Music Classes for 2-4 year olds?
Beyond previous suggestions in our Music Classes for Preschoolers, Diana is looking for more suggestions for her children:
I would like to start music lessons my 3.5 year old son and my 2 year old daughter will follow. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone with a little one in lessons so I'm looking for reccomendations for teachers or classes. I've decided that I don't want to go with the piano, as we don't have one and they are a costly and big. So I think my first choice is guitar. Are there other mamas out there who have started their kiddos on a instrument this young? Was it fun at all for the child or should I wait until he's older? Where is a good place to buy the first instrument? Any thoughts or comments on th subject would be great. We live in close in NE, and would like to stay in Portland for teachers and lessons. Thanks so much!
Portland Parks and Recs has a neat music center with classes for very young (2-4) children over on SE Francis. I think it's called the SE Music Center? Check out their website, you'll be able to find it.
Posted by: sara | October 24, 2007 at 07:00 AM
It's the Community Music Center and it's a great environment there. My kiddo's future piano teacher told me 4 was really a good age to start thinking about it, and that was only with a lot of interest and a personality style that was ready for some structure. Mine is still 3 so we haven't started lessions, but when he sits down to play I wonder if it's time. He spends a little time with a babysitter who plays for him (I don't play myself) and I notice he uses good hand positioning after he sees her and plays more deliberately (as opposed to just banging around), but then I think about how structuring it too much might be premature. I have to say it is absolutely a hoot to watch him play. He sits down and makes up songs for us, playing and singing about the most unusual things!
Posted by: mom22 | October 24, 2007 at 07:42 AM
On the topic, does anyone have thoughts about Suzuki vs. traditional methods? I don't have any formal music training and don't know which direction to go.
Posted by: mom22 | October 24, 2007 at 07:45 AM
Our 2.5 year old is in a group music class at Community Music Center and he loves it. We'll likely start him on violin or viola there when the time is right. I have a B.Music degree in piano performance and play and sing with both boys every day at home. I'm informally teaching our oldest some music basics and will more formally teach our kiddos piano when they're older. I would absolutely go to CMC for lessons on other instruments.
I was taugh traditional Suzuki method when I started at age 5 through 11. From my experience, much of suzuki is rote learning and I fell behind with learning to read music, which is very important. Suzuki is very good though because parents are engaged in the learning process and learn/teach alongside the child. CMC offers both Suzuki and other methods. Whatever method you choose, I think it's so important to give children the gift of music - it's learning a different language. Exposure at a young age really instills a lifelong love of music.
On the subject of music, Portland Baroque Orchestra is having a concert for all ages on November 17th called "My First Symphony". I called PBO to confirm that it really is for ALL ages - it is indeed! We're taking our 2.5 year old and he's so excited. http://www.pbo.org/concerts.php?concert=17
Posted by: sarahm | October 24, 2007 at 08:44 AM
I don't know any local teachers, but I wanted to comment because I started Suzuki violin at age 6, continued with Suzuki until about age 12, and continuted with violin through HS and played a bit in college for fun. Suzuki is based on rote learning, but is a great way for young kids to learn to play. The key is to make sure basics in reading music are incorporated into the lessons at well, once basics are mastered (how to hold the instrument, posture, basic songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle." I actually think Suzuki is a great method because it helps down the road with the ability to have improvisational skills. I never felt "behind" with my music reading ability.
The last comment I wanted to make was about age- I think it totally depends on the kid. I was begging my mom for lessons starting at about age 4- she used to take us to community symphony events where the kids could talk to musicians afterward, and see the instruments. I KNEW I wanted to play the violin. I picked it. As I played in many youth symphonies and school orchestras, I knew plenty of kids who were pushed into their instrument. Some still enjoyed it, but there were many who were resentful, because they had been pushed down a certain path at such a young age. Quite a few of those peers quit a lot earlier than I did. So even though I don't play now, like they don't, I have a great attitude and love for music, and I wonder about them. If it were my child, instead of signing them up for something, I would expose him or her to different music experiences, and see the reactions. Maybe ask some leading questions to gauge their interest. And wait and see how they feel about it in a few weeks, or a month, or a year. Music lessons are expensive, time consuming (it isn't just the weekly lesson, it is a lot of practice even when you are young), and a real committment. But they are so worth it if you have a kid who wants to learn.
