Author: Miss Mandi

Should You Enroll Your Child in Kindermusik?

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At Sing Music Studio, we welcome young children and elementary students into our fun and educational Kindermusik classes. These are great gateway into piano lessons in Mississauga, drum lessons, guitar lessons, singing lessons, and more. Get in touch if you would like to enroll or receive more information.

Should You Enroll Your Child in Kindermusik?

Yes, Kindermusik is a wonderful opportunity for young kids to make friends, discover music, and incite curiosity in various musical instruments. Music lessons are much more effective when a child wants to learn – and there’s no better way to implant a desire to learn music than Kindermusik classes. Students won’t feel like they are taking a formal lesson, and classes are similar to play time, but we still aim for excellence in our classes and your child will learn valuable musical concepts.

What Is Kindermusik?

Kindermusik is a proprietary learning system developed by childhood education experts. It involves improvement of the whole self – your child will develop socially, physically, and cognitively. They will discover music through games, rhythm, various instruments, and introductory concepts, and it’s a fantastic gateway into private music lessons on an instrument.

Things To Keep In Mind When You Bring a Child to Kindermusik at Sing Music Studio

Our Virtual Kindermusik Foundations class for parents of babies under 6 months is coming up! Here’s an important list of 5 things to know before you arrive:

  • Baby can be easily fed on demand privately without missing any of the in-class experience by simply turning off the camera or turning away the camera while feeding.
  • Join us while baby is awake and alert or crib-side while baby sleeps. You will gain plenty of invaluable information in this class whether baby is awake or asleep.
  • If you have older children, they can easily join in with their own doll or play on their own. No need to get a sitter during class time.
  • Sweats, no make-up… no problem! Be comfortable and join as you are.
  • We recommend purchasing the baby instrument set (includes mirror, ball, shaker, bell, scarf) from the www.kindermusik.com store. Or alternately having similar items (that can be homemade) on hand during the class.

Click here to enroll now if you haven’t done so already!

Benefits of Kindermusik

Kindermusik Benefits Special Needs Children

Throughout the 9 years I have been teaching Kindermusik and school music programs, I have most definitely worked with different special needs children. The majority of my experience has been in preschool and in-school settings where classroom teachers and one-on-one aides for the special needs children have been involved in the music classes. I’ve always been impressed with how music reaches these children.

This school year, I have been so fortunate to be working with 4 different special needs children in my Kindermusik classes at varying ages and stages – the highest number of special needs children I have ever had in my own studio space in one school year. Some of these children need aides with them, some do not. Over the course of a few months I have seen so many changes and improvements in all of these children, it really is mind-blowing. I was already so aware of what a strong impact music has on learning and development in ALL children. But seeing the incredible changes that have taken place in these particular special needs children (some in just 2 short months) just solidifies to me that much further how strong an impact music has on us. These children have come leaps and bounds in focused attention, social skills, language development, following direction and so much more. I adore having each of these wonderful children, along with all of the other completely accepting and wonderful children in my classes.

How lucky I am to be able to see firsthand how a program like Kindermusik can so positively impact so many. I don’t think I could love my job any more.

Kindermusik Helps Children Learn To Listen

\\These students have come so far from where they began! Now in the fourth and final semester of the Kindermusik for the Young Child program, they grew, changed and learned so much! Thinking back to their first CRAZY class together, with short attention spans, barely being able to sit still throughout one short activity, everyone talking over each other and wanting to just run around, hardly able to contain their excitement… It’s pretty amazing to see how focused this group of children now is. In this video they clearly demonstrate their ability to listen, respect each other, help each other and respond to specific cues as they create the musical sound effects along with this somewhat lengthy story – lengthy for 7 year olds anyway! Great job kindermusik kids!

