Lessons for children
overview
There is more than one way to be musical! What is your child’s way?
Music House is devoted to helping students discover, celebrate and develop their individual musical potential. Through a comprehensive methodology that includes instrument exploration, ear training, organic music theory, and creative activities such as improvisation and songwriting, children develop competence, confidence and excitement about their music learning. Through exposure, discovery, problem-solving, and self-assessment, Music House students develop agency over their learning, and form strong connections that lead to continued musical engagement.
For a FREE consultation to discuss your child’s musical needs, call 917-923-4957 or
email Music House !
Music House offers three types of lessons for children. Choose the one that seems to best fit the needs of your child!
"Musical Self-Discovery"
Private sessions
Age 5-11
No musical background required
Before choosing an instrument to study, it is both important and exciting to discover who you are musically! What kinds of sounds do you like? Will you express music by strumming a guitar, bowiing a violin, plunking a piano, tooting a recorder, tapping on a drum? Here is the place to find out: a musical “island” full of instruments and activities, equipped with your own personal “Genie” (the teacher) to help you discover your “inner musician.” Here you will be able to:
-Explore a wide variety of instruments to discover which is right for you
-Choose from a menu of musical options and set your own pace
-Learn to play by ear, improvise and understand the inner workings of music
-Feel inspired to take your learning out of the lesson
-Develop musical competence and confidence
"The Empowered Instrumentalist"
Private sessions
Ages 6 and up
Beginners to intermediate on piano, violin, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, autoharp
Whether you play an instrument, are learning to play one, or are just about to begin, you will develop well-rounded musicianship while learning your instrument. This will help you become your own teacher!
-Explore other instruments that relate to the one you are studying
-Get acquainted with performers, composers and styles related to your instrument
-Learn to play by ear and transfer tunes from one instrument to another
-Become musically literate without struggle
-Acquire musical empowerment and autonomy
"Music House Sampler"
1-4 participants
Ages 7-14
All levels
Eight sessions
A comprehensive musical overview. Each session focuses on a specific aspect of music. Your child will come away with a well-developed understanding of how music works, which will serve him/ her in all subsequent musical study.
1. The Piano Keyboard: A Musical Map
2. The Autoharp: The Magic of Harmony
3. Improvisation: Creating As You Go!
4. Comparing Instruments of Different Families
5. Conducting: The Maestro With the Baton
6. Introduction to Rhythmic Notation
7. Introduction to Melodic Notation
8. Composing: Rhythm, Rhyme, Repetition and Random!
examples
Music House nurtures all types of musical potential.
Some children love learning to play pieces while others feel a connection to creative activities such as songwriting and improvisation. One child finds inspiration learning about composers, while another loves studying music theory or conducting. Profound music learning can begin with whatever the learner feels excited about. Music House is committed to helping every learner discover their musical spark and grow music learning from the inside out.
Example 1: 9-year-old Megan never tired of playing “Here Comes the Sun” on the piano. From her deep attachment to this song, she learned how to finger it comfortably, transpose it to other keys, play it on other instruments, add a chordal accompaniment, write and read the notation, and orchestrate it for an ensemble.
Example 2: Charlie could not wait to get a baton in his hand, stand in front of the mirror, and “conduct” a recording of the New York Philharmonic. Through his passion for conducting, Charlie learned beat patterns, cueing and orchestration, which led to learning all about meter, rhythm, musical notation, and “other” famous conductors and their orchestras.
The choice of an instrument is personal!
Before choosing an instrument and beginning technical study, it is crucial for students to figure out which instrument they are drawn to! Some people feel expression through their breath, others with a bow. There are those who need to plunk piano keys, while others are inspired by strumming. At Music House students are given the time and encouragement to spend time trying a variety of instruments to find one that is right for them.
Example: As a 3-year-old, Annabel would engage with any instrument that had strings—guitar, autoharp, ukulele—and her interest was limited exclusively to stringed instruments. Because she discovered her affinity for string instruments informally, at an early age, as an 11-year-old she knew that she was eager and ready to learn the violin. And her early experiences exploring guitar and ukulele gave Annabel an understanding of how stringed instruments work. This enabled her to learn violin technique with much less resistance than beginners typically experience!
Learning to play by ear leads validates the learner’s musical capability.
Learning to play by ear is one of the most gratifying and empowering ways to develop musicianship. Playing by ear is the equivalent of singing on an instrument. Once you understand how the instrument works and where to find the notes, you can play by ear. Learning to play by ear gives students indisputable proof that there is musicality inside them.
