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fight summer boredom!

5/29/2017

The word “lesson” during the summer time can be a very scary thing for children and teens. Summer is the time when they have no homework, and they can finally pay attention to things like social media and video games. Summer can also be a great time to relax, go to the beach, and enjoy family vacations. Even suggesting lessons can definitely put a lot of stress on their precious time off. However, we have found summer music lessons can be one of those activities that awaken artistic interest in children and teens.

The 5 Top Reasons Summer is the PERFECT TIME TO START MUSIC LESSONS!

After collecting some information from our teachers and parents, we’ve reached these conclusions:

1. Students who take private music lessons during the summer in voice, piano, guitar and the like tend to advance faster. During this time, most kids have no homework, therefore, they can dedicate more time to learning an instrument.

2. Summer can be fun, but it can also be very boring; adding music lessons eases boredom. Spending time learning an instrument keeps kids working on something positive and staying out of trouble, especially when the parents are at work and they are home by themselves. When students start working on pieces that they can quickly show off to their friends and family, they get a great feeling of accomplishment!

3. Combining music lessons and free time is a great recipe for making friends. When kids attend music schools, they get to meet others with the same interests, creating new and long-lasting friendships. This applies to adults also!

4. Adults can also take advantage of music lessons. Maybe now, during the slower summer months, you might have the time to finally dedicate an hour or two a day to that instrument you have always wanted to play. If you can go through the challenging parts of learning an instrument during the summer, when it’s time to get back to work, lessons will be easier and less tedious.

5. Voice lessons aren’t just for singers! Professional speakers such as teachers, lawyers, doctors etc. are the worse vocal abusers! In professions such as these, your voice is your way of making a living! Learning simple vocal exercises, typically used for singers, can help keep your voice in good health for your profession. Taking lessons during your time off in the summer can truly help protect your career. When you are back to your busy work schedule and have to do things such as travel, lessons with one of our certified coaches are still available via Skype or FaceTime from anywhere in the world!

Authors

Neil Fuentes
Vocal/Acting Coach

Billy DiCrosta
Artistic Director/Master Vocal Coach

STOPPING MUSIC LESSONS IN THE SUMMER!!!!?

5/11/2017

IT WILL COST YOU IN THE LONG RUN!

As the summer approaches, many students (and parents) look forward to the smell of BBQ’s, beach days, field trips, waking up late in the morning and to do nothing at all. It sounds like a dream come true, right?
But now that I am not only a teacher but also a parent, I have become concerned about the amount of free time my child will have, most likely on his tablet or watching TV. Then my PARENTAL instincts kick in and I realize that my child will be off for two months! Most likely he will lose whatever progress he has made by not practicing the instrument he has been working on for the past school year. Finally I realize, it’s going to cost me more money to bring him back into it. Basically it will be like starting all over again, becoming a vicious circle of money and time wasted.

Summer, It’s the perfect time to REALLY get into your favorite instruments for various reasons:

1. Keep your mind active Sitting around all day playing video games can become obsessive during summer. It’s a fact the playing an instrument changes the shape and power of the brain and can raise your IQ by up to 7 points! Research has also shown that playing an instrument increases the capacity of your memory. Kids need a bit of structure. Freedom is wonderful but an idle mind is not. A diet of only TV and friends is unhealthy to say the least. Parents need to moderate and encourage brain work. Since music is a language, if it is not used it’s lost. When a student does not take summer lessons, depending on the age of the child, it can take up to a month to retrieve past skills and establish a practice schedule.

2. Retain the Skills You Learned! Each year students learn new skills in their music lessons, which are essential to their growth as a musician. These are quickly and easily lost when we let our instruments collect dust all Summer. Becoming a musician is like building a house. If the foundation is weak the house comes a tumbling down. Fundamentals, reading and technique are the first things we lose when taking an extended break from regular playing.

3.- Musicians are athletes. We need to retain muscle memory in our bodies to be able to play our instruments. Do you think professional football players take the summer off? No way! They’re training harder than ever to get ahead during the summer months.

4.- You can work on problems and challenges during the summer. This is the perfect time for a student to master and overcome problems and challenges they have encountered throughout the school year. Maybe there is a piece the student has been working on, but not enough because of school homework, and other extra curricular activities. Summer time offers you the time and the freedom to really master and overcome any obstacles you are having with your instrument. This brings me to the next point.

5.- Build Self-Confidence and Learn Perseverance & Discipline – Overcoming musical challenges that you thought you couldn’t master can give you a great sense of pride. Learning to play an instrument takes time and effort. Practicing often and working on technique and new material requires perseverance. The best musicians are the ones who have mastered discipline!

We can conclude that music, as a language, should be used and practice on a daily basis, otherwise it will be lost. So when you are thinking about those amazing plans for the summer, make sure you include some time to continue the growth of your child’s music education.

fight summer boredom!

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STOPPING MUSIC LESSONS IN THE SUMMER!!!!?

IT WILL COST YOU IN THE LONG RUN!

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