Learn Balance and Coordination – Vestibular System

A hammock gently swaying in a warm ocean breeze or the quiet creaking of a porch swing in the dappled afternoon sunlight can bring thoughts of a little life balance in an increasingly complex world. As a parent of a child under 2, however, the nursery glider moving back and forth at 10:16pm, 2:01am, and 5:34am might be the closest you can get to that beach or front porch. It can work in a pinch though!

All that nursery rocking reinforces balance of a different kind in your child. The rocking, swaying, and movement stimulate your child’s vestibular system, the part of the brain that controls balance. In Kindermusik class, we rock to lullabies, bounce on knees, and even make hammocks out of blankets to help lap babies and crawlers begin to develop their sense of balance and to reinforce balance and stability in young walkers.

Everyday connection: Rock on! Try out some of the rocking moves from class at home. If your child feels nervous about hammocking in class, try it at home where she feels most comfortable. Think of different ways you can hold your child as you rock or bounce together.

Your Child Will Play On a Variety of Instruments

See Mandi’s helpful video on the variety of instruments your child will experience in our Kindermusik courses:

For more information about music lessons in Mississauga at Sing Music Studio, get in touch!

What Is the Best Way For an Adult To Learn Guitar?

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Adults often appreciate music more than children do, and the social, mental, and physical elements of playing an instrument have more meaning to adults as well. That said, it’s a shame that children are the ones with all of the time to practice and take lessons!

But that doesn’t mean an adult can’t successfully learn how to play the guitar at a high level as well. In this blog, we will discuss expectations, learning methods, and more. If you would like more information about our guitar lessons in Mississauga, please get in touch.

What is the Best Way To Learn Guitar as an Adult?

Adult guitar students are best served by taking weekly 45-60 minute private lessons with an experienced teacher and practicing for at least 20 minutes every day (or nearly every day). All things considered, this isn’t a burdensome time commitment, and you will learn how to play the guitar quickly!

How Important is it For Adults to Practice Guitar?

Practicing is extremely important. You will not improve if you don’t practice regularly at home, and the skill of your teacher won’t matter at all if you don’t practice. In your lessons, your teacher will give you specific instructions and materials to work on at home. If you follow these guidelines, you will see rapid and speedy progress, and if you don’t practice, you won’t see any improvement at all.

What If You Don’t Have Much Time?

That’s not a problem – in the early stages of guitar playing, even 15 minutes of slow, mindful practice per day will yield significant results. As you improve, and as your music and practice material gets more advanced, you will need more time to get value out of your practice. But at the beginning, even a few minutes per day is very important.

If you are pressed for time, consider making flashcards with chords written down. You can keep learning your guitar chords as you sit on the train, ride in an Uber, or eat lunch. You can do the same with time signatures, key signatures, and notes.

Always remember that practicing the guitar for 15-30 minutes per day is far more valuable than “cramming” for three hours the day before your lesson.

Can Adults Learn Through a Guitar App Instead?

Yes, there are several high quality guitar-learning apps that are effective for adults. Simply Guitar by JoyTunes, Yousician, the Fender app, and more come to mind. You will pay a subscription fee, follow the lessons, and use the practice materials every day.

The best way to use an app, however, is to pair the app with private lessons. Adult students often have wonderful success by taking lessons, signing up for an app, then layering the app’s practice material in with the material with a teacher. You will improve at an above-average rate if you use both an app and a teacher.

What If You Just Want To Learn Chords on the Guitar?

If you purchased an acoustic guitar and want to play it for fun, you can reasonably expect to teach yourself enough chords to play along with folk songs and read tabs. If you have prior musical experience, you will be fine on your own as long as you are enjoying this very basic level of playing.

However, if you have no prior experience, you will save yourself a considerable amount of time and frustration by enrolling in private guitar lessons. You will waste countless hours on YouTube searching for the right tutorial videos if you don’t already know how to read notes, count, understand guitar tablature, and more.

How To Learn Rock or Jazz Guitar as an Adult

Whether you are starting from scratch or have a foundation of guitar playing experience already, you will learn more quickly and holistically from a guitar teacher.

