February's Concert Class

February's concert classes were prototypes, of a sort.  Danielle and I combined our studios and separated the kids into two groups based on their reading level and age.  Danielle led the younger group and focused on basic ensemble and performance skills.  Watching her teach reminded me how important it is to play in a group right from the beginning.  The kids were intuitively listening to one another and keeping a steady beat, even while layering multiple rhythms.  Such skills will be invaluable when they play in bands and chamber music ensembles later on.  These are also skills that often take a back seat in the private lesson as it becomes filled with more technical matters.

I led the older kids (grades 3 - 5) who are just beginning to read music.  Rather than wait until their music reading skills are advanced to introduce chamber music, I am introducing ensemble playing early on.  The first class was a challenge but I am excited to witness their progress in the months to come.  We will be learning to listen to one another and fit our parts together, not get lost when we miss notes or lose our place, and generally make music out of a mess of notes. 

The most important reason we have concert classes, of course, is camaraderie.  It's fun to get together with kids your own age and share the experience of learning to play music.  Kids who participate in group classes stay interested in music far longer than kids who only study privately.  In my experience, playing in a group is often the best motivation for practicing, too...