Student Shout Outs and Testimonials! Testimonial from past acting student Ruby Akula: I would like to thank the Academy of Fine Arts, especially Dawn Thomas for sharpening my skills and giving me the confidence to pursue my acting career full time. I have done background/extra work for two films-Creed 2 and 21 Bridges. I also was given the opportunity to record two radio commercials and 2 regional TV/print campaign/ commercials, and a few Voice Over gigs. I was invited to audition for a new Netflix series, which Dawn help prep me for since I needed to speak with an accent! Recently have been booked for The Green Room, a CBS mini series staring Jeff Daniels. Thanks to the Academy and My mentor Dawn for being the foundation to my acting career. ~Ruby Akula From Suzuki Violin Instructor Leslie Smile: Suzuki students showing off their costumes! From Piano Instructor Ai Wei Lee: Pari Lakhiani is the recipient of the following RCM Certificate Program Awards: State Certificate of Excellence, Level 3 Piano Center Certificate of Excellence, Level 3 Piano Shoutout from Piano/Acting Instructor Phil Hosford: Ethan Hankins came to his piano lesson with his brand new instrument that he made himself! From Suzuki Violin Instructor Leslie Smile: I would like to welcome all my new students to the Suzuki Program! It's wonderful to have you in our musical family! - Jola Abayomi (photo 1) - Claire Han (photo 2) - Jeffrey Zhou (photo 3) Congratulations to my students on their successful orchestra auditions! I am very proud of your preparation and resulting achievements! Jemimah Lee - MCYO Preparatory Strings Amber Liu - MCYO Chamber Orchestra Samhita Ramakrishnan - PVYO Preparatory Orchestra David Wang - MCYO Young Artists Charlotte Yeung - MCYO Future Stars Christopher Yeung - MCYO Young Artists Clayton Zhao - PVYO Concert Orchestra From Piano Instructor Ai Wei Lee: The following students successfully passed their Royal Conservatory piano exam (August): Annika Pillai Claire Hong (pictured below) Nicole Luong Congratulations!!! Jeremy Keaton, past aofa student of Natasha Dukan and Harriet Kaplan, with his composition teacher Dr. Linda Dusman! Jeremy is a rising senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County studying music composition. His piece, “A Force That Gives Us Meaning” for piano, violin, and clarinet was premiered by the professional ensemble Strata at a concert in April. Of the piece he says: “A Force that Gives Us Meaning is a set of variations on a simple, melancholic theme. It rises from a calm serenity to a thundering zenith before falling back to nothing again. Along the way, the theme dances, marches, and sings. The piece reflects on the power of tiny, seemingly insignificant moments to give life purpose” From Piano Instructor Natasha Dukan: Video clip of Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto performed with the Trinity Chamber Orchestra on June 9th.
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Student Shout Outs QuinTango's Classical Cabaret at 1st Stage Register for Summer and Fall Classes Student Shout Outs From Suzuki Violin Instructor Leslie Smile: Congratulations to my student, Daniela Martinez, who is played Rafiki in Disney's Lion King Jr. May 3rd-May 5th, 2019 at her school. She also attended Music in the Parks Orchestra Competition at Hershey Parks, PA., May 10th, 2019. Go Daniela!!! Here are the videos from our past Suzuki Recital! The students did great, and I'm very proud of them!
Here is a shoutout to my students, Clayton Zhao and Christopher Yeung. Congratulations on your terrific performance at the National Junior Honor Society Induction at Kingsview Middle School on 5/9/19! Great job! From Guitar Instructor Jim Ellis: Amanda Easterling preparing for her recital performance! From Piano Instructor Yi-Ling Shih: Lyon Pham received 2nd place at MSMTA Spring Piano Solo Festival! From Piano Instructor Ai-Wei Lee: Amy Xu received 3rd place in the 2019 MSMTA Spring Festival: Piano Solo Annika Pillai recently received her certificates from the Royal Conservatory of Music. State Certificate of Excellence, Level 4 Piano Center Certificate of Excellence, Level 4 Piano *The Center Certificate of Excellence is awarded to students who achieved the highest mark in their examination center in each level and discipline. *The State Certificate of Excellence is awarded to students who achieved the highest mark in their state in each level and discipline. Sophie Huang received Honorable Mention in the 2019 Rockville Music Competition. From Piano Instructor Natasha Dukan: Annabelle Song’s Senior Recital was amazing! Here are some video clips of her playing solo, violin and piano duo, and with her award winning trio “Bellavoce”. Bravo, Annabelle!
Annabelle Song with one of the most famous pianists in the world! Liam Bonangelino, piano student of Natasha Dukan received an Honorable Mention in Spring Solo Festival held on May 4th at College Park, University of Maryland. Congratulations, Liam! Natasha Dukan will be performing Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto with Trinity Chamber Orchestra on June 9th. http://trinitychamberorchestra.org/ News from Past Acting Students: KAT – Second Stage’s ‘Shrek the Musical, Jr.’featuring Academy students Shia Ringold and Katie Musick. https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2019/05/13/shrek-kat-second-stage/ QuinTango's Classical Cabaret at 1st Stage Phil Hosford will be playing with Quinn tango, and international recording and touring tango group, at first stage theater. If you don’t know much about tango, come hear this infectious music. You will be hooked. Don't miss QuinTango's last performance of the 2018-19 season Put us on your calendar and tell your friends to meet you at 1st Stage in Mclean/Tysons Free parking Information at 571-2241-7683 (Joan) https://www.vco.events/quintango-2/ Register for Summer and Fall Classes
Student Shout Outs Honors Concert Update Summer Camps Student Shout OutsFrom Piano Instructor Natasha Dukan: Trio Bellavoce, recent 1st-place winner of Strings Plus, has been invited to compete in the live rounds at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition held May 9-11 in South Bend, Indiana. They are also one of the finalists of the Misbin Family Memorial Chamber Music Competition which will take place on April 28. The pianist of Trio Bellavoce is AOFA's own Annabelle Song, who is a high school senior and has been studying with Natasha Dukan since she was 5-1/2 years old. Beethoven: Piano Trio in B flat Major, Op. 97, "Archduke": I. Allegro moderato Leon Kirchner: Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano (1954), 1st Movement Annabelle Song's Graduation Concert Honors Concert Update2019 Honors Competition brings out the best. 49 students competed at the Academy on Sunday, April 7th for the privilege of performing at the Honors Concert later this month. “I was impressed by the solid preparation of the entire field of competitors,” said the Academy’s director Phil Hosford. “I was very proud of our teachers and students. When young people play as musically and as technically well as they did last Sunday, it is gratifying indeed.” The Academy implemented two new ideas this year. The first was to have a jury of Academy faculty judge instead of relying on a single outside judge. The judging was done strictly by secret ballot and jurors were not allowed to submit votes for their own students. One of the jurors, Yi-Ling Shih said, “I thought the judging was extremely fair and impartial.” The judges agree that the field was strong and choosing was very difficult. The second decision was to rent a professional venue for the Honors Concert on April 28th. The Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington’s Kreeger Auditorium is a respected hall which regularly presents acclaimed, world renowned professional concert artists. “Performing in this space will be a thrill for everyone, students and parents alike,” says Hosford. ************************ "Rainbow Connection" The Academy's neighbor, Rainbow Adult Day Health Care, invited Academy students to perform for their Chinese elderly members on Saturday morning, March 30th. Nine students volunteered to perform at 10:30 AM. One of the Academy's students, Chelsea Zhao (piano), translated and announced the student performers and their pieces to the audience. The Rainbow members appreciated and applauded enthusiastically for each performer. Immediately after the performance, the Academy received an invitation to perform for the Rainbow members for a pre-Mother's Day concert! They were really impressed with the performances and were thrilled to be with the young musicians. Thank you to our wonderful students who brought the joy of music to our elderly neighbors: Everlyn Wang (piano), Gabriel Yee (piano), Lyon Pham (piano), Jenny Yu (piano), Jemimah Lee (violin), Chelsea Zhao (piano), Dylan Pino (piano) and Jia Chopra (piano). And a special THANK YOU to Chelsea Zhao for being our translator with such ease! We hope to have more of our young musicians at our next pre-Mother's Day concert! Summer Camps
Summer Camp Student Shout Outs! Calendar SUMMER CAMPSTUDENT SHOUT OUTS!Congratulations Jemimah Lee on her 1st place win at the AAU Potomac Valley tae-kwon-do tournament! Student of Ms. Leslie Smile! Amy Xu, student of Ms. Ai Wei Lee, with her practice-a-thon prize! Practice-a-thon prize winner Lachlan Keller from Ms. Ai Wei's Music in Me class! Amelia, Jayson, and Ethan performed at a lunar new year celebration in their community. The celebration had at least 80 guests that day. They did a great job and Ethan asked me to share the picture with their teacher Ms. Megan! :-) Piano Instructor Ai Wei Lee's HR1 Sat9:45am class! HR3 class practice-a-thon prize winners! All students of piano instructor Ai Wei Lee. The boys are: (from the left) Albert Srikittipraphas, Miles Muthoka, and Lucas Yee
Practice-a-thon Top 20 winners Ethan Choi and Annika Pillai both students of piano instructor Ai Wei Lee Harmony Road 1 student Ethan is practicing for his class recital in front of a fuzzy audience! HR1 class recital Ms. Megan’s Harmony Road piano class was all smiles for their class recital! Congratulations and a big shout out to all the children and parents who played piano solos at the recital!