Posted by: nancy | October 24, 2007 at 10:26 AM
I want to ditto, ditto, ditto Nancy's comments re age & the individual child. I also picked out an instrument for myself after lots and lots of positive exposure to lots of music and lots of people who played music in various ways (primarily in the family -- I got lucky in that I've got some talented relatives!). But my younger sibs kinda got pushed into it by our parents, who figured if it was working for me to have an instrument, it would work for them too. Unfortunately, they figgered wrong. The sibs viewed music -- and practice -- as a chore and an obligation, and not as an individual choice.
I also want to emphasize, though, that a child may show no interest in music at age 4 and then become consumed by it at age 12; or lose the love for the axe of choice at an early age, only to become smitten for good by something else altogether later on. Just always be open to the possibility -- don't foreclose it just because your 5-yo doesn't wanna practice violin... She might be a trumpet prodigy by 14.
Rock on!
Posted by: rockstar mama | October 24, 2007 at 10:50 AM
I took Suzuki violin beginning at age 5 and my brother started at age 3. I recommend the Suzuki program, especially for very young children as it features tried and true pedagogical methods that are very effective at teaching small children. The other major advantage is that the Suzuki method trains children to learn by ear beginning at ages when children pick things up by ear very quickly (Dr. Suzuki was inspired to begin teaching 3-year-olds violin when he studied abroad in Germany and noted the facility with which preschoolers picked up the German language, something he considered much more difficult an undertaking than the violin!) While neither my brother nor I ended up as serious violinists, we enjoyed the violin and both of us are tremendously grateful to have had that training at a such a young age as it fostered a real love of music in both of us has given us a major leg up in other musical undertakings throughout life.
Not sure about opportunities for such small children to learn guitar--violins are available in sizes down to 1/16 or 1/32 but are guitars for tiny hands widely available? I'm sure it's possible to find tiny guitars and instruction for preschoolers, but it might be more difficult since perhaps there are not as many established programs geared towards those ages.
Posted by: Camellia (the one who lives next to Sarah) | October 24, 2007 at 01:05 PM
Just a comment about instrument choice for very young children. We have a few friends with Music degrees who both recommended we start our kids with the violin for many reasons. I'm not too hot on the violin per se, and would rather have my kids on the piano or guitar, but apparently this is one of the best, if not THE best, instruments to start a child on.
If our 3 yr old son is interested, we plan to start him with suzuki violin lessons this year, and then move to other things as his desires change. We have a piano and he "plays" it daily...especially when he's playing along to his Music Together CD!
Posted by: Laura | October 24, 2007 at 01:18 PM
I can't speak from personal experience, but I have a friend whose 5-yo just started "guitar" lessons at Ethos music. That should be handy for NE and N mamas, and I have heard rave reviews about them from other parents. And kids!
The reason I put guitar in quotation marks is that Ethos does not teach guitar to the little ones. Instead they start kids on the ukulele because of the size of the instrument and the smaller number of strings. Makes it more kid friendly.
And if anyone is looking for a kid-friendly ukulele in the sense that it's not a delicate, fragile heirloom, consider buying a Fluke. They are brightly colored, partly plastic ukuleles. I know that sounds horrible, but they actually have a good tone and are fun to play. My husband has turned into a ukulele player, and his first instrument was a bright orange Fluke. Kids flocked to him at the park when he pulled it out, and it was safe for them to mess around with.
Posted by: Janice | October 24, 2007 at 02:07 PM
You might check out a Piano Pixies class at Pfeifer's MusicWerks studio at 28th and Prescott. I (Masters of Music Education) teach the preschool music classes there, and while they are piano-oriented, we do a lot of basic music-learning games and introduction to reading music.
I recommend starting kids in a group music lesson around age 3, and then transitioning to private lessons on instrument of choice (I imagine guitar being really hard for little hands, too) around age 5 for girls and 6 or 7 for boys. But that is a generality--every kid is unique!
Posted by: kristen c | October 24, 2007 at 02:15 PM
We bought our son with a large variety of musical instruments when he was about 1yr old.