If you want to play jazz guitar, you will need to familiarize yourself first with the blues, then the various jazz modes and theoretical elements of the genre. You’ll need someone to help you learn jazz scales, arpeggios, and common licks.

Rock guitar has its own idioms, and whether you are learning advanced techniques like sweep picking and pinch harmonics, or simply getting power chords under your belt, you would benefit from a teacher.

Get Started With Music Lessons at Sing Music Studio

Working with a teacher is the best way for an adult to learn the guitar quickly, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t supplement lessons with other materials! Speak with your teacher about methods, apps, and other media that could help you learn more quickly. If you are interested in guitar lessons, piano lessons in Mississauga, voice lessons in Mississauga, or anything else, please get in touch.

Best Piano Stores in Mississauga: A Guide

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Do you need a new piano in your home, or would you like to own an instrument for the first time? If you would like to purchase an acoustic piano, either an upright piano or a grand, you will need to visit a physical store location rather than purchase one online.

If you are in the market for a digital piano or electric keyboard, you can certainly order one online, but we don’t necessarily recommend it – you’re better off buying something that you have been able to try out for yourself.

To see our list of piano stores in Mississauga, keep reading. Of course, if you are looking for piano lessons in Mississauga, voice lessons, or other music lessons, please get in touch!

Where To Buy a Steinway In Mississauga

Steinway Piano Gallery – Mississauga

Fortunately for prospective Steinway piano owners, there is a Steinway gallery right here in Mississauga. You can peruse a complete collection of Model D, Model B, Model S and other acoustic grand pianos, and you’ll be able to test them before purchasing.

You can also find other affiliated makes at the Steinway gallery. More affordable options include Boston and Essex pianos (which are excellent in their own right), and you can also buy a Roland stage piano for a high end electric experience.

Lastly, you can purchase affordable used pianos at the Steinway showroom in Mississauga. They collect and refurbish instruments in-house, so you are basically investing in a certified pre-owned option.

Address: 1900 Dundas St W #29A, Mississauga, ON L5K 1P9, Canada

Website: www.steinwaytoronto.ca/

Merriam Music

Located in nearby Oakville, Merriam Music has a number of compelling acoustic pianos in-house. While you can’t purchase a Steinway here, they do have upscale Bechstein models, a truly world-class option. You can also give Kawai and Estonia grand and upright pianos a try at their showroom.

If you’re looking for digital pianos, you will have plenty of Casio pianos, among others, to choose from. Casio is one of the better values in the digital world – they have a nice sound, weighted keyboard action, but are priced affordably.

Address: 2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8, Canada

Website: www.merriammusic.com/ 

Where To Buy a Yamaha in Mississauga

Toronto Piano Group (Mississauga)

Toronto Piano Group is known for being the singular Yamaha authorized dealer in the Mississauga and Toronto area. Choose from the popular G Series grand pianos, try a professional CX series instrument, or invest in a wonderfully constructed YUS series upright that can fit nicely in small rooms.

You can also purchase a Clavinova, CLP grand or upright configuration, or the cutting edge Avant Grand digital hybrid piano. The N3X is one of the hottest pianos on the planet these days, so you may need to join a waitlist to purchase one. They are absolutely worth trying though.

Address: 75 Watline Ave #140, Mississauga, ON L4Z 3E5, Canada

Website: www.pianogroup.ca 

Recommendations When Buying a Piano

Firstly, think long term when you are purchasing a piano. Many buyers want to purchase a “starter piano,” then buy a “forever piano” when they are more advanced or further along in life. Within financial reason of course, you will be happier if you buy a piano that you truly love the first time around.

If you are committed to practicing and making the piano a part of your life going forward, you will enjoy practicing more, play more often, and use the instrument if you have a piano that you enjoy playing and are proud of.

