Music for Young Children Mississauga Blog

Six Interesting Musical Facts About Albert Einstein

6/3/2020

Adapted from CMUSE
https://www.cmuse.org/interesting-musical-facts-about-albert-einstein/

His mother was the musician in the family

Pauline Koch Einstein was an accomplished pianist in her own right, and taught Einstein to play the piano and violin when he was very young. Initially he showed more aptitude for the piano, but as he became a teenager he developed more interest in the violin.

He loved Mozart’s violin sonatas

Mozart’s work, Einstein wrote, “was so pure that it seemed to have been ever-present in the universe, waiting to be discovered by the master.” In this respect, he saw Mozart as a kind of musical physicist—someone who seemed to find his distinctive sound in the most cosmic essence of harmony.

He deeply admired Bach and Beethoven, but never cared for Wagner or Debussy

But Einstein didn’t love all music. “I admire Wagner’s inventiveness,” he admitted, “but I see his lack of architectural structure as decadence. Moreover, to me his musical personality is indescribably offensive so that for the most part I can listen to him only with disgust.” About Debussy, he wrote in a 1939 questionnaire: “I feel that Debussy is delicately colorful but shows a poverty of structure. I cannot work up great enthusiasm for something of that sort.”

He credited his violin, which he nicknamed Lina, for most of the joy in his life

“I know that most joy in my life has come to me from my violin,” he said as an old man—with a certain amount of longing, as by that point he had lost the ability to play his violin with satisfaction due to decreased motor coordination in his left hand.

He frequently played classical music as a brainstorming technique

Einstein’s second wife Elsa once remarked, “I fell in love with Albert because he played Mozart so beautifully on the violin. He also plays the piano. Music helps him when he is thinking about his theories. He goes to his study, comes back, strikes a few chords on the piano, jots something down, returns to his study.”

Although there is no known recording of his performances, he enjoyed playing in public

Einstein did perform in public many times, and his efforts were generally well-received. “There are many musicians with much better technique,” Einstein’s doctor János Flesch candidly observed, “but none, I believe, who ever played with more sincerity or deeper feeling.”

by Ms. Chandrika
https://www.myc.com/members/cdealmeida/

“Heal the World” Through Music Making

3/2/2020

Mrs. F and myself were very proud of our “show stopper” this year at our annual Music For Young Children (MYC) 2019 recitals in March: a version of Heal the World by Michael Jackson!

Like most great ideas, it started with a seed of inspiration, one that we developed in our music lessons for two months’ until the final presentation where everything came together so beautifully. Mrs. F was watching a video that was posted to our Facebook page at the top of the year, where there was a wide array of children performing this piece as singers, instrumentalists, and a full choir. Mrs. F thought to herself: well our kids could do that! We started to reflect on the talents and abilities of many students who have completed their Music For Young Children foundation with us, and who have continued with our music school for many years afterwards. It was through this reflection that we put together a “Heal the World band” (pictured with this article), the majority of which started as Sunshine 1 students many years ago. The band featured: a piano player, drummer, djembe player, electric guitar, three vocal soloists, and the MYC choir who performed the chorus with accompanying sign language! We all saw this great unveil for the first time together with our audience, and the final product exceeded our wildest expectations; it was a resounding success!

One of the reasons these performances were so successful is due to the type of music education Music For Young Children offers: not only do kids learn how to play piano but they are exposed to singing, rhythm and movement, and group ensemble playing from a young age. Many of the children on stage at the recitals this year were participating in their first ever public performance, the skills of which they had been previously exposed to during the year. Mrs. F and I had an opportunity to expand the musical education of our senior level performers in the Heal the World band, as these musicians were involved in multiple dress rehearsals, as well as the tech setup and dismantling of all of the musical gear following the afternoon’s performances.

One of the audience members who participated in the MYC choir was further inspired to perform this at her school’s talent show! The seed of inspiration has been firmly planted; there’s no knowing how these music students will continue to expand and grow with their music lessons in the coming years. Both Mrs. F and myself look forward to doing our part of cultivating this love of music that was made possible through their exposure to the Music for Young Children program!