Example: To introduce 8-year-old Adam to playing by ear, I said, “Using the three notes C-D-E and beginning on C, can you make the piano sing the beginning of ‘Do, A Deer?’” After a few tries, Adam found it. This success gave him the confidence and curiosity to ask for another song to try. Using the same three notes, he was also able to find the beginning of “Yankee Doodle,” “Frere Jacques” and “Here Comes the Sun.” Over time Adam was able to increase his note “menu” to 4- and 5-notes, learn several whole songs by ear, and figure out how to transfer them to other instruments.
Understanding how music works adds useful tools to the budding musician’s toolbox.
Music House students learn musical concepts through relatable imagery that immediately connects the learner to the concept. This makes “advanced” concepts accessible and useful for all learners.
Example: Outside of college music majors, few people get to experience the beautiful whole-tone scale. But when we called it the “dream” scale because of its misty, dreamlike quality. John was able to learn to play it easily, and incorporate it into his story about a little boy’s dream. From that connection, John became interested in the composers Ravel, Debussy, and other Impressionists who used the dream scale in their compositions. Thus, at the age of seven, John was able to experience an authentic musical culture.
Relevant and meaningful music learning forges a strong connection to music making.
The ultimate goal of Music House is that students will feel a connection to their learning that makes them want to make music part of their lives. The focus is on keeping the learning process so connected to the students that they feel inspired to bring it home. Music House students share puzzles, challenges and information they learned with family and friends.
Example: 7-year-old Joey was excited to tell me that he taught his 5-year-old sister how to play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” by showing her which three notes to use—just the way he learned it! Joey’s father emailed as well to say that Joey taught him to play by ear.
Self-assessment gives students a sense of purpose and empowerment.
Music House students keep a “Repertoire Sheet”: a chart that shows what they are working on, what they have completed, which piece and on which instrument, along with their own coded progress evaluations. In addition, the teacher documents every Music House session, and parents receive periodic assessments: what they’re children have been up to, its significance, and where we might go from here.
Example: Using a coding system of dots, circles, plus signs and stars, Elena kept her “Repertoire Sheet” up to date, critiquing her playing and using a code to reflect her assessments:
Open circle: just beginning a piece
Filled-in circle: Can play it without mistakes most of the time
Little star: ready to play for your family
Big star = ready to perform in a concert!
FAQs
Is my child musical?
Everyone has some type of musical aptitude, but each of us is musical in a different way. Some people are naturally inclined to create, others to focus on learning a certain instrument. Music House is committed to meeting learners where they are, offering experiences that will help students discover their natural musical potential, and grow the learning from each child’s needs, interests, aptitude and readiness.
It would be wonderful for my child to learn an instrument…Yes it would! But—which instrument? How do you choose the right instrument for your child? Here is one of the best-kept secrets in music education:
The choice of an instrument is personal!
Before committing to an instrument and beginning to learn technique, it makes sense to try different instruments in order to find one that is right for the learner. Music House offers exposure to a variety of musical instruments that represent each of the families: keyboard, string, wind and percussion, and students are encouraged to spend as much time as they need trying different instruments on their own. Having this opportunity ensures that choosing an instrument will be an informed decision, which tremendously increases chances for success when a student does begin to study an instrument!
My child loves to make up little songs, but how will that help her with music lessons?
Everyone’s musical spark has the potential to connect to some form of music making. When students learn what different ways of music making exist, they are able to discover where their natural inclination may take them. Music House enables this discovery by offering students a variety of activities: learning an instrument, improvisation, songwriting, conducting, orchestration, playing by ear, studying music history, theory or literacy. These experiences help students discover their most relevant, meaningful musical path.
When I took music lessons as a child, everything was such a struggle: reading notes, counting beats. I don’t want our son to go through the same thing!
Rather than teach skills and concepts as separate entities, Music House integrates them into a holistic learning experience. Music literacy is introduced through singing, playing, writing, and reading. Learning a piece is integrated with ear training, understanding how chords and melody work, the background of the piece and its composer. A holistic approach leads to empowered musicianship.
Hey Dad—want me to show you how to play ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb” with sauce or sprinkles?”
Music House students feel motivated to take their learning out of their lessons and bring it into their own lives. This is achieved through inquiry-based learning, problem-solving, and learners having choices about their activities throughout their lessons. Students are encouraged to bring home puzzles, challenges, and stories to share. Inspired by what students learn in their session, they become the teachers for their younger siblings and families. Students who have agency over their learning are more likely to maintain a long-term connection to music making.