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Should You Enroll Your Child in Kindermusik?

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?

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

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.