Also consider that a well-built acoustic grand or upright piano will last for decades, if not generations.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when buying a digital piano, make sure you have a chance to play it before buying. Some digital keyboards have lots of features and seem priced very nicely, but they may feel cheap to play, or they may have non-weighted keys, or the audio may be sub-par. Life is too short for this kind of playing experience. Yamaha Clavinova pianos are perhaps the industry’s best digital piano (aside from hybrids).

For something cheaper, Casio digital keyboards are fine. If you do want to buy a “starter instrument” to see if you will want to play the piano for the long term, Casio Privia pianos are a decent idea.

Contact Sing Music Studio for music lessons in Mississauga, and whether you would like to take lessons as an adult or sign your child up for guitar lessons, we would like to hear from you.

Can You Learn the Piano by Playing Songs?

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Have you wanted to play the piano, but you prefer learning with pop songs, rock anthems, top 40 hits, and other contemporary genres? Our piano lessons in Mississauga allow you to do just that. Keep reading to learn how you can play the piano without classical music or traditional etudes, and please get in touch for more information about online or in-person lessons. We would be happy to hear from your regarding guitar lessons and voice lessons as well.

Can You Learn Piano By Playing Songs?

Yes, you can learn the piano by playing songs, although this approach won’t equip you to play scales, arpeggios, or advanced classical repertoire like concertos and sonatas. If your goal is to be able to read notes, learn chords, and play music off lead sheets or by ear, you can start with your favourite songs and take it from there.

Before we continue, note that we do offer lessons with Rockschool curriculum, which uses top 40 hits to teach music theory, note reading, contemporary playing, and more. You can become a well-rounded modern keyboardist using the music you love – let us know if you have any questions.

Three Options: Sheet Music, Lead Sheets or Ear Playing

Learn To Play The Piano By Ear

Learning music purely by ear is doable, although you won’t be able to read music or lead sheets this way. You can start by picking out tunes on your own, or copy what you hear while listening to a recording.

Begin the process by listening to a tune or reviewing one in your head that you already know. Then, with your right hand, trying to “sound out” the tune on the keyboard. Listen for upward movement, downward movement, steps and skips, and keep going until you can play the tune.

Then, once you have that down, practice playing a bass note (in the left hand) that sounds correct alongside the melody you are playing in your right hand. The left hand notes can repeat themselves – you don’t need to play a different left hand note alongside each note in the right hand.


Thirdly, fill out your bass line with chords. Generally, you can create a filled-out left hand accompaniment with triads, or three notes stacked on top of each other in thirds. Here’s a visualization, courtesy of the University of Indiana:

The drawback is that you won’t necessarily know the names of the chords or notes you’re playing unless you learn the notes on the piano.

Learn To Play Songs on the Piano With Sheet Music

If you visit 8notes.com or a similar sheet music aggregator, you can download the sheet music for your favorite rock or pop songs (often for free). If you don’t know how to read music though, it will take some time. 

Your first task will be to learn the keys on the piano keyboard. You need to be able to identify middle C, F, G, and so on. You can learn this on Youtube, from flashcards, or in a book.

Next, you must learn to read notes on a musical staff (both the bass and treble clefs). This takes some time, but reading music will allow you to download any sheet music you want to and learn how to play it.

You can even use the sheet music from your favorite songs to drill your knowledge. Simply pencil in the names above each note on the staff in both the treble and bass clefs, erase it and do it again until you are fluent. Then put your knowledge into practice by reading the sheet music and playing the notes on the keyboard, one hand at a time. Putting your hands together is a challenging leap, and you should learn your music hands separately first.

Last tip for this section – you must practice your music very slowly and carefully. This applies to every instrument, whether you are taking violin lessons in Mississauga or something else. Each time you play a wrong note, you introduce a new bad habit. So play the music no faster than you can play it accurately.

