Prospect Heights Music will be holding it’s yearly recital on Saturday, June 9th at 1:30pm!   The recital will take place at St. John’s Church at 139 St. John’s Place, just off 7th Ave in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Recitals are a great way for students to share their joy for music with their peers in a fun, relaxed and supportive setting!

Since, for many PHM students, this will be their first time performing in front of an audience, I will be holding two performance classes prior to the recital geared towards preparing students for the upcoming recital.  We will cover the basics of performing on stage and proper recital etiquette via group games and activities.  Students will also get a chance shake away any nerves they may have by performing their songs in front of their peers in a familiar, relaxed, and supportive setting.  Students, even those with previous stage/recital experience, are very strongly encouraged to attend ONE workshop.

Workshops will be held at the studio on May 26^th from 12pm – 1pm and June 2^nd from 12pm – 1pm.

To register for the recital and the performance class, please fill out the recital registration slip at your child’s lesson and return to the studio along with the recital fee of $30 per student no later than May 19^th.  The recital fee includes the extra performance class, and will also go towards recital space rental.

I’m looking forward to a wonderful recital, and can’t wait to see each student shine on June 9^th!

To check out snippets from last year’s performance, check out the 2011 Recital highlight reel!

I recently found this short and sweet article from GreatSchools.org with spot-on advice on how to help your child stay engaged in his or her music studies.  The article offers several excellent suggestions, but I’ll give a one-sentence summary of the three most important here:

1. Create a musical environment at home.
2. Prepare for the end of the honeymoon period.
3. To avoid nagging, set a regular practice time.

To read the whole article click here!

I came across this article in the NY Times today about Gary Marcus, a cognitive scientists and NYU professor, who decided to pick up the guitar.  He wrote a book about his experience  called “Guitar Zeros:  The New Musician and The Science of Learning” that I will definitely be checking out.

Many adults believe it’s too late for them to begin learning an instrument.  They may have been told early on that they are tone deaf, or that  they have no sense of rhythm – and that has carried them through their life.  They believe they are just not physically able to do it.  But I’ve seen dedicated adults turn their own sense of self-definition on its head by deciding to seriously study an instrument.  I believe rhythm can be taught.  I believe a sense of pitch can be taught (unless you have been diagnosed with amusia).  I believe it’s never too late to start.  Learning how to play and instrument or sing may not be easy, but it’s never impossible.

I work hard to make sure each lesson is enjoyable and rewarding for the student.  Many parents are looking for activities for their children that will enrich their lives, encourage mental development and give them a sense of accomplishment.  They also want that activity to be fun.

This makes sense.  When I was a kid, I wanted everything to be fun.  Of course, what kid doesn’t want things to be fun?  And what parent doesn’t want to see that their child is happy?

But I wanted to write a bit about the idea of “fun” and how it ties into learning how to play the piano or learning how to sing, because I feel that requiring piano or singing lessons to always be fun is misleading and does the student a disservice.

The fun that comes from learning to play and instrument or sing isn’t the kind of fun we have when we’re watching a great movie, or going for a bike ride in the park.  That kind of fun is instant and immediate.  Learning and instrument can certainly be fun but, with exception of the first few months of study, it is not the instant gratification kind of fun.

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Wow!  This year is flying by, and Prospect Heights Music’s Spring semester is right around the corner!

The Spring semester begins on February 1st and ends on June 27th.  This semester has a lot in store, with more fun group classes for kids (including the brand-new Mozart 101 for kids class), performances classes to get ready for the recital, and, of course, the aforementioned year-end recital taking place in June!

Current students, please contact the studio if you are interested in group classes or if you have questions about Spring semester pricing.

New students, feel free to call our email the studio with any questions you might have about trial lessons and registration.

Looking forward to a fantastic new year, and a wonderful Spring semester!!