Hooray for Harmony Road 1 on Mondays! The whole class got a prize for participating in the Practice-a-thon! Congratulations! CALENDAR
Spring Break - 4/17 - 4/21/19 Memorial Day - 5/27/19 Independence Day -7/4/19 Spring Classes Start in One Month! Student Shout Outs! Manna Food Donation Update Calendar HAPPY NEW YEAR!!Spring 2019 Classes start in Early February! |
GRAND PRACTICER (Most Minutes & Every Day) Claire Hong (2548 min) TOP 20 PRACTICER (Most Minutes) Claire Hong (2548 - piano) Amy Xu (2520 - violin) Amy Xu (2230 - piano) Derek Hsu (2170 - violin) Ryan Lo (1681 - piano) Megan Lo (1623 - piano) Raymond Cheng (1605 - piano) Liam Bonangelino (1530 - piano) Catherine Koo (1491 - violin) Ethan Choi (1470 - piano) Steve Liang (1470 - violin) Lauren Wu (1450 - piano class) Kaitlyn Lee (1450 - piano) Sarah Marie Amjad (1377 - piano class) Jemimah Lee (1350 - Suzuki violin) Ethan Bryant (1263 - piano class) Miles Muthoka (1260 - piano class) Albert Srikittipraphas (1260-piano class) Lucas Zeng (1260 - piano) Zoe Alonso-Tao (1219 - piano class) Sophie Huang (1200 - piano) Rinzin Phuntsokyi (1112 - piano class) Annika Pillai (1050 - piano) THE 49ers (All 49 Days) Albert Srikittipraphas (piano class) Isabelle Koh (piano class) Ashley Koh (piano class) Rinzin Rhuntsokyi (piano class) Olive Lu (Music in Me) Jemimah Lee (Suzuki violin) Ethan Bryant (piano class) Claire Hong (piano) Amy Xu (violin, piano) | Ethan Choi (piano) Joshua Zhang (piano class) Lucas Zeng (piano) Sarah Marie Amjad (piano class) Saniya Malhotra (guitar) Ryan Lo (piano) Megan Lo (piano) Mike Garland (piano class) Nico Gomez-Urbano (piano class) TWO PROGRAMS Amy Xu (violin, piano) PIANO CLASS Most Minutes Lauren Wu Most Days Sarah Maire Amjad PRIVATE GUITAR Most Minutes Amanda Easterling Most Days Saniya Malhotra YOUNGEST PARTICIPANT Most Minutes and Every Day Olive Lu (Music in Me) PARTICIPANTS Lucas Yee (piano class) Julia Sun (piano class) Brandon Yang (piano class) Isabel Pearce (Suzuki violin) Justin Su (piano) Evelyn Wang (piano) Dylan Pino (piano) Audrey Chen (piano) Delanie Ramson (piano class) Gabriel Yee (piano class) | Angela Li (piano class) Isabella Ngo (piano) Brandon Pino (piano) Alex Huang (piano) Abby Chow (piano class) Andersen Wang (piano) Josias Parada (piano class) Shae Aflleje (piano class) Caitlyn Yee (piano) Amamua Govind (piano) Alan Li (piano) Carinne Brown (piano class) Josiah Guevara (violin) Adrian Tang (piano class) Mia Holmes (piano class) Ethan Ou (piano class) Brian Nguyen (piano class) Anna Scherhaufer (piano class) Charlene Tang (piano class) Madeline Wu (piano class) Zara Devenport (piano class) Julia Pearce (Suzuki violin) Andrea Watanabe (piano) Giang Hoang Le (piano class) Milai Reynolds (piano class) Jeffrey Zhou (piano class) Lailah Conner (piano class) Megan B Tran (piano class) Amy Watanabe (piano) Annabelle Stankov (piano class) Jonathan Alapatt (piano) Amaru Brown (piano class) Isaac Liu (piano class) Alisa Ross (guitar) Alexandria Arden (piano class) Jayson Wang (piano class) Nicole Luong (piano) Lucas Samson (guitar) Lachlan Keller (Music in Me) Ana Cardoso (piano class) |
From Suzuki Violin Instructor Leslie Smile
Here is a link to our holiday concert! It was on Saturday, December 15th, at Carriage Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. I've also attached a photo. I was very proud of the students' performances!
I would also like to thank Chuck Lee, father of my student, Jemimah Lee, for running the camera for me.
I would also like to thank Chuck Lee, father of my student, Jemimah Lee, for running the camera for me.
From Piano Instructor Megan Doney
A shout out to Ms. Megan’s Sunday 11am Harmony Road 1 piano class! Children love to help teach their parents in our piano classes! We all know that we learn best by teaching others how to do something!
Ms. Megan explains what the children will help their parents do next.
Children help their parents draw some notes on the board.
Job well done, children and parents!
Ms. Megan explains what the children will help their parents do next.
Children help their parents draw some notes on the board.
Job well done, children and parents!
A shout out to Ms. Megan’s Monday 5:15pm Harmony Road 1 piano class! Children and parents working hard and having fun playing together! It’s twice the fun learning piano with a partner!
Santa brought Bronte a purple notebook and sparkly markers. Bronte's first drawing was a quarter note. #MissMeganRocks
Happy Holidays!
Bonnie
Happy Holidays!
Bonnie
From Guitar Instructor Jim Ellis
Lucas Samson (student of guitar instructor Jim Ellis) has received several stickers this past month in recognition of his efforts.
Ivan Vakatov is making nice progress with both classical and jazz guitar repertoire.
Manna Food Donation Update
126 pounds! That is how much food was generously donated by students and families attending recitals here within the past month! Many of you know that for our student recitals, a food donation to the Manna Food Center is required instead of tickets. By doing this, you are providing valuable food to people in need in our community. We are proud that our students and families have donated 126 pounds of food recently! Manna Food Center thanks you, and so do the people in our area that you are helping to feed!
CALENDAR
Spring Break - 4/17 - 4/21/19
Memorial Day - 5/27/19
Independence Day -7/4/19
Memorial Day - 5/27/19
Independence Day -7/4/19
Register for Spring Classes!
Student Shout Outs!
Spring 2019 Classes at a Glance!
Calendar
Student Shout Outs!
Spring 2019 Classes at a Glance!
Calendar
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION!
SAVE NOW ON SPRING 2019 CLASSES AND LESSONS!
Register before December 15th and your Registration Fee will be waived!
($30 SAVINGS!)
($30 SAVINGS!)
