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Articles on Music Education
"As a mother of one child who was passionate about music and one who was not, over the years I have shared my experiences in hopes that others would find their way into the wonderful world of music."
- Bonnie Ward Simon
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Age Limits for Children's Concerts
Organizations that set age limits for children's concerts are often reproached by parents who take exception to the restrictions, but there is good reason for setting these limits.
Arts Camps - Finding the Right Balance for Your Child
As I sit on the brink of sending my oldest off to sleep-away camp for the first time, watching videos, calling former campers, reading brochures, I realize that I must honestly answer the question of what makes him (not me!) happy.
Tips on Buying an Instrument
Even the non-musical family will face the question, "Should my child play a musical instrument?"
Buying a Piano: The Best Advice for Finding Your Perfect Instrument
If you did not inherit a music closet, or even a family piano, where do you begin?
Can My Child Play the Trumpet with Braces?
YES! Your child can play the trumpet with braces, but it's going to take careful coordination between you, your child and your orthodontist.
Hear the Music: How to Introduce Classical Music to Kids
With their wild imaginations and eager curiosity, it’s no surprise that children make a wonderful audience for classical music.
If the Mozart Effect is a Hoax, Why Listen to Classical Music?
If the Mozart Effect really does not spark your child to score higher on spatial reasoning tests or produce higher SAT scores should you forget classical music and try vitamin pills?
Can Music Make Your Child Smarter?
Close your eyes and listen. How many sounds can you hear? The air-conditioner? The refrigerator? The lid of the cookie jar?
A Family Affair: Summer Concerts, Summer Theater
Summer is a wonderful, informal time to enjoy the arts with your family. Spacious lawns starlit skies, and the ubiquitous picnic basket provide the first classical music experience for many young people.
Classical Kids
If Mr. Bach Comes to Call or Beethoven Lives Upstairs have not hit your car tape or CD player, both you and your children are in for a treat!
I Got Rhythm: Buying Quality Percussion Instruments for Your Preschooler
As the world unfolds before your toddler, you, as a parent, want to present experiences which will not only delight your child, but which also will inspire him or her to build upon these early encounters.
Does My Child Have Musical Talent?
In this day and age when professional parents often treat raising their children with much the same diligence as they prepare legal briefs or write academic papers, the question arises, "Is my child musical? And should I be doing something about it?"
Does Your Child Really Need Band?
By the time the "Band, Orchestra and Instrumental Music Lessons" form comes home from school (most school band programs begin in the third or fourth grades, orchestra programs in the fourth or fifth grades), you may feel that you and your child are already stretched beyond your limits.
Finding the Right Instrument is Like Falling in Love
"You wish to try another instrument?"
Reasons to say "yes" to a change of musical instrument
Reasons to say "yes" to a change of musical instrument
Homeschool Parents Have a Unique Opportunity to Put Music Into Their Children’s Lives
Homeschool parents have the unique opportunity to raise culturally literate children. Many schools across the country are cutting back or eliminating their art and music programs, thinking that more class time studying math and English will produce higher test scores.
Meet a New Instrument...The French Horn
All instruments are difficulty to play, but the French horn is probably the most difficult brass instrument to play well.
Meet a New Instrument...The Mandolin
The Mandolin is a cross between a violin and a guitar. It is tuned like a violin, having four notes, but each note has two strings which increases its volume.
In an Increasingly Visual World, Listening is a Learned Art
Every parent wishes that their child would just listen. But listening is different from hearing, because it denotes comprehension. Today, young people are bombarded with pictures as the fundamental way of acquiring information.
Introducing Children to Classical Music
Introducing children to classical music is a challenging and complex task. The aural world is as varied and rich as the world of sight, and yet, the same parents who consider the reading of Shakespeare and Dickens and the viewing of Michelangelo and Rembrandt integral parts of an educated mind will suddenly hesitate when asked about the importance of listening to a Beethoven symphony.
It is Never Too Late to Ask: Would You Like to Begin an Instrument This Fall?
In the world of music, we constantly hear of the violinist who began playing at the age of 4, or the great pianist who just sat at the instrument at the age of 3 and began to pick out melodies he or she had heard. But most of our orchestras and concert stages are filled with musicians who began taking lessons, either privately or at school, at more "regular" times.
Keyboards: Your Computer, Your Piano, and Your Child
The computer age has entered all phases of our lives. I am delighted with computerized scanning at the supermarket and the ATM machines; I could not live without desktop publishing, and I encouraged my son to learn to use Excel for ratio problems in math.
Music Practice with Children: A Parent’s Guide
Many music teachers encourage parents to go to lessons and help with practice. Research shows that successful young musicians usually do have the support from their parents
Let the Metronome Be Your Friend
May I suggest that the metronome can be a friend?
Listening Habits Begin at Birth
When your child listens to the complex, patterned sounds that we call music, it stands to reason that they’re increasing their brain power. Each child enters the world like a sponge
Musically Colorblind Due to Neglect
Most parents know the importance of play, even for the youngest baby. Mobiles hang from cribs, busy boxes adorn their sides, and soft and cuddly animals keep him or her company inside.
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