- she was reminded that it was a “Mallet” and asked to repeat that.
The students were then shown cards with notes on them and introduced to whole and half notes as well as a rest. They repeated what they were (ta, ti-ti, and shh), and were then allowed to create their own pattern with them. The class then went over the patterns together reinforcing the beats.
When they moved to the keyboard and started learning some of the notes do, ray, me (think sound of music) I was really floored. Ms. Geraldine played the note and sang it using its name (do)- at the same time she used a hand gesture called Curwen Hand Signs. Each note has a specific sign. The students then tried the singing and signs. She did this a few times helping the students to remember.
Moving back to the floor Ms. Geraldine used literacy (a cute picture book) to introduce the woodwind instruments (flute, clarinet and oboe). Not only did she read from the book and show them a picture, but they then listened to a sample of each as well.
I LOVED what they did next and so did (E) since it’s one of her favorite things to do. Ms. Geraldine played a piece of a song and asked the students to draw on a piece of paper what they heard, or what it reminded them of. At this age group they really don’t “draw” exceptionally well, but they did draw through the piece, and then discuss what they “drew”. This I thought was a really creative and great way to get the students to not just “hear” but to listen to the music and develop associations with it.
When this portion was over the students were able to pick a song from Ms. Geraldine’s bag to sing together. At this point the class was over- the class came together and sang the good bye song and departed.
(E) really enjoyed herself and so did I. It was refreshing to see how much ACTUAL THEORY Ms. Geraldine was able to teach the class despite their ages (3 and 4). She did it in many different ways that the children responded to very well.
If you are interested music education for your child this is a class worth trying. As always, FREE TRIALS are available to check out this class, but schedule quickly, this class runs only 2x a week and optimal class size is only 4-5 students.
To schedule your free trial you can call 845-499-2137, email office@newcitymusicschool.com or stop in at 12 North Main Street New City, NY 10956.