STUDENT SHOUT OUTS!
Alan Li is excited to turn in his Practice-A-Thon chart!
Ms. Dawn's Acting class is looking good!
Congrats to Monica Amery on her November 17th performance at the Strathmore! Check out her bio!
Soloist: Monica Amery, 17, a high school senior, has been singing with Strathmore Children’s Chorus (SCC) since 2014. She has studied voice at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gaithersburg and currently solos for local weddings as well as leading the singing each Sunday at her parish church. She is looking forward to further developing her musical abilities in college.
Soloist: Monica Amery, 17, a high school senior, has been singing with Strathmore Children’s Chorus (SCC) since 2014. She has studied voice at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gaithersburg and currently solos for local weddings as well as leading the singing each Sunday at her parish church. She is looking forward to further developing her musical abilities in college.
Congrats to Evelyn Song on her December 4th performance as a part of the Advanced String Quartet Seminar Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her group performed Dvorak's Quartet in A-flat Major at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Piano Instructor Natasha Dukan with her students Brandon and Dylan Pino after their recital!
Satish, an adult student of Sarah Watkins performing and talking about his own composition!
Congratulations to our December Recital Students!
Spring 2019 Classes at a Glance!
CALENDAR
CLOSED DATES
Winter Holiday - 12/24/18 - 1/1/19
Winter Holiday - 12/24/18 - 1/1/19
Early Registration Starts Soon!
Student Shout Outs!
Calendar
Student Shout Outs!
Calendar
STUDENT SHOUT OUTS!
Former Phil Hosford acting student Zoey Wexler is doing great things in New York. Unfortunately, long time acting student of the Academy, Zoey and her family had to move. But they sent us ongoing news regarding Zoey and thanks for her years of acting prep here. https://vimeo.com/29192775
Adult Private Piano student of Sarah Watkins, Satish is working on his original composition!
Miss Megan’s Sunday Harmony Road 1 class loves to sing hello at the teacher’s piano!
Miss Megan's Harmony Road 2 Piano Class has completed their book and is now starting the Young Musician 3 book!
Congratulations to these hard-working and dedicated students and parents!
Congratulations to these hard-working and dedicated students and parents!
AOFA student Annabelle Song (piano, violin) is an avid reader and aspiring writer. She has a website for book reviews and it’s called Voracious Bookworms. Check it out!
https://voraciousbookworms.com
https://voraciousbookworms.com
National Chamber Ensemble performance including one of our own piano instructor Natasha Dukan on Harpsichord! Here is a review in case you missed it: https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2018/10/21/review-masters-of-the-italian-baroque-by-the-national-chamber-ensemble/
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Check out a recent recording of Annabelle Song, AOFA piano student of Natasha Dukan!
AOFA students Annika P. and Pari L., taught by piano instructor Ai Wei Lee, are 2018 Royal Conservatory Certificate Program Award recipients!
Annika P.
State Certificate of Excellence, Level 4 Piano
Center Certificate of Excellence, Level 4 Piano
Pari L. (pictured left)
Center Certificate of Excellence, Level 2 Piano
*The Center Certificate of Excellence is awarded to students who achieved the highest mark in their examination center in each level and discipline.
*The State Certificate of Excellence is awarded to students who achieved the highest mark in their state in each level and discipline.
Annika P.
State Certificate of Excellence, Level 4 Piano
Center Certificate of Excellence, Level 4 Piano
Pari L. (pictured left)
Center Certificate of Excellence, Level 2 Piano
*The Center Certificate of Excellence is awarded to students who achieved the highest mark in their examination center in each level and discipline.
*The State Certificate of Excellence is awarded to students who achieved the highest mark in their state in each level and discipline.
Students all dressed up for Halloween!
Student recital photos and videos
A highlight from AOFA’s November recital: Katie Li and Jasmine Tran piano duo playing Dvorak Slavonic Dance.
CALENDAR
CLOSED DATES
Thanksgiving Holiday - 11/21/18 - 11/24/18
Winter Holiday - 12/24/18 - 1/1/19
Thanksgiving Holiday - 11/21/18 - 11/24/18
Winter Holiday - 12/24/18 - 1/1/19
Student Shout Outs!
Register for Fall Classes and Lessons!
Caty Dalton Suzuki Violin
How was Summer Camp?
Helpful Tips for Practicing your Craft!
Calendar
Register for Fall Classes and Lessons!
Caty Dalton Suzuki Violin
How was Summer Camp?
Helpful Tips for Practicing your Craft!
Calendar
Student shout outs!
Adorable students from Ms. Ai Wei's Group Piano Class after their recital:
Pictured from Left to Right: Rinzin, Natalie, and Soliana
Pictured from Left to Right: Rinzin, Natalie, and Soliana
AOFA alumni Evelyn’s performance at Montgomery College on September 23rd. Her sister Annabelle is playing the first violin. Congratulations Ladies!
From Suzuki Violin Teacher Leslie Smile:
Congratulations to my hardworking Suzuki students for their amazing
preparations this summer! The following students were accepted into
the local orchestras:
Amber Liu - MCYO Symphony
Samhita Ramakrishnan - PVYO Prep. Strings
Eileen Shih - PCYO Philharmonic
JoanneTsai - MCYO Symphony, PVYO Philharmonic
Christopher Yeung - MCYO Young Artists
David Wang - MCYO Chamber Strings
Clayton Zhao - PVYO Concert Orchestra
Congratulations to all, and here's to a great year of large ensemble fun!
Congratulations to my hardworking Suzuki students for their amazing
preparations this summer! The following students were accepted into
the local orchestras:
Amber Liu - MCYO Symphony
Samhita Ramakrishnan - PVYO Prep. Strings
Eileen Shih - PCYO Philharmonic
JoanneTsai - MCYO Symphony, PVYO Philharmonic
Christopher Yeung - MCYO Young Artists
David Wang - MCYO Chamber Strings
Clayton Zhao - PVYO Concert Orchestra
Congratulations to all, and here's to a great year of large ensemble fun!
Suzuki Program Spring Group Recital
From Group Piano Teacher Megan Doney:
Harmony Road 2 students who completed their book early and have graduated to Harmon Road 3 last session!
Harmony Road 2 students who completed their book early and have graduated to Harmon Road 3 last session!
FALL 2018 AT A GLANCE
CALL 301-947-9705 OR EMAIL ADMIN@THEACADEMYOFFINEARTS.COM
FOR MORE INFO ON REGISTRATION FOR ALL CLASSES AND PRIVATE LESSONS
FOR MORE INFO ON REGISTRATION FOR ALL CLASSES AND PRIVATE LESSONS
Caty Dalton Suzuki Violin
The Academy Welcomes Caty Dalton to its Suzuki Violin Program to Accept Waiting List of Students
Year Long Search is Over: “We Finally Found the Perfect Person to Join the Program.”
The Academy can now accept new Suzuki Violin students into the program. Suzuki Director Leslie Smile has a full studio of students. But, until Caty Dalton auditioned last week, the Academy has been unable to find a person that met the program’s high standards. “After a year of searching and considering candidates, we finally found the perfect person to join the program”, says Academy Director Philip Hosford.
Ms. Dalton, an outstanding violist/violinist, has trained in Suzuki Pedagogy with Ronda Cole who initiated the famous University of Maryland Suzuki Program, and with her partner, David Strom, who began the Academy of Fine Arts’ Suzuki Program in 2001.
“Caty has it all” says Hosford. “Her audition and interview were perfect. She showed her ability to work with young students effectively and with the nurturing approach true Suzuki should always have. Her teaching and playing caliber is very high and we are thrilled to be able to open the doors to new Suzuki students.”
Year Long Search is Over: “We Finally Found the Perfect Person to Join the Program.”
The Academy can now accept new Suzuki Violin students into the program. Suzuki Director Leslie Smile has a full studio of students. But, until Caty Dalton auditioned last week, the Academy has been unable to find a person that met the program’s high standards. “After a year of searching and considering candidates, we finally found the perfect person to join the program”, says Academy Director Philip Hosford.
