Dallas Moms Blog was invited to participate in a promotional Yamaha Music class at 7 Notes in Frisco to share with parents what a first music class experience is like. While we weren’t compensated for this post, we hope the experience below encourages you to think about a music education for your children!
I have no musical gifts. Zero. My youngest brother got all the music talent in our family and left not a drop for anyone else. One time during a performance I even was asked to whisper the words instead of singing. Whisper. So yeah, music wasn’t really ever “My Thing”.
My daughter, however, loves music. She has an uncle and a grandfather who are both legitimate musicians. She loves to put on various performances at home, and like most children, just can’t help herself at the sight of a piano.
So a few weeks ago, I was thrilled when we were given the opportunity to try a Music Wonderland class at 7 Notes in Frisco. Music Wonderland is the entry point to the Yamaha piano program, geared for ages 3-4.5.
The class was done in a parent-child format and I was pretty excited about that. Since my daughter turned 4, most of her activities have transitioned to more of a parent-in-the-waiting-room format. And with a second baby in the house, well, I just don’t get the same kind of one-on-one time with my daughter as I used to.
The classroom was bright, cheery and very open. It was set up with Yamaha keyboards, a bench for the child and a bench at each keyboard for the accompanying parent. We started off the class with a singing and movement exercise to break the ice and get the kids comfortable. The instructor played music while she had the kids sing and march in a parade. Parents are encouraged to sing along and participate. And by encouraged, I mean required (in a friendly way). They really stress parent-participation in the class. I whisper-sang my way through it and enthusiastically went along with the arm motions.
Finally, the moment every child in the class had been patiently waiting for, it was time to power on the keyboard! (What is it with kids and keyboards and pianos?) Anyway, the instructor had them explore their keyboards and play with all the different settings. Once they had that out of their systems, we opened the music books.
The books at their keyboards were not music books in a traditional sense, but more abstract. Think beautifully illustrated pictures instead of sheet music. The instructor played a song and the children were instructed to listen for different cues in the music. They were using the keyboards like soundboards, and in this particular instance, the keyboard was a car-horn. When they heard the cues, they could use the keyboard to “honk.”
This stage of music education is not meant to teach them how to read sheet music. Its meant to foster a musical ear and give them an appreciation for music. 7 Notes offers the Yamaha Music Education System, where children are encouraged to develop diverse skills without prematurely focusing on just one instrument or style. This class is a foundation for music education and upon completion of this class, the child is ready for further skill development. The instructors are musicians themselves, and aside from being quite accomplished, you can tell they love music and they love teaching music. The 7 Notes philosophy of: Sing. Play. Listen. Create is encompassed in every single program.
I could tell my daughter loved the class because she sat still, paid attention and followed directions. She may have whined a tad at the end because the class was over. The instructor saved us from a minor melt down when she played “Let It Go” on the piano. After my daughter watched her teacher play, literally, the only song we listen to all day, she was in awe. “I want to know how to do that, mama.”
More information about classes and programs offered at 7 Notes can be found online: www.7-notes.com
**Disclosure: Dallas Moms Blog was invited to participate in a promotional class at 7 Notes, however all opinions are 100% our own.