by Ms. MICHELLE FEDOROWICH
https://www.myc.com/members/mfedorowich/

How Piano Lessons Benefit Young Children

2/1/2020

1. Piano lessons help children perfect their natural learning processes.
Music is a language, and children are programmed to absorb languages. Studies have shown that kids can most easily learn new languages when they start at a young age. Piano lessons help children develop the very same skills needed to accomplish language arts, like reading. In piano, students learn how to follow directions, scan written materials, think critically, create solutions and translate writing into action. For example, students must look at each note, measure and phrase and decide how to play each note to make the music come to life. Many children (including my own sons) have become much better readers after starting piano lessons. Further, piano lessons involves an interplay of both right and left brain activity that stimulates neural development.
2. Piano lessons help children learn how to stay focused and achieve goals.
Piano lessons help children set specific goals and then work towards reaching these goals. Each new piece of music a student learns requires a specific set of skills and playing habits. To achieve these goals students must learn to stay focused and study each note, measure and phrase to understand how to play the song. In doing this, students learn to think critically and creatively as they decide how to make the music come to life. Staying focused over time develops good study habits that become natural. This is important because learning to practice good habits that match their goals shows children how to make their dreams come to life!
3. Piano lessons help children develop courage.
It takes courage to face challenges without letting our anxiety and worries get the best of us. Piano lessons help students learn to accept challenges such as learning a difficult song, as well as to perform pieces in front of teachers, friends, and families at recitals. Lessons also help kids learn the importance of keeping a positive perspective despite difficulties. Learning to handle uncertainty and stress in a way that minimizes anxiety and maximizes creativity is a valuable life tool. We all need practice at this!
4. Piano lessons teach children to persevere.
A key part of accomplishing anything difficult is not to give up easily. As children grow, piano lessons teach kids to try and then try again if they don't initially succeed Piano lessons teach students how to adjust their expectations if they can't initially master a tough song or skills, and to tackle these big goals by taking small incremental steps. In the end, just like the baby songbirds that eventually learn to sing, students learn that they can accomplish great things and reach their dreams through careful and consistent effort.
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cynthia_VanLandingham/7954
Thus, the piano learning journey is valuable and has life-long benefits. A higher level certificate can also allow students to get high school credits and is also considered as an entry criteria for many universities, as an indicator of the student’s character.
Ms. Helen Chu

May your holiday season be filled with music

12/1/2019

In Music for Young Children, we encourage the children to perform as much as possible. The incentives are built into the program to motivate the children in playing the piano in front of friends and family as music is a community event. Children music lessons are more than just learning how to play piano, but to also learn to play in public. Let us help our children to play in this holiday season, and invite them to play for your friends and your family. This will not only build their music playing skills but also their confidence. They will also know how much you value their playing and that you are proud of their hard works.

Have a great musical December and New year! Let the music flows in your house!

Ms. Esther
https://www.myc.com/members/eng/

There are so many benefits to Music for Young Children!

11/1/2019

There are so many benefits to Music for Young Children!

How interesting that this research article shows that a child's brain develops faster with exposure to music education. This article discusses the effects, value and impact of music education especially in young children. How important then is it to get your child involved in Music for Young Children!

Don't stop the music! Let us all get involved in music!
Read and enjoy:
https://musiceducationworks.wordpress.com/2016/06/19/a-childs-brain-develops-faster-with-exposure-to-music/

By Ms. Brenda
https://www.myc.com/members/bcornacchion/

“Heal the World” Through Music Making

10/15/2019

04.22.19

Mrs. F and myself were very proud of our “show stopper” this year at our annual Music For Young Children (MYC) 2019 recitals in March: a version of Heal the World by Michael Jackson!

Like most great ideas, it started with a seed of inspiration, one that we developed in our music lessons for two months’ until the final presentation where everything came together so beautifully. Mrs. F was watching a video that was posted to our Facebook page at the top of the year, where there was a wide array of children performing this piece as singers, instrumentalists, and a full choir. Mrs. F thought to herself: well our kids could do that! We started to reflect on the talents and abilities of many students who have completed their Music For Young Children foundation with us, and who have continued with our music school for many years afterwards. It was through this reflection that we put together a “Heal the World band” (pictured with this article), the majority of which started as Sunshine 1 students many years ago. The band featured: a piano player, drummer, djembe player, electric guitar, three vocal soloists, and the MYC choir who performed the chorus with accompanying sign language! We all saw this great unveil for the first time together with our audience, and the final product exceeded our wildest expectations; it was a resounding success!

One of the reasons these performances were so successful is due to the type of music education Music For Young Children offers: not only do kids learn how to play piano but they are exposed to singing, rhythm and movement, and group ensemble playing from a young age. Many of the children on stage at the recitals this year were participating in their first ever public performance, the skills of which they had been previously exposed to during the year. Mrs. F and I had an opportunity to expand the musical education of our senior level performers in the Heal the World band, as these musicians were involved in multiple dress rehearsals, as well as the tech setup and dismantling of all of the musical gear following the afternoon’s performances.

One of the audience members who participated in the MYC choir was further inspired to perform this at her school’s talent show! The seed of inspiration has been firmly planted; there’s no knowing how these music students will continue to expand and grow with their music lessons in the coming years. Both Mrs. F and myself look forward to doing our part of cultivating this love of music that was made possible through their exposure to the Music for Young Children program!