Learning Songs on the Piano From Lead Sheets

Lead sheets (or reading a “fake” book) are different from ear playing or reading sheet music. You are given fragmented pieces of the melody (only repeated in the music when something changes) and symbols for the accompanying chords. Generally, you would only successfully read a lead sheet for a song you are already familiar with. Here’s an example from MusicNotes.com:

You will need to be able to read music and have a strong knowledge of chords and inversions to read lead sheets, so this is not the best way for a beginner to learn how to play the piano. You are given chord symbols on the page (like F7, D9, etc.) then build the actual chords on the keyboard on your own.

Learn To Play Your Favourite Songs on the Piano With a Skilled Teacher

If you want to become a confident pianist, your best bet is to work with a teacher in person or online. At Sing Music Studio, we can help you read music, play chords, improvise, read lead sheets, and more, and we want you to play the music you love. Get in touch regarding music lessons in Mississauga today.

8 Things You Didn’t Know about our Virtual Infant Class

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We’ve run Kindermusik Foundations classes for babies before, but not like this! Unlike our typical baby-focused Kindermusik Foundations classes for 0-1 year olds, our Kindermusik Foundations classes for babies under 6 months focuses on PARENT education!

We always include child development and parenting tips sprinkled throughout our Kindermusik classes but this class will delve in much deeper. New parents can expect much needed everyday parenting resources, more conversation on whole-child and brain development and so much more though our musical approach!

Here are 8 things you didn’t know about our Virtual Infant Class

  1. Baby does not need to be awake to attend.
  2. You can attend from anywhere in the world and anywhere in your home, even crib-side with a sleeping baby!
  3. Grandparents and relatives can tune in for some much needed baby time
  4. You get access to 2 sets of Kindermusik Online that include all the music from class, ASL videos, additional activities, additional benefit information, stories and more!
  5. You can easily use household items to participate: light scarves or blankets, shakers made out of an empty container filled with beans or pasta, empty boxes or containers to bang like drums. Creativity is welcomed!
  6. You can turn off or turn away your camera while feeding and still remain connected and reap the benefits of class.
  7. You can download the free Kindermusik App and access tons of free music at anytime. Once your class begins and your Kindermusik Online access has been granted, you can also listen to your class music in the app with your class registration login!
  8. This class includes access to a private Facebook group with all sorts of great parenting resources!

Bonus for everyone who enrolls: receive a free baby bib!

Bonus for those who enroll before March 31st: receive a $10 Tim’s card!

More exciting content details will be announced next week via our IG, @singmusicstudio and Facebook page: www.facebook.com/singmusicstudio

Click here to enroll now!

Virtual Music Class For Babies

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We are so excited to announce this fabulous and informative new virtual Kindermusik class! This specialty class for new parents of babies up to 6 months provides a sense of community, resources and support right from the comfort of your own home. Discover musical ways to support your baby’s development and foster bonding during this crucial time.

Here is a sneak peek into our new virtual infant class content on day one:

  • Class greeting ritual
  • Intentional touch
  • Exercise
  • Tummy/floor time
  • Movement activity
  • Instrument play
  • Vocal play and signing
  • Rocking
  • Dancing
  • Relaxation
  • Kindermusik Online introduction
  • Closing ritual

Be on the look out for bonuses and exciting announcements about this new virtual Kindermusik class in the coming weeks!

Before we continue with this post, contact us for piano lessons in Mississauga, singing lessons in Mississauga, and other music lessons in Mississauga. We’d love to hear from you.

Enroll online here.

How Does Music Help a Baby Develop?

In particular, musical experiences can help a baby develop linguistic skills ahead of their peers. The University of Washington conducted a study on 9 month old children, and the takeaways included enhanced brain recognition of new speech patterns. In short, the rhythmic patterns presented in baby music classes helped young children recognize speech patterns, because language has inherent rhythm. Researchers chose tunes in triple meter for the purposes of their study.