Ms. Dalton, an outstanding violist/violinist, has trained in Suzuki Pedagogy with Ronda Cole who initiated the famous University of Maryland Suzuki Program, and with her partner, David Strom, who began the Academy of Fine Arts’ Suzuki Program in 2001.
“Caty has it all” says Hosford. “Her audition and interview were perfect. She showed her ability to work with young students effectively and with the nurturing approach true Suzuki should always have. Her teaching and playing caliber is very high and we are thrilled to be able to open the doors to new Suzuki students.”
Best of summer camp!
10 tips to help you practise more effectively
Source: https://www.classicfm.com/lifestyle/wellbeing/musician-practice-tips/
By: Amy MacKenzie
Incorporate these tips into your daily practice routine, and you'll soon see the benefits.
1. Create atmosphere
Get the right set-up for you. Whether you prefer to concentrate in a quiet practice room, or somewhere with more stimulation, try be consistent with your choice - this will help you enter the right mindset when you begin to practice. Also make sure you have everything you need close by: water, snacks, pencils, sharpeners, rubbers, highlighters, manuscript paper - it will save you a lot of time. Technology can also be an amazing aid - providing you don't spend too much time faffing with it: you can download free apps that act as a metronome, a tuner and a timer, all essential tools for practicing.
2. Warm up
Like a physical workout, a warm-up is essential. But don’t just plough through the same warm-up routine every-time and let your mind wander - a warm up is not simply to get your muscles moving. Take it as an opportunity to prepare your body and mind for work and take notice of how you're feeling, how you're breathing, the tension your body is holding and why you are doing that particular exercise. Your warm-up doesn’t always have to be 15 minutes of scales - try different technical studies or sight reading. If you are going to do scales, considering the keys of the pieces you are rehearsing will help get you in the right mindset for when you start to stare at all those sharps and flats. And as a cool-down, revisit a piece of music you already know well and enjoy.
3. Have a goal
Just playing through your music isn’t the same as practicing. Start with the end in mind - by having a goal for each practice session before you start playing, you will find you progress much more quickly and effectively. Then, break each goal down into smaller, focused objectives. You will also feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete each goal.
4. Be realistic
We all grow up with our teachers telling us, "don’t leave it until the night before." We’ve all been guilty of it at some point, and if we have an intimidating part to practice, it is easy to push it to the back of your mind. However, it is much more effective to practice little and often, and slowly chip away at your nemesis day by day. It’s about quality, not quantity - if you aim to practice smarter, not longer, you will find yourself with a lot more willpower to draw upon. By setting small and realistic goals, you will find you overcome tricky areas much easier, and you'll be less likely to beat yourself up for not completing absolutely everything you had planned.
5. Identify and overcome the problems
Don’t just play a piece or passage over and over again, and definitely don’t just power through a problem area and ignore it. Identify where you are stumbling out of time or continuously using the wrong fingering, work out why it's going wrong, then decide how you are going to fix it. Not every problem should be approached in the same way, too. If it is a rhythmic problem, try practicing the rhythm alone on a table or just using one note alongside a metronome so you don’t have to think about the notes as well, starting slowly then gradually increasing the tempo - once you’ve mastered the rhythm, you will find re-introducing the notes much easier. Once you have overcome the problem, don’t go straight back to the beginning of the piece or passage - practice working in and out of the phrase from a few measures before until a couple after to ensure continuity.
6. Being a musician is so much more than just playing the notes
It's also important to understand your instrument, its repertoire, the history of the period and why the music is written a certain way. For example, if you are singing in a foreign language, make sure you translate the libretto so you understand the true meaning behind the words. Spend some time listening to great artists and recordings of the music you are playing and try analyze what makes the artist or particular performance so great.
Visualizing yourself playing the music can also be extremely helpful. Whether you visualize playing the part perfectly in the practice room or the concert hall is up to you, but spending some time away from your instrument, hearing the sound you're aiming for, seeing the music in front of you can make a huge difference to your mental and physical performance. If you’re tight for time, or you’re going to be stuck somewhere quiet like a train, take your music with you and read through it in your head.
7. Write on your music
Don’t be afraid to scribble on your scores. Obviously some music does have to be treasured, but photocopy your score and do whatever it takes to make it easier to interpret the music. If you miss something once, make a mental note. But if it is a common occurrence then don’t be afraid to write in the correct fingering, highlight dynamics or remind yourself of a key change.
8. Record yourself
By recording your practice sessions you can listen back and perhaps spot some things you may want to consider doing differently that you miss in the moment of practicing or performing. Even consider filming yourself as well as recording yourself, you may notice tension that you were unaware of.
9. Be in the right frame of mind
We’re all human, and sometimes we're simply just not in the mood to practice, and there is certainly no point in practicing and creating new mistakes rather than overcoming them. Sometimes if it’s got to be done, it’s got to be done. But unless you’re under a huge amount of time-pressure, it’s OK to take a day off, or simply keep your fingers moving by spending 10-20 minutes playing something you know well and really enjoy. Ultimately, we all play because we enjoy the feeling and sound of our instrument and sometimes it can be easy to get frustrated with the pressure and forget to have fun.
10. Reward yourself
At the end of each practice session, remind yourself how amazing you are to be playing an instrument and treat yourself afterwards!
By: Amy MacKenzie
Incorporate these tips into your daily practice routine, and you'll soon see the benefits.
1. Create atmosphere
Get the right set-up for you. Whether you prefer to concentrate in a quiet practice room, or somewhere with more stimulation, try be consistent with your choice - this will help you enter the right mindset when you begin to practice. Also make sure you have everything you need close by: water, snacks, pencils, sharpeners, rubbers, highlighters, manuscript paper - it will save you a lot of time. Technology can also be an amazing aid - providing you don't spend too much time faffing with it: you can download free apps that act as a metronome, a tuner and a timer, all essential tools for practicing.
2. Warm up
Like a physical workout, a warm-up is essential. But don’t just plough through the same warm-up routine every-time and let your mind wander - a warm up is not simply to get your muscles moving. Take it as an opportunity to prepare your body and mind for work and take notice of how you're feeling, how you're breathing, the tension your body is holding and why you are doing that particular exercise. Your warm-up doesn’t always have to be 15 minutes of scales - try different technical studies or sight reading. If you are going to do scales, considering the keys of the pieces you are rehearsing will help get you in the right mindset for when you start to stare at all those sharps and flats. And as a cool-down, revisit a piece of music you already know well and enjoy.
3. Have a goal
Just playing through your music isn’t the same as practicing. Start with the end in mind - by having a goal for each practice session before you start playing, you will find you progress much more quickly and effectively. Then, break each goal down into smaller, focused objectives. You will also feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete each goal.
4. Be realistic
We all grow up with our teachers telling us, "don’t leave it until the night before." We’ve all been guilty of it at some point, and if we have an intimidating part to practice, it is easy to push it to the back of your mind. However, it is much more effective to practice little and often, and slowly chip away at your nemesis day by day. It’s about quality, not quantity - if you aim to practice smarter, not longer, you will find yourself with a lot more willpower to draw upon. By setting small and realistic goals, you will find you overcome tricky areas much easier, and you'll be less likely to beat yourself up for not completing absolutely everything you had planned.
5. Identify and overcome the problems
Don’t just play a piece or passage over and over again, and definitely don’t just power through a problem area and ignore it. Identify where you are stumbling out of time or continuously using the wrong fingering, work out why it's going wrong, then decide how you are going to fix it. Not every problem should be approached in the same way, too. If it is a rhythmic problem, try practicing the rhythm alone on a table or just using one note alongside a metronome so you don’t have to think about the notes as well, starting slowly then gradually increasing the tempo - once you’ve mastered the rhythm, you will find re-introducing the notes much easier. Once you have overcome the problem, don’t go straight back to the beginning of the piece or passage - practice working in and out of the phrase from a few measures before until a couple after to ensure continuity.