By Ms. Michelle

Music lessons develop young children’s brains and enhance creativity

9/3/2019

Benefits of Music Lessons for Young Children

8/1/2019

Music has been around almost since the world began and humans intuitively gravitate to music when it comes to expressing emotion. But did you know that the benefits of music go far beyond expressing emotion? Particularly for young children, music lessons provide a myriad of physical, social and intellectual benefits as well.
Parents who provide music lessons for their young children are investing in the development of their children. Learning to play piano and read music improves math and science testing scores (University of Texas). This can be helpful all through life and particularly during the application process to universities.
Piano lessons promote coordination and patience in children. Gross and fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination are significantly increased through music lessons for young children. In a reputable study by Hochman, improvements in ability to solve mazes, copy patterns of color and draw geometric figures were seen in children who took music lessons.
Piano lessons are character building for children of all ages. Two great qualities built into a child studying music are patience and determination which will come in handy when life's challenges increase as the children mature into adults. Children also learn to relax to music as they learn to appreciate it in music lessons. This is a great coping skills for the whole lifespan.
Music for Young Children music lessons provide the added, and very important, benefit of socializing in the group class. This great advantage over traditional piano lessons motivates and encourages children in their learning of all aspects of music and increases the length of time they enjoy music lessons. Parents who choose the group classes with Music for Young Children are giving their children a great start in life!

By Ms. Elizabeth (https://www.myc.com/members/edettweiler/)

Music works on the autonomic nervous system

7/1/2019

Contributed by Mrs. Chandrika de Almeida

I was researching for articles that would talk about benefits of listening and learning music. I came across this interesting article that was published in the Daily Mail in the UK written by Naomi Coleman. The article talks about how research has discovered that listening to music has a variety of health benefits. According to the writer, fresh research from Austria has found that listening to music can help patients with chronic back pain. As a person who suffers with back pains, this caught my attention and thought of sharing with the readers.

How it helps: Music works on the autonomic nervous system - the part of the nervous system responsible for controlling our blood pressure, heartbeat and brain function - and also the limbic system - the part of the brain that controls feelings and emotions. According to one piece of research, both these systems react sensitively to music.
When slow rhythms are played, our blood pressure and heartbeat slow down which helps us breathe more slowly, thus reducing muscle tension in our neck, shoulders, stomach and back. And experts say that apart from physical tension, music also reduces psychological tension in our mind.

In other words when we feel pain, we become frightened, frustrated and angry which makes us tense up hundreds of muscles in our back. Listening to music on a regular basis helps our bodies relax physically and mentally, thus helping to relieve - and prevent - back pain.

Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-137116/Why-listening-music-key-good-health.html#ixzz5Ejy8bCR5

Music of Healing and Hope

6/3/2019

Healing Through the Power of Music

Learning how to play the piano can also help others and serve the community.
Music therapy can help patients recover and soothe their emotions. Students can gain community service hours for their high school credits while serving the community at hospitals, elderly homes and community centres.
The following is taken from the site of Credit Valley Hospital, Music of Healing and Hope, Healing Through the Power of Music.
Best regards,
Ms. Helen Chu
VOLUNTEER PERFORMERS
Guidelines for performances:
The Steinway grand piano that resides in the hospital’s main lobby was donated by Mr. Grant Clarkson in honor of his late wife, Janet Elizabeth Clarkson so that Credit Valley’s patients, visitors, staff, physicians and volunteers would continue to enjoy its music.
In an effort to continue our philosophy of “healing and hope”, Trillium Health Partners - Credit Valley Hospital is now providing music in the beautiful main atrium of the hospital Monday - Friday. The Music of Healing and Hope Program will feature accomplished volunteer musicians from our own hospital community and the Mississauga area.
We invite you, or any other musician who plays professionally or who has achieved a minimum grade nine level standing in music, to consider volunteering 45 minutes of time to perform for our patients, visitors and staff.
Do you play a musical instrument? In an effort to continue our legacy of “healing and hope”, music is provided in the lobbies at Credit Valley Hospital and Queensway Health Centre. Musicians are also required at the Mississauga site to play on patient units. We invite community musicians who play professionally or who have achieved a minimum grade nine level standing in music, to consider volunteering 45 minutes of time to perform for our patients, visitors and staff.
Performer must be 15 years of age or older with minimum grade 9 musical performance standard or provide recognition of standard of performance by a recognized performing arts organization. Hospital will review the application and approve or decline performance based on established criteria.
Performance will be limited to agreed upon lobby area. Individual performances in patient rooms or other areas of the hospital will not be permitted due to infection control issues.
For more information, please contact:
Diana Gawel, Volunteer Resources Administrative Assistant. (905)-813-4112 diana.gawel@trilliumhealthpartners.ca

Music for Young Children Mississauga