Music classes can also help young children develop socially. In this case, children will be making music and dabbling with rhythms alongside their parents and sibling, which has immense benefits for their emotional and social development. Students joining us for Kindermusik classes at our studio in Mississauga have the benefit of interacting with peers in a communal sense.

There’s also the fact that when children are engaging with rhythm instruments and other purposeful toys, their motor skills will develop more quickly. It’s a great opportunity for your child to expend some of his or her bottomless energy supply in a wholesome and practical way.

Will Music Really Make Your Baby Smarter?

Many studies have been done to this end, and all are either inconclusive or poorly conducted. If your primary reason for enrolling your child in music lessons is to make the child smarter, you could accomplish this goal through other means.

Music classes do have cognitive benefits, but the more important result is that it prods their musical curiosity. You may encourage a lifetime of enjoyment in piano, guitar, violin, or another instrument in your child, and that is certainly worth the early investment.

Self esteem is another overlooked aspect of musical training, and that is perhaps because it is hard to quantify “confidence.” Children who can play and enjoy instruments at an advanced level will have more self-confidence, and this will continue into your child’s adulthood (where it will be even more pronounced).

For more information about lessons and classes at Sing Music Studio, please get in touch.

Setting Your Child Up for Success

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In today’s day and age, whether music lessons in Mississauga are virtual or in person, it is important to have proper tools at home for setting your child up for success with music education – no matter what instrument is being studied.

Music education is investment in your child. It’s not just about music, it’s about acquiring and mastering new learning and life skills that will shape and aide your child in navigating school, their future workplace, community and social situations throughout life. It’s about discovering a creative outlet, self esteem and so much more. But I digress as this is not about the plethora of benefits attributed to music education, it’s about making that music education successful!

Life has changed considerably throughout this pandemic and, in fact, in many ways for the better. Since we have moved our lessons to an online platform, one of the benefits we have seen at Sing Music Studio is getting a bird’s eye view into the at-home set-up our students have for practice. In some cases, it’s been just right but in others it’s been quite shocking to see the lack of appropriate at-home tools required for setting your child up for success with their music education. As musicians and educators, I think we sometimes take for granted our knowledge and forget to impart some of those really important basics on to our students! So let’s talk about what those important at home tools are, by instrument that we teach right here at Sing Music Studio.

Piano

  • A full 88 key digital piano/keyboard with touch sensitivity, weighted keys and a sustain pedal OR an acoustic piano.
  • Please note that if you have an acoustic piano, it will require tuning a minimum of twice a year (rule of thumb is when the weather changes from hot to cold and cold to hot).
  • Pianos and most digital pianos/keyboards have a built in or attachable music stand for reading music. If your keyboard does not, then you will need a separate music stand to sit behind it for displaying music for reading while playing.
  • An adjustable bench is recommended for growing students as they will need the bench to be higher when they are smaller and lower when they are taller so an adjustable bench will grow with them. Acoustic pianos often come with a fixed bench so a cushion may be necessary for extra height for very young students.
  • A footstool is also ideal for students whose feet do not reach the floor when seated.
  • A device for playing audio tracks, using any additional music apps, metronome and the Better Practice App that we use at Sing Music Studio.
  • For virtual piano lessons in Mississauga a laptop or device set-up with a side view of the student with instrument. Ideally the laptop/device should be elevated and angled down in order to get the best view of the fingers.

Singing

  • A sturdy music stand for holding sheet music and music books.
  • It is ideal for the student to stand but if the student will be seated, a sturdy chair preferably without arms is ideal so the student can sit on the front portion of the chair with appropriate posture.
  • A device for playing audio tracks, using any additional music apps, metronome and the Better Practice App that we use at Sing Music Studio.
  • Bonus but not required: a microphone, microphone stand, appropriate speaker and XLR cable (some students use a karaoke machine).
  • For virtual singing lessons in Mississauga laptop or device set-up with a direct front view of the student and music stand. Ideally the laptop/device should be elevated and angled down over the music stand in order to get the best view. 