6. Being a musician is so much more than just playing the notes
It's also important to understand your instrument, its repertoire, the history of the period and why the music is written a certain way. For example, if you are singing in a foreign language, make sure you translate the libretto so you understand the true meaning behind the words. Spend some time listening to great artists and recordings of the music you are playing and try analyze what makes the artist or particular performance so great.
Visualizing yourself playing the music can also be extremely helpful. Whether you visualize playing the part perfectly in the practice room or the concert hall is up to you, but spending some time away from your instrument, hearing the sound you're aiming for, seeing the music in front of you can make a huge difference to your mental and physical performance. If you’re tight for time, or you’re going to be stuck somewhere quiet like a train, take your music with you and read through it in your head.
7. Write on your music
Don’t be afraid to scribble on your scores. Obviously some music does have to be treasured, but photocopy your score and do whatever it takes to make it easier to interpret the music. If you miss something once, make a mental note. But if it is a common occurrence then don’t be afraid to write in the correct fingering, highlight dynamics or remind yourself of a key change.
8. Record yourself
By recording your practice sessions you can listen back and perhaps spot some things you may want to consider doing differently that you miss in the moment of practicing or performing. Even consider filming yourself as well as recording yourself, you may notice tension that you were unaware of.
9. Be in the right frame of mind
We’re all human, and sometimes we're simply just not in the mood to practice, and there is certainly no point in practicing and creating new mistakes rather than overcoming them. Sometimes if it’s got to be done, it’s got to be done. But unless you’re under a huge amount of time-pressure, it’s OK to take a day off, or simply keep your fingers moving by spending 10-20 minutes playing something you know well and really enjoy. Ultimately, we all play because we enjoy the feeling and sound of our instrument and sometimes it can be easy to get frustrated with the pressure and forget to have fun.
10. Reward yourself
At the end of each practice session, remind yourself how amazing you are to be playing an instrument and treat yourself afterwards!
Calendar
CLOSED DATES
Thanksgiving Holiday - 11/21/18 - 11/24/18
Winter Holiday - 12/24/18 - 1/1/19
Thanksgiving Holiday - 11/21/18 - 11/24/18
Winter Holiday - 12/24/18 - 1/1/19
Student Shout Outs!
Welcome Sarah Watkins!
Summer Camp
Spring Class Updates! (Pictures)
Junior Music Camp
Summer Group Piano Classes
Fun Music Concepts
MTD Sharing
Welcome Sarah Watkins!
Summer Camp
Spring Class Updates! (Pictures)
Junior Music Camp
Summer Group Piano Classes
Fun Music Concepts
MTD Sharing
student shout outs
From Piano Instructor Ai Wei Lee:
Congratulations to Sophie Huang - She received a 'superior' rating at the Rockville Music Competition
Marcus Wong
- He received honorable mention in the MSMTA Piano Solo Festival
- He also received an 'excellent' rating at the Rockville Music Competition
- He received honorable mention in the MSMTA Piano Solo Festival
- He also received an 'excellent' rating at the Rockville Music Competition
Hayden Wong
- He received honorable mention in the MSMTA Piano Solo Festival
- He received a 'superior' rating at the Rockville Music Competition
- He received honorable mention in the MSMTA Piano Solo Festival
- He received a 'superior' rating at the Rockville Music Competition
From Suzuki Violin Instructor Leslie Smile:
Congratulations to Charlotte Yeung for graduations Suzuki Book 1!!! I’m so proud of you!!!
Congratulations to my student, David Wang, for earning the concertmaster position for MCYO's Preparatory Strings for a second time! Great job!
From Piano Instructor Natasha Dukan:
Trio Bellavoce premiered Nova, a new piano trio by rising young composer Alistair Coleman, at Strathmore Music Center on Saturday, April 28. The pianist of Trio Bellavoce is AOFA's own Annabelle Song, a student of Natasha Dukan. The trio performed Nova again in a pre-concert program for Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concert on Sunday, April 29.
Left to Right: Alistair Coleman (composer), Roland Kahn (cellist), Annabelle Song (pianist), and Eleanor Shen (violinist)
Left to Right: Alistair Coleman (composer), Roland Kahn (cellist), Annabelle Song (pianist), and Eleanor Shen (violinist)
Jeremy Keaton, former piano and cello student of Natasha Dukan and Harriet Kaplan is a sophomore at the University of Maryland Baltimore County studying composition, cello and jazz. He is very busy composing and performing. Jeremy ‘s orchestration of Bartok’s piano piece “Evening in Transylvania “ was performed by the UMBC orchestra and his first string quartet will be performed in April. Just recently, he played with professional jazz bassist and composer Ben Allison!
Here is the picture and sound recording of the orchestra's rehearsal:
This is a photo from the concert with Ben.
Here is the picture and sound recording of the orchestra's rehearsal:
This is a photo from the concert with Ben.
Natasha Dukan congratulates her students who participated in Spring Solo Piano Festival 2018 on May 5th at College Park, University of Maryland.
Katalina Li - FIRST PLACE
Yichi Zhang- SECOND PLACE
Ivie Tran- HONORABLE MENTION
Katalina Li - FIRST PLACE
Yichi Zhang- SECOND PLACE
Ivie Tran- HONORABLE MENTION
Welcome to our newest faculty member sarah watkins!
The Academy of Fine Arts gives a warm welcome to our newest faculty member, Sarah Watkins!
We are very excited and thankful to have her share her broad and unique music experience with our students and faculty!
Ms. Watkins holds a Bachelors of Music with a concentration in piano performance from The University of Maryland. She has taught with personal and public studios for over 10 years. She has traveled with world renowned professional artists throughout the United States and Europe performing in various master classes, festivals, and competitions. Ms. Watkins won the 2011 International Vipiteno Competition. In addition to her classical performance background, she realized she could play by ear and compose at the age of seven. Shortly after graduation she moved to Nashville where she performed in various venues and stages. She is also a composer-singer/Songwriter and released her own country music album in 2017. Her love for teaching children music has also inspired many students to pursue a music career in piano performance. She has provided musical accompaniment for churches, weddings, private events, auditions, and performed worldwide for various venues.
"Music is all about playing from the heart and telling your own story."
We are very excited and thankful to have her share her broad and unique music experience with our students and faculty!
Ms. Watkins holds a Bachelors of Music with a concentration in piano performance from The University of Maryland. She has taught with personal and public studios for over 10 years. She has traveled with world renowned professional artists throughout the United States and Europe performing in various master classes, festivals, and competitions. Ms. Watkins won the 2011 International Vipiteno Competition. In addition to her classical performance background, she realized she could play by ear and compose at the age of seven. Shortly after graduation she moved to Nashville where she performed in various venues and stages. She is also a composer-singer/Songwriter and released her own country music album in 2017. Her love for teaching children music has also inspired many students to pursue a music career in piano performance. She has provided musical accompaniment for churches, weddings, private events, auditions, and performed worldwide for various venues.
"Music is all about playing from the heart and telling your own story."
Here is a link to one of her new songs: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/sarahwatkins/c47k
summer camp
2018 marks our 7th year of Summer Camps!
This will be the first year we offer 5 SESSIONS!
Testimonials:
“The staff did an outstanding job in making my child feel welcomed. She enjoyed the camp so much she looked forward to each and every day.”
“I loved the variety of experiences that C-- was able to participate in at camp. This was her first opportunity for drama. The staff was excellent, kind and very engaging."
“S-- had the best time at the Academy’s Performing Arts Camp! The instruction and environment for learning and having fun were top notch! The staff was excellent! Very attentive to my daughter.”
“This camp satisfied and fulfilled my daughter’s imagination! Great program!”
This will be the first year we offer 5 SESSIONS!
Testimonials:
“The staff did an outstanding job in making my child feel welcomed. She enjoyed the camp so much she looked forward to each and every day.”
“I loved the variety of experiences that C-- was able to participate in at camp. This was her first opportunity for drama. The staff was excellent, kind and very engaging."