When he was about 18 months he learned to play a harmonica. Exposure is everything! I (not often enough) play a pentatonic flute. I had tried for years to teach myself how to play a diatonic flute but, was very unsuccessful.
When I started working at a Waldorf school (Arizona) it all came together for me. There is one Waldorf charter school that I know of in Portland.
http://www.portlandvillageschool.org/
Posted by: Kayla | October 24, 2007 at 09:25 PM
I would agree that group lessons for the younger children (under 6ish?) make sense. Our daughter tried a group lesson at Ethos and it didn't work for us. Then again, she also did summer camp at Ethos (1 week of piano and 1 week of hip hop) and she LOVED it and can't wait to go back. If there are preschool group classes at Ethos, it's worth a try.
I also have flipped through the Portland Parks & Rec catalogs and notice that Dishman offers private guitar, piano, and voice lessons. From what I saw, it was affordable.
We have also done a group class with our younger daughter at CMC. While it was great, it didn't make geographical sense (we are also in N/NE and CMC is in SE).
Someone mentioned Pfiefer above. When we were exploring piano lessons last year, we shopping around and ended up with Pfiefer Pianowerks (also offering other instruments) and we are pleased. We just got back from piano lesson tonight, and our daughter is learning more and becoming more enthusiastic than ever with the piano. Here is the piano post: http://urbanmamas.typepad.com/urbanmamas/2006/10/do_re_mi_seekin.html
Posted by: olivia | October 24, 2007 at 10:02 PM
Maeve has been in classes at Ethos since 3ish. When she begged for violin classes and they had none for her age-they searched for a private teacher for her which was a blast. I think she was closer to 4 by then.
After privte and group violin as well as group Kinder Keyboards classes with several different teachers we have learned that child readiness aside, the teacher makes the class. We have learned who our favorites are and what is a good match for our girl. Also we qualified for reduced rates based on income and with that they granted free instrument rental. I also learned from one of the directors a very pertinent point for us regarding "practice." Maeve went a couple years playing very little between lessons. I was alerted early on by Ethos that "practicing" is also learned and is nothing to worry about. So we let that go right away and have found that Maeve loves to play, compose and learns just as fast as anyone who "practices" at home. In time she will figure out the practice part. For our family who never qualifies for scholarships for anything and yet can't afford class rates around town-it was a HUGE blessing that they looked over our tax returns closely and let us have the financial break when we needed it the most (this last year especially).
Posted by: Shannon | November 21, 2007 at 10:39 AM
Hi,
I just wanted to chime in on this thread. I am a Portland mama who just started a wonderful new music school with my husband, Chris in NE Portland (right off MLK on Beech). We are offering Rookie Rock classes for little ones ages 0-6. Here is a link to some info about our classes.
http://soundrootsmusic.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10
We hope you will consider joining us!
Posted by: Fara | August 30, 2008 at 02:04 PM
It is really a great thing that this camp is offering special music classes for the kids of two to four years. It is the good thing for children who want to learn music. Summer camps recommend highly experiential learning programs for all age group kids and teenagers. Camps are the best place for boys and girls to learn the life skills. Camps offer the exceptional training and camping programs during the months of summer. Summer camps for youth offer various options like arts, crafts, music, singing, acting, cooking, weight loss, religious learning and technological training related with various fields. These programs not only fulfill special needs and demands of teens abut also make them perfect.
http://www.teenscamp.net/Teen/Summer-Camps-For-Teens/index.htm
Posted by: Summer Camps for Youth | November 12, 2009 at 04:24 AM
In my experience 4 is too young for piano lessons. the Music together program can be a great introduction to kids (and parents) to music eduction.
Posted by: bendpiano | August 18, 2010 at 01:39 PM
I'm a mama and co-director of Music Together of Portland.
Most little ones aren't ready for "formal" music lessons until they can sing in tune and be on the the beat through accurate movement. So group classes in a playful, musically rich environment is where it's at until then! Just like in other cultures, making music with kids and the adults who love them models the joy of music making and then kids naturally learn these skills. Check out Music Together classes at www.musictogether-pdx.com. It is a national program and research-based but best of all...it's fun! You can check out free demo classes also!
Posted by: Mary Beth Camp | July 25, 2011 at 11:07 AM