07/11/2020
I just got this inquiry:
Hi Ellen.
Wondering if you have any recommendations for
younger children. My almost 6 year old has been begging
for lessons, whenever she has a spare moment she runs
to the piano and sits and "plays" and we cannot find
anything out here. Normally I'd hold off, but i'd really love
to start while she's so motivated. Would appreciate any
feedback. Thanks!
My Answer:
It is alway a great pleasure to hear about a young child begging for piano lessons. As a piano teacher for over 35 years, this is music to my ears and hopefully yours as well. I always think in the long term because this adventure can continue through their school years, college years and if she is fortunate and motivated throughout her whole life giving her the gift of music. Isn't this a wonderful thing?
So as a piano teacher I look for two basic foundation skills before I place a child in front of a piano or keyboard. These skills are part of what we call functional musicianship - Rhythmic skill (be able to keep a steady beat) and Tonal Skill (be able to sing in tune). These will be the drivers for her future music studies. A five - six year old loves to explore the keyboard and make small melodies, they love to press down the keys and explore the varying sounds they can create. They love to count the black and white keys and make high and low sounds. But the discipline to actually sit at a piano and "complete" an assignment or to "practice" what a teacher assigns is so much easier at around age seven. This is the optimal time to offer formal piano lessons. BUT, but but, this essential time is for creating the foundation I spoke of above and I do this through my Music Makers program. I give the children ample opportunity to develop these essential skills in a creative, nature based curriculum developed specifically for this age and my students LOVE this program. Best of all, the program integrates piano/keyboard studies at the right time when their hands can sustain a proper hand position and they are playing with rhythmic and tonal patterns they sung and moved to in my classes.
So my suggestion is to let her explore that piano and assure her that the music class she can join will prepare her for piano soon. It's like learning to swim before swimming across a pool. Got to have a pool and a bathing suite and those basic skills of keeping your head above water!
The program I will be offering will be on Monday afternoons after "school" (I won't get into that subject here) and it will be most likely online. I started teaching my studio classes and piano lessons online at the beginning of lock down and have found that the children are continuing to enjoy the program as well as participate fully. It's not like other programs of study in that we continue to sing, dance, play musical instrument, write and read notation, and improve our listening skills. It's a lot more work for me but I have watched the children in my classes continue to flourish in their home environment, so I continue to offer my programs. When it is "safe" to move the class back into the studio, I will carefully consider this.
Thanks for reading my response to this point in the email. I hope you consider my program. For more information about Musikgarten, the curriculum, I suggest looking into
Musikgarten.org and read everything about it for parents.
https://www.musikgarten.org/for-parents
I have taught this program for over 25 years and watch my own children, teenager students and my college grads continue to explore and create music in their lives with joy and passion. And I am starting the next generation of children (the children of my students) and love teaching music and piano every moment that I can.
Sincerely,
Ellen Johansen