“S-- had the best time at the Academy’s Performing Arts Camp! The instruction and environment for learning and having fun were top notch! The staff was excellent! Very attentive to my daughter.”
“This camp satisfied and fulfilled my daughter’s imagination! Great program!”
Spring Class Updates!
Harmony Road 2 Piano Class doing what they do best! Learning piano while having fun together!
junior music camp
Junior Music Camp
4 – 6 year olds
1:00 – 3:00 PM
$175
Junior Music Camp for 4 - 6 year olds! Take a magical journey with different themes and activities each day through singing, keyboard play, creative movement and fascinating arts and crafts projects. Minimum 8 campers per session.
Session 1: July 16 – July 20
Session 2: July 30 – August 3
Session 3: August 13 – August 17
Session 4: August 27 - August 31
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
4 – 6 year olds
1:00 – 3:00 PM
$175
Junior Music Camp for 4 - 6 year olds! Take a magical journey with different themes and activities each day through singing, keyboard play, creative movement and fascinating arts and crafts projects. Minimum 8 campers per session.
Session 1: July 16 – July 20
Session 2: July 30 – August 3
Session 3: August 13 – August 17
Session 4: August 27 - August 31
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
Summer Group Piano Classes
Sign up for Summer Piano Classes NOW!
Register NOW for a MINIMUM of 5 semi-private, 30 minute weekly classes to retain those hard-earned skills learned during the year!
$20 per class. Offered every day from June 18 - September 1!
Flexible days/times! Mix and match to fit your schedule!
Please email us back with your dates and times to register.
Mondays - 5:00 or 5:30pm
Tuesdays - 5:30 or 6pm
Wednesdays - 4:30 or 5pm
Thursdays - 4:00 or 4:30pm
Fridays - 5:00 or 5:30pm
Saturdays - 9:45 or 10:15am
Sundays - 10:00 or 10:30am
REGISTER BY MAY 20: $15 Summer Registration Fee Waiver + $5 rebate
REGISTER BY JUNE 1: $15 Summer Registration Fee Waiver only
Register NOW for a MINIMUM of 5 semi-private, 30 minute weekly classes to retain those hard-earned skills learned during the year!
$20 per class. Offered every day from June 18 - September 1!
Flexible days/times! Mix and match to fit your schedule!
Please email us back with your dates and times to register.
Mondays - 5:00 or 5:30pm
Tuesdays - 5:30 or 6pm
Wednesdays - 4:30 or 5pm
Thursdays - 4:00 or 4:30pm
Fridays - 5:00 or 5:30pm
Saturdays - 9:45 or 10:15am
Sundays - 10:00 or 10:30am
REGISTER BY MAY 20: $15 Summer Registration Fee Waiver + $5 rebate
REGISTER BY JUNE 1: $15 Summer Registration Fee Waiver only
fun music concepts!
A great way to visualize note values for little ones!
Sharing June 3rd, 2018
Dearest Dancing, Acting, and Singing students and parents!
Below is the schedule for the Sharing (performance) Day on Sunday,
June 3. Your instructors will be in touch with you regarding more specific details, such as what to wear, etc.
FAQs:
How much does it cost? -- FREE!
Do we need tickets? -- NO!
Who can come? -- Everybody! Invite friends, relatives, strangers, etc.
What will my child do? -- It depends on the class they are in. But this is a sharing of some (not all) of our work. A chance for the kids to be onstage and try to execute what they've been practicing in class (and hopefully at home)
Why do we come early? -- Some classes will do short spacing rehearsals on stage. Also, to group together in the hallway and lobby and warm up.
If you know you are not going to be at the sharing, PLEASE let your teacher know immediately! We will still make sure the remaining classes are just as valuable for him/her, but we will need to make adjustments. So again, please do not surprise us! Thank you!
Location: Sequoyah Elementary School, 17301 Bowie Mill Rd, Derwood, MD 20855
Please find your class in the list to see what time your sharing (performance) begins.
Your call time is the time that your child must be inside the lobby of the school, ready to go (already went to the bathroom, etc). Your call time will be 30 minutes before your sharing starts.
Sharing start time 12:45pm (call time 12:15pm)
Dance Wed 5pm
Dance Wed 6pm
Dance Wed 7pm
Dance Sat 9am
Dance Sat 10am
Dance Sat 11am
Dance Sun 3pm
Acting Tues 5:30pm
Acting Wed 6pm
Sharing start time 1:45pm (call time 1:15pm)
Acting Sun 1pm
Acting Sun 2pm
Dance Sun 1pm
Dance Sun 2pm
Singing Sun 12pm
Singing Wed 5:30pm
Singing Wed 6pm
Sharing start time 2:45pm (call time 2:15pm)
Acting Tues 6:30
Acting Wed 5pm
Acting Thurs 5pm
Sharing start time 3:45pm (call time 3:15pm)
Acting Thurs 6pm
Acting Thurs 7pm
Acting Wed 7pm (adults)
Thank you very much for your continued dedication and enthusiasm!
Below is the schedule for the Sharing (performance) Day on Sunday,
June 3. Your instructors will be in touch with you regarding more specific details, such as what to wear, etc.
FAQs:
How much does it cost? -- FREE!
Do we need tickets? -- NO!
Who can come? -- Everybody! Invite friends, relatives, strangers, etc.
What will my child do? -- It depends on the class they are in. But this is a sharing of some (not all) of our work. A chance for the kids to be onstage and try to execute what they've been practicing in class (and hopefully at home)
Why do we come early? -- Some classes will do short spacing rehearsals on stage. Also, to group together in the hallway and lobby and warm up.
If you know you are not going to be at the sharing, PLEASE let your teacher know immediately! We will still make sure the remaining classes are just as valuable for him/her, but we will need to make adjustments. So again, please do not surprise us! Thank you!
Location: Sequoyah Elementary School, 17301 Bowie Mill Rd, Derwood, MD 20855
Please find your class in the list to see what time your sharing (performance) begins.
Your call time is the time that your child must be inside the lobby of the school, ready to go (already went to the bathroom, etc). Your call time will be 30 minutes before your sharing starts.
Sharing start time 12:45pm (call time 12:15pm)
Dance Wed 5pm
Dance Wed 6pm
Dance Wed 7pm
Dance Sat 9am
Dance Sat 10am
Dance Sat 11am
Dance Sun 3pm
Acting Tues 5:30pm
Acting Wed 6pm
Sharing start time 1:45pm (call time 1:15pm)
Acting Sun 1pm
Acting Sun 2pm
Dance Sun 1pm
Dance Sun 2pm
Singing Sun 12pm
Singing Wed 5:30pm
Singing Wed 6pm
Sharing start time 2:45pm (call time 2:15pm)
Acting Tues 6:30
Acting Wed 5pm
Acting Thurs 5pm
Sharing start time 3:45pm (call time 3:15pm)
Acting Thurs 6pm
Acting Thurs 7pm
Acting Wed 7pm (adults)
Thank you very much for your continued dedication and enthusiasm!
Student Shout Outs!
Summer Camp Early Bird Discount Extended!
How are Classes Going?
The Benefits of Music Education
Calendar
Summer Camp Early Bird Discount Extended!
How are Classes Going?
The Benefits of Music Education
Calendar
Spring Semester classes are in progress
For those who have registered we hope you are currently enjoying your classes. Please spread the word and if you know someone who might be interested tell them to talk to the front office about trying a FREE CLASS!
Student shoutouts
Check out our monthly recital participants! What a great recital!