Guitar

  • An acoustic or electric guitar – 1/2 size, 3/4 size or full size depending on the size of the student.
  • For an electric guitar, a practice amp and patch cable are also required.
  • For an acoustic guitar, a guitar footstool is recommended as well as a sturdy chair in which the student can easily touch the floor with both feet while sitting on the front portion of the chair with correct posture. The footstool will be used for one foot only and is shaped in a slope to accommodate correct posture.
  • A sturdy music stand for holding sheet music and music books.
  • A device for playing audio tracks, using any additional music apps, metronome and the Better Practice App that we use at Sing Music Studio.
  • For virtual lessons a laptop or device set-up with a direct front view of the student with instrument and music stand. Ideally the laptop/device should be elevated and angled down over the music stand in order to get the best view. 

Ukulele

  • A decent quality ukulele.
  • A sturdy music stand for holding sheet music and music books.
  • A device for playing audio tracks, using any additional music apps, metronome and the Better Practice App that we use at Sing Music Studio.
  • A sturdy chair in which the student can easily touch the floor with both feet or use a stool for both feet while sitting on the front portion of the chair with correct posture.
  • For virtual lessons a laptop or device set-up with a direct front view of the student with instrument and music stand. Ideally the laptop/device should be elevated and angled down over the music stand in order to get the best view. 

Recorder and Clarinet

  • A decent quality recorder or clarinet.
  • A sturdy music stand for holding sheet music and music books.
  • A device for playing audio tracks, using any additional music apps, metronome and the Better Practice App that we use at Sing Music Studio.
  • A sturdy chair in which the student can easily touch the floor with both feet or use a stool for both feet while sitting on the front portion of the chair with correct posture.
  • For virtual lessons a laptop or device set-up with a direct front view of the student with instrument and music stand. Ideally the laptop/device should be elevated and angled down over the music stand in order to get the best view. 

Drums

  • Drum sticks (our instructor recommends starting out with Vic Firth 5A) – at least 1 pair though it’s not a bad idea to have a few pairs.
  • At the very minimum, the student should have a practice pad.
  • Ideally, the student should have an appropriately sized drum kit that includes a minimum of drum throne (that’s the seat), bass drum, snare drum and hi-hat. Additional drums and cymbals can be included from the start or added later. Either an acoustic or an electric kit is suitable.
  • A sturdy music stand for holding sheet music and music books.
  • A device for playing audio tracks, using any additional music apps, metronome and the Better Practice App that we use at Sing Music Studio.
  • For virtual lessons a laptop or device set-up with a direct front view of the student at the drum kit or seated with the practice pad.

You might have noticed that I mentioned the Better Practice App in the lists above. This is an amazing new tool we are using at Sing Music Studio that aides the student in setting up terrific practice habits. Our instructors assign homework right in the app each week and can include audio and video links and recordings and pdf’s right in each assignment! Students login to their private accounts to follow their homework notes and practice. They can utilize a built in metronome, play along with recordings (and even adjust the tempo), work towards specific goals and even ask questions directly to their instructor. Once they have completed practicing an assignment, they rate themselves on how well they practiced and this intuitive app then logs their practice and makes recommendations on what to practice in their next session! This tool adds accountability, excitement and helps students to tangibly see their progress – creating a better practice routine and setting your child up for success!

As I mentioned earlier, music education is an investment and therefore requires investment in the appropriate tools to set your child up for success. Sure you can buy an inexpensive toy guitar or ukulele at Toys R Us or a cheap knock off keyboard at Costco but are these “instruments” (that easily break and rarely stay tuned) the quality tools you want to provide for your child’s musical success? And when I say quality, I’m not saying you need to go over the top with high end, high priced instruments. There is a wide range of affordable and suitable instruments that are made by companies that specialize in instruments out there. You wouldn’t purchase a car from a box store so why would you purchase a keyboard from a toy store? Music stores are the best choice for purchasing an instrument as the staff are knowledgeable and can aide you in the most appropriate purchase for your child’s size, age and stage of learning and usually have a repairs department. Music stores often sell used instruments and many have rental departments which is a great option for beginner students who have signed up for our 4 week trial.

