January and February, 2012

Happy New Year! 2012! A New Year to write on checks and important documents. A time of organization to start new year books and paper work. A new beginning for resolutions and planning. A time for personal commitments such as better health habits, losing weight and getting more exercise. For us, at Creative Music & Art Center, a thank you to all our wonderful families that are with us. We appreciate your trust in us to provide the best music education possible. We encourage you to set a time to commit to scheduling a practice time for our students. We all find that our busy lives tend to overwhelm us at times but our best music students do have a scheduled time frame to practice at least ten minutes, as often as possible. A good plan is to play the weekly assignment at least twice, working through the tough spots several extra times. Then, when time allows, review the old favorite songs for enjoyment. Students love to have a family member listen to them play! Even if it is from a different room, try to comment on the piece and encourage your music student. They love to hear the words “Play for me”.

 
The benefits of music education and “right brain” training are numerous. The responsibility of music lessons leads to responsible habits both in school and in life. The success of learning to play an instrument leads to self confidence and high self esteem. With a firm background in music education, we find our students excel as they join the orchestra, band or chorus. The socialization of joining these groups often leads to lasting friendships.

Our next endeavor is our Music Recital on February 4 at the Springs of Suntree Clubhouse. We are holding three performances with the first recital at 3:00, the second at 4:30 and the third one at 6:00. Sign up sheets are on the front desk or you can email us and we will put you on the time schedule you would like. We encourage the students to select a favorite piece to play for the recital. We want the piece to be challenging but not to the extent of it being too difficult. The selection should be a piece the student enjoys performing.

Please check with your child’s teacher if you have any concerns or questions about the recital. Thank you again for joining us for another year of music education. We always appreciate your comments and suggestions as we continually look for ways to improve our programs.