From Cello Instructor Harriet Kaplan:
I am the Administrative Director for the Johansen International Competition for Young String Players Ages 13-17. It takes place every three years in DC. The semi-finals and finals are coming up next month, March 15-17, and are held at Calvary Baptist Church, 733 Eighth Street, NW (very close to Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro). All events are free and open to the public. You can come by anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on those days. There are short morning and afternoon breaks and a lunch break, but otherwise there are performances all day. These are 30 extremely talented musicians from all over the world, competing for a total of $67,000 in prizes and solo performing opportunities. Many past winners have gone on to have great careers as soloists and teachers. The website for the competition is:
https://fmmcfoundation.org/current-competitions/2018-johansen-international-competition-for-young-string-players/
I am the Administrative Director for the Johansen International Competition for Young String Players Ages 13-17. It takes place every three years in DC. The semi-finals and finals are coming up next month, March 15-17, and are held at Calvary Baptist Church, 733 Eighth Street, NW (very close to Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro). All events are free and open to the public. You can come by anytime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on those days. There are short morning and afternoon breaks and a lunch break, but otherwise there are performances all day. These are 30 extremely talented musicians from all over the world, competing for a total of $67,000 in prizes and solo performing opportunities. Many past winners have gone on to have great careers as soloists and teachers. The website for the competition is:
https://fmmcfoundation.org/current-competitions/2018-johansen-international-competition-for-young-string-players/
jic_promo_2018_final.pdf | |
File Size: | 7136 kb |
File Type: |
From Piano Instructor Hayuru Taima:
The Young Musician 1 Piano Class on Wednesdays 6:00 is doing really well! After just two classes, they already have an in-class performance on Week 3! Keep up the great work! If you would like to join this enthusiastic piano class or any other piano class, quickly CALL THE ACADEMY OFFICE NOW, and we will catch you up!
What do you think?
Alex Aniya and Ken Aniya (Private Piano/Taima) performed wonderfully on the Monthly Student Recital in February! Full of detailed and interesting playing! Congratulations!! Way to go!!
The Young Musician 1 Piano Class on Wednesdays 6:00 is doing really well! After just two classes, they already have an in-class performance on Week 3! Keep up the great work! If you would like to join this enthusiastic piano class or any other piano class, quickly CALL THE ACADEMY OFFICE NOW, and we will catch you up!
What do you think?
Alex Aniya and Ken Aniya (Private Piano/Taima) performed wonderfully on the Monthly Student Recital in February! Full of detailed and interesting playing! Congratulations!! Way to go!!
From Suzuki violin Instructor Leslie Smile:
To all ASTA-CAP participants:
I want to congratulate all of you for the hard work you put in preparing for yesterday's ASTA-CAP Exam! The examiners were very impressed with all of you, and every student passed with flying colors! I am very proud of how carefully you all prepared. The examiners were particularly impressed with the amount of care you all showed and your mastery of each item you presented - they told me it was obviously a group of students who took the preparation and presentation very seriously!
Wonderful job everyone! I'm very proud of you!
I want to congratulate all of you for the hard work you put in preparing for yesterday's ASTA-CAP Exam! The examiners were very impressed with all of you, and every student passed with flying colors! I am very proud of how carefully you all prepared. The examiners were particularly impressed with the amount of care you all showed and your mastery of each item you presented - they told me it was obviously a group of students who took the preparation and presentation very seriously!
Wonderful job everyone! I'm very proud of you!
Congratulations to Ewan Han for completing the 100-Day Challenge!
Group Recital Videos Full Playlist Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jtm58v0OVk&list=PLKHnSfUaVSu2R0jwVeJULQ_ZuZfiCSt_A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Jtm58v0OVk&list=PLKHnSfUaVSu2R0jwVeJULQ_ZuZfiCSt_A
Congratulations to Amber Liu for her successful graduation of Suzuki Violin Method, Book 4!
From Piano and Acting Instructor Phil hosford:
Annabelle Stankov was a participant in the practice-athon and got a prize! She did three disciplines, Dance acting and piano. Congratulations!
Don't Forget about summer camp!
Have you pinned down your summer plans? If you have a 7 - 15 year old sign them up for our performing arts camp! Acting, Dance, and Voice lessons all in one camp! Early Bird Discount has been EXTENDED! Register by 3/17/18 and you will still receive 10% OFF Summer Camp tuition! |
How are Spring classes going?
The Benefits of Music Education
By Laura Lewis Brown
Whether your child is the next Beyonce or more likely to sing her solos in the shower, she is bound to benefit from some form of music education. Research shows that learning the do-re-mis can help children excel in ways beyond the basic ABCs.
More Than Just Music
Research has found that learning music facilitates learning other subjects and enhances skills that children inevitably use in other areas. “A music-rich experience for children of singing, listening and moving is really bringing a very serious benefit to children as they progress into more formal learning,” says Mary Luehrisen, executive director of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, a not-for-profit association that promotes the benefits of making music.
Making music involves more than the voice or fingers playing an instrument; a child learning about music has to tap into multiple skill sets, often simultaneously. For instance, people use their ears and eyes, as well as large and small muscles, says Kenneth Guilmartin, cofounder of Music Together, an early childhood music development program for infants through kindergarteners that involves parents or caregivers in the classes.
“Music learning supports all learning. Not that Mozart makes you smarter, but it’s a very integrating, stimulating pastime or activity,” Guilmartin says.
Language Development
“When you look at children ages two to nine, one of the breakthroughs in that area is music’s benefit for language development, which is so important at that stage,” says Luehrisen. While children come into the world ready to decode sounds and words, music education helps enhance those natural abilities. “Growing up in a musically rich environment is often advantageous for children’s language development,” she says. But Luehrisen adds that those inborn capacities need to be “reinforced, practiced, celebrated,” which can be done at home or in a more formal music education setting.
According to the Children’s Music Workshop, the effect of music education on language development can be seen in the brain. “Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help imprint information on young minds,” the group claims.
This relationship between music and language development is also socially advantageous to young children. “The development of language over time tends to enhance parts of the brain that help process music,” says Dr. Kyle Pruett, clinical professor of child psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and a practicing musician. “Language competence is at the root of social competence. Musical experience strengthens the capacity to be verbally competent.”
Increased IQ
A study by E. Glenn Schellenberg at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, as published in a 2004 issue of Psychological Science, found a small increase in the IQs of six-year-olds who were given weekly voice and piano lessons. Schellenberg provided nine months of piano and voice lessons to a dozen six-year-olds, drama lessons (to see if exposure to arts in general versus just music had an effect) to a second group of six-year-olds, and no lessons to a third group. The children’s IQs were tested before entering the first grade, then again before entering the second grade.
Surprisingly, the children who were given music lessons over the school year tested on average three IQ points higher than the other groups. The drama group didn’t have the same increase in IQ, but did experience increased social behavior benefits not seen in the music-only group.
The Brain Works Harder
Research indicates the brain of a musician, even a young one, works differently than that of a nonmusician. “There’s some good neuroscience research that children involved in music have larger growth of neural activity than people not in music training. When you’re a musician and you’re playing an instrument, you have to be using more of your brain,” says Dr. Eric Rasmussen, chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at the Peabody Preparatory of The Johns Hopkins University, where he teaches a specialized music curriculum for children aged two months to nine years.
In fact, a study led by Ellen Winner, professor of psychology at Boston College, and Gottfried Schlaug, professor of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, found changes in the brain images of children who underwent 15 months of weekly music instruction and practice. The students in the study who received music instruction had improved sound discrimination and fine motor tasks, and brain imaging showed changes to the networks in the brain associated with those abilities, according to the Dana Foundation, a private philanthropic organization that supports brain research.
Spatial-Temporal Skills
Research has also found a causal link between music and spatial intelligence, which means that understanding music can help children visualize various elements that should go together, like they would do when solving a math problem.
“We have some pretty good data that music instruction does reliably improve spatial-temporal skills in children over time,” explains Pruett, who helped found the Performing Arts Medicine Association. These skills come into play in solving multistep problems one would encounter in architecture, engineering, math, art, gaming, and especially working with computers.
Improved Test Scores
A study published in 2007 by Christopher Johnson, professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Kansas, revealed that students in elementary schools with superior music education programs scored around 22 percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math scores on standardized tests, compared to schools with low-quality music programs, regardless of socioeconomic disparities among the schools or school districts. Johnson compares the concentration that music training requires to the focus needed to perform well on a standardized test.