In addition to having the right tools, let’s talk about the best environment at home to set your child up for success with their music education. Create a designated music area for your child’s practice and virtual lessons that is private and free from interruptions. That means it’s a sibling free zone (I can’t tell you how many times we’ve seen younger siblings running circles in the background during virtual lessons distracting the student from their playing, lol) and away from family members’ conversations and other household noises. This may not be 100% possible depending on your at-home environment but (especially for virtual lessons) minimizing the distractions is very helpful in teaching your child to focus and setting you child up for success. The extra sounds during a virtual lesson actually create a lot of interference, glitching and poor sound quality during a lesson which make it more difficult for both the student and the instructor.

Finally, for our young beginner students, when you (the parent) get involved, you really are setting your child up for success. By guiding them in their practice each day and even sitting in on their lessons each week, you are helping them to feel supported and secure. Children learn best when they have an engaged parent alongside them. You are your child’s number one teacher – and you have been from the start – so why should music education be any different? And, maybe you didn’t get to learn an instrument when you were young so, even better, make your child’s lessons a semi-private lesson and REALLY learn alongside them! Now that’s a pretty fabulous way of setting your child up for success!

Announcing the NEW Sing Music Studio!

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Summer of 2019 has been pretty incredible so far! It’s seen the birth of my first baby, Bernadette Cassandra, on June 12th and the rebirth of my other “baby”, Sing Music Studio… who has also grown up to become Sing Music Studio Inc. I could not be more excited for all that is to come. So without any further adieu… Announcing the NEW Sing Music Studio!

Kindermusik classes and piano lessons will begin in our new home at 1575 Clarkson Rd N on August 6th, 7th and 8th. You will likely find Bernadette, Neal and I around quite often as we get everything ready to go for our big launch and Grand Opening on September 7th from 11am to 2pm. Make sure to connect with us for more details on that coming soon! In the meantime, you can register here for August classes or email us at [email protected] for August piano lessons!

Music and Cognitive Benefits

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Did you know that making music is the ONLY activity that taps into ALL portions of the brain? That’s pretty powerful stuff! And that’s a huge reason why we do what we do – we are passionate about music education and the benefits of music. While yes, I’m a pro-musician and I LOVE making music… Our focus at Sing Music Studio is not to create little musicians. Our focus is on the incredible benefits that making music has for ALL children.

Watch this short video that explains about music and cognitive benefits. You’ll also see Kindermusik kids in action.

How Does Music Affect a Child’s Cognitive Development?

In a study led by Dr. Artur Jaschke, scientists assessed 147 young children in Dutch schools. After two years of music and/or visual art classes, they were determined have shown greater cognitive skills than their peers. There are significant issues with this assessment: 147 children is not a significant data set, we don’t know anything about how they were chosen for the study or if other factors, such as socioeconomic status, were included, and we don’t know who they were measured against.

That said, the scientists believed that the children had better short term memory and and less inhibition than their peers.

Music Teaches Discipline From an Early Age

Enrolling your child in Mississauga piano lessons, for instance, will teach them the power of discipline (a true superpower). We make lessons fun and engaging for kids, but the child will still need to listen, follow instructions, stick to the assigned steps, and practice in increments every day. Over a period of time, your child will notice how this regular practice will directly lead to significant improvement on the piano. The same applies for singing lessons in Mississauga, guitar lessons, and more.

This practical application of discipline alone will help your child significant outperform peers in academic pursuits, and these benefits will be noticeable throughout their whole life.

For more information about our music classes, or if you’d like to know more about our baby music classes, please get in touch! We would love to hear from you.