Archives For Music Lessons

IS MY CHILD READY FOR PIANO LESSONS?

Each child is unique in their development and there are many kinds of intelligence and giftedness…so how the heck do you know if your precious young prodigy is ready for piano lessons?

Perhaps they exhibit an internal readiness or musical intuition and ambition…but are they really ready for the mental and physical mechanics of playing an instrument? You know…you’ve got a budding superstar who’s bound to become a the next Mozart, Chopin, Elton John, or YouTube Sensation…but first they’ve got to be able to press down the right keys with their cute little fingers.

As a general rule…we typically find that kids somewhere between 3 1/2 to 6yrs old can be ready to take piano lessons. There are always the exception to any rule…and we’re happy to talk with you about your child to see if a readiness evaluation may be a good first-step.

So here are some basic readiness assessments that can be helpful in determining if your child is ready to start taking piano lessons…

ACADEMIC READINESS:

  1. Can your child recite and recognize the letters A thru G…even if out of alphabetical sequence?
  2. Are they able to recognize and remember finger names and numbers?  (ie: thumb, pinky, pointer)
  3. Can your kiddo count to 10?
  4. How are they with recognizing patterns?

PHYSICAL READINESS:

  1. Can your mini-me hold a writing implement?
  2. Where is your child in their development of fine motor skills/dexterity?
  3. How about isolating individual finger movements?  Can they do this without resorting to one-finger key depression?

EMOTIONAL READINESS:

  1. Is your adorable cherub able to be engaged and stay relatively focus for a 30 minute piano lesson?
  2. Are they able to take direction and be respectful of the teacher and instrument throughout the lesson?
  3. Has this youngster been asking to take lessons or showing particular interest in music and/or musical instruments?

PARENT READINESS:

  1. Are you willing to commit to regular practice times at home?
  2. If your child is not a reader…or is a young reader…are you willing to sit with them during each practice time to go through their practice planner, answer questions and help encourage them and follow practice guidelines?
  3. Do you have a piano or keyboard? Or are you willing to invest in one to have at home for regular practice?

When you feel your kiddo is ready to give it a go…there are a couple options for lessons as you get started. We recommend weekly lessons to build on concepts through consistent reinforcement and offer two approaches to best serve a wide range of student learners. Check out each option below:

Weekly 30min Private One-On-One Piano Lessons
Weekly 1hr Group Piano Classes

We would love to answer any other questions you have. Don’t hesitate to ask…we’re all about taking this wonderful musical journey together!

Give us a call today at 760-237-8212. 

Jacob DIt’s really fun when a student gets recognized for their hard work and talent. We just found out that one of our awesome piano students, Jacob D., has won a national composition competition for his original piece, “Floating Balloons”.

Jacob has only been taking piano lessons for 1 1/2 years. He is one of Mr. Zach’s hardest working students. He has a very creative and imaginative approach to learning and is always challenging himself to refine the music and technique he is working on.

It’s always fun to see Jacob’s smiling face when he comes to his lesson each week. He has a great sense of humor and is a very upbeat and happy guy who loves music and balloons.

Click the link below to see the list of winners and take a quick listen to Jacob’s song…

2016 NAfME Student Composers Competition

WAY TO GO JACOB!!!

Liz Buss | Piano Instructor

Liz BussIt’s impressive when someone is not only great at their craft, but also a fantastic educator…so get ready to be impressed with Miss Liz!

Liz studied Piano Performance and Music Therapy while getting her BA in Music Education from Arizona State University. She’s been playing piano for 20 years and teaching for the past five.

Not only is Liz an award-winning pianist, she also plays the Oboe, Clarinet and Saxophone. In high school she became a Drum Major and led the Marching Band to State…yeah, she’s got cool trophies and stuff.

Performance has also been a key part of Liz’s journey. She’s played for and accompanied a host of performing choirs, ensembles, student showcases and musicals like Fiddler On The Roof, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, and The Sound of Music.

Liz is a kind, patient and incredibly proficient educator. We’re fortunate to have her on our team and confident you’ll love taking lessons with her.

Lifeless Shadow by The Shrubs

(Coastal Music Studios RockBand Camp 2015)

The kids in our Summer RockBand Camp 2015 at Coastal Music Studios wrote and performed this song in just one week of hanging out and jamming together each morning!

They named their band The Shrubs. Their song is titled Lifeless Shadow.

We originally found this video on the TED Ed site and felt it was definitely worth sharing here as well.

The more we learn about playing music, the more we understand just how important it is for all the other learning we do in life. Check this out…

“When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout.”