Aside from test score results, Johnson’s study highlights the positive effects that a quality music education can have on a young child’s success. Luehrisen explains this psychological phenomenon in two sentences: “Schools that have rigorous programs and high-quality music and arts teachers probably have high-quality teachers in other areas. If you have an environment where there are a lot of people doing creative, smart, great things, joyful things, even people who aren’t doing that have a tendency to go up and do better.”
And it doesn’t end there: along with better performance results on concentration-based tasks, music training can help with basic memory recall. “Formal training in music is also associated with other cognitive strengths such as verbal recall proficiency,” Pruett says. “People who have had formal musical training tend to be pretty good at remembering verbal information stored in memory.”
Being Musical
Music can improve your child’ abilities in learning and other nonmusic tasks, but it’s important to understand that music does not make one smarter. As Pruett explains, the many intrinsic benefits to music education include being disciplined, learning a skill, being part of the music world, managing performance, being part of something you can be proud of, and even struggling with a less than perfect teacher.
“It’s important not to oversell how smart music can make you,” Pruett says. “Music makes your kid interesting and happy, and smart will come later. It enriches his or her appetite for things that bring you pleasure and for the friends you meet.”
While parents may hope that enrolling their child in a music program will make her a better student, the primary reasons to provide your child with a musical education should be to help them become more musical, to appreciate all aspects of music, and to respect the process of learning an instrument or learning to sing, which is valuable on its own merit.
“There is a massive benefit from being musical that we don’t understand, but it’s individual. Music is for music’s sake,” Rasmussen says. “The benefit of music education for me is about being musical. It gives you have a better understanding of yourself. The horizons are higher when you are involved in music,” he adds. “Your understanding of art and the world, and how you can think and express yourself, are enhanced.”
Whether your child is the next Beyonce or more likely to sing her solos in the shower, she is bound to benefit from some form of music education. Research shows that learning the do-re-mis can help children excel in ways beyond the basic ABCs.
More Than Just Music
Research has found that learning music facilitates learning other subjects and enhances skills that children inevitably use in other areas. “A music-rich experience for children of singing, listening and moving is really bringing a very serious benefit to children as they progress into more formal learning,” says Mary Luehrisen, executive director of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, a not-for-profit association that promotes the benefits of making music.
Making music involves more than the voice or fingers playing an instrument; a child learning about music has to tap into multiple skill sets, often simultaneously. For instance, people use their ears and eyes, as well as large and small muscles, says Kenneth Guilmartin, cofounder of Music Together, an early childhood music development program for infants through kindergarteners that involves parents or caregivers in the classes.
“Music learning supports all learning. Not that Mozart makes you smarter, but it’s a very integrating, stimulating pastime or activity,” Guilmartin says.
Language Development
“When you look at children ages two to nine, one of the breakthroughs in that area is music’s benefit for language development, which is so important at that stage,” says Luehrisen. While children come into the world ready to decode sounds and words, music education helps enhance those natural abilities. “Growing up in a musically rich environment is often advantageous for children’s language development,” she says. But Luehrisen adds that those inborn capacities need to be “reinforced, practiced, celebrated,” which can be done at home or in a more formal music education setting.
According to the Children’s Music Workshop, the effect of music education on language development can be seen in the brain. “Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help imprint information on young minds,” the group claims.
This relationship between music and language development is also socially advantageous to young children. “The development of language over time tends to enhance parts of the brain that help process music,” says Dr. Kyle Pruett, clinical professor of child psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and a practicing musician. “Language competence is at the root of social competence. Musical experience strengthens the capacity to be verbally competent.”
Increased IQ
A study by E. Glenn Schellenberg at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, as published in a 2004 issue of Psychological Science, found a small increase in the IQs of six-year-olds who were given weekly voice and piano lessons. Schellenberg provided nine months of piano and voice lessons to a dozen six-year-olds, drama lessons (to see if exposure to arts in general versus just music had an effect) to a second group of six-year-olds, and no lessons to a third group. The children’s IQs were tested before entering the first grade, then again before entering the second grade.
Surprisingly, the children who were given music lessons over the school year tested on average three IQ points higher than the other groups. The drama group didn’t have the same increase in IQ, but did experience increased social behavior benefits not seen in the music-only group.
The Brain Works Harder
Research indicates the brain of a musician, even a young one, works differently than that of a nonmusician. “There’s some good neuroscience research that children involved in music have larger growth of neural activity than people not in music training. When you’re a musician and you’re playing an instrument, you have to be using more of your brain,” says Dr. Eric Rasmussen, chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at the Peabody Preparatory of The Johns Hopkins University, where he teaches a specialized music curriculum for children aged two months to nine years.
In fact, a study led by Ellen Winner, professor of psychology at Boston College, and Gottfried Schlaug, professor of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, found changes in the brain images of children who underwent 15 months of weekly music instruction and practice. The students in the study who received music instruction had improved sound discrimination and fine motor tasks, and brain imaging showed changes to the networks in the brain associated with those abilities, according to the Dana Foundation, a private philanthropic organization that supports brain research.
Spatial-Temporal Skills
Research has also found a causal link between music and spatial intelligence, which means that understanding music can help children visualize various elements that should go together, like they would do when solving a math problem.
“We have some pretty good data that music instruction does reliably improve spatial-temporal skills in children over time,” explains Pruett, who helped found the Performing Arts Medicine Association. These skills come into play in solving multistep problems one would encounter in architecture, engineering, math, art, gaming, and especially working with computers.
Improved Test Scores
A study published in 2007 by Christopher Johnson, professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Kansas, revealed that students in elementary schools with superior music education programs scored around 22 percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math scores on standardized tests, compared to schools with low-quality music programs, regardless of socioeconomic disparities among the schools or school districts. Johnson compares the concentration that music training requires to the focus needed to perform well on a standardized test.
Aside from test score results, Johnson’s study highlights the positive effects that a quality music education can have on a young child’s success. Luehrisen explains this psychological phenomenon in two sentences: “Schools that have rigorous programs and high-quality music and arts teachers probably have high-quality teachers in other areas. If you have an environment where there are a lot of people doing creative, smart, great things, joyful things, even people who aren’t doing that have a tendency to go up and do better.”
And it doesn’t end there: along with better performance results on concentration-based tasks, music training can help with basic memory recall. “Formal training in music is also associated with other cognitive strengths such as verbal recall proficiency,” Pruett says. “People who have had formal musical training tend to be pretty good at remembering verbal information stored in memory.”
Being Musical
Music can improve your child’ abilities in learning and other nonmusic tasks, but it’s important to understand that music does not make one smarter. As Pruett explains, the many intrinsic benefits to music education include being disciplined, learning a skill, being part of the music world, managing performance, being part of something you can be proud of, and even struggling with a less than perfect teacher.
“It’s important not to oversell how smart music can make you,” Pruett says. “Music makes your kid interesting and happy, and smart will come later. It enriches his or her appetite for things that bring you pleasure and for the friends you meet.”
While parents may hope that enrolling their child in a music program will make her a better student, the primary reasons to provide your child with a musical education should be to help them become more musical, to appreciate all aspects of music, and to respect the process of learning an instrument or learning to sing, which is valuable on its own merit.
“There is a massive benefit from being musical that we don’t understand, but it’s individual. Music is for music’s sake,” Rasmussen says. “The benefit of music education for me is about being musical. It gives you have a better understanding of yourself. The horizons are higher when you are involved in music,” he adds. “Your understanding of art and the world, and how you can think and express yourself, are enhanced.”
IMPORTANT ACADEMY DATES
3/26/18 - 4/1/18 - Spring Break
PRIVATE STUDENT
MONTHLY RECITAL DATES
Each month students have an opportunity to showcase their talents. The monthly recitals in Studio 8 are free! If you and your teacher think you are ready your teacher will sign you up for the appropriate recital date. The next recitals are:
May 5th, 2018
June 2, 2018
May 5th, 2018
June 2, 2018
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