It refines discipline and patience.

Learning an instrument teaches children about delayed gratification. The violin, for example, has a steep learning curve. Before you can make a single sound, you must first learn how to hold the violin, how to hold the bow, and where to place your feet, Playing an instrument teaches kids to persevere through hours, months, and sometimes years of practice before they reach specific goals, such as performing with a band or memorizing a solo piece. "Private lessons and practicing at home require a very focused kind of attention for even 10 minutes at a time," Group lessons, in which students learn to play the same instruments in an ensemble, also improve patience, as children must wait their turn to play individually. And in waiting for their turns and listening to their classmates play, kids learn to show their peers respect, to sit still and be quiet for designated periods of time, and to be attentive.

It boosts self-esteem.

Lessons offer a forum where children can learn to accept and give constructive criticism. Turning negative feedback into positive change helps build self-confidence, Group lessons, in particular, may help children understand that nobody, including themselves or their peers, is perfect, and that everyone has room for improvement. "Presenting yourself in public is an important skill whether you become a professional musician or not," This skill is easily transferrable to public speaking, she adds. And, of course, once a child is advanced enough, she'll possess musical skills that will help her stand out.

It introduces children to other cultures.

By learning about and playing a variety of instruments, kids can discover how music plays a critical role in other cultures. For instance, bongos and timbales may introduce children to African and Cuban styles of music. Although the modern-day violin has roots in Italy, learning to play it exposes children to classical music popularized by German and Austrian musicians. Versatile instruments, such as the violin and piano, can accompany a wide repertoire of styles, including classical and jazz (which originated in the American South). It's important to familiarize children with other cultures at a young age because this fosters open-mindedness about worlds and traditions beyond the ones they know.

What to Consider When Selecting an Instrument

Ultimately, the instrument you and your child choose should depend on a number of factors. Here's a list of questions to consider before bringing home a new music maker:

·         Is your child excited about the instrument? Does she like the way it sounds and feels? Some music schools offer a "petting zoo" that introduces kids to multiple instruments.

·         Is the instrument too challenging or is it not challenging enough (for both you and your child)?

·         Does your child's temperament match the instrument?

·         Can you afford the instrument and the maintenance that comes with it?

·         As a parent, do you like the sound enough to listen to your child practice it for hours at home?

·         Is your child specifically interested in a particular music style? If so, factor that into your instrument choice, as some specifically cater to certain styles. For instance, a violin player will have a hard time fitting in a jazz ensemble.

Experts don't always agree on which instruments are best for big kids to learn, but many music teachers do agree that it's hard to go wrong with the piano, percussion (like the drum or xylophone), recorder, guitar, or violin.

For more details visit at us online:  http://www.anneliesemessnermusicstudio.com/music_programs.html

Voice And Piano Lessons

It’s sure to be music to parents’ ears: After nine months of weekly training in piano or voice, new research shows young students’ IQs rose nearly three points more than their untrained peers.

The Canadian study lends support to the idea that musical training may do more for kids than simply teach them their scales–it exercises parts of the brain useful in mathematics, spatial intelligence and other intellectual pursuits.

“With music lessons, because there are so many different facets involved–such as memorizing, expressing emotion, learning about musical interval and chords–the multidimensional nature of the experience may be motivating the [IQ] effect,” said study author E. Glenn Schellenberg E. Glenn Schellenberg , of the University of Toronto at Mississauga.

A decade ago, researchers led by the University of Wisconsin’sFrances Rauscher Frances Rauscher found that simply listening to Mozart triggered temporary increases in spatial intelligence.

While the “Mozart Effect” has proven difficult to replicate in subsequent studies, the idea that music or musical training might raise IQ took hold in the scientific community.

In his study, slated for publication in the August issue of Psychological Science, Schellenberg offered 12 Toronto-area 6-year-olds free weekly voice or piano lessons at the Royal Conservatory of Music, described by Schellenberg as Canada’s “most prestigious music conservatory.”

He chose 6-year-olds because their developing brains still retain a large degree of “plasticity,” defined as “the ability of the brain to change and adapt to environmental stimuli.”

On the other hand, children younger than 6 were deemed less suitable “because you also want the lessons to be rigorous enough, and you can’t really start serious musical training with 4-year-olds,” he said.

Schellenberg also wanted to separate out the effect on IQ of training in music per se, from that of training in the arts in general. To do this, he provided a third group of 6-year-olds with free, weekly drama classes. A fourth group of 6-year-olds received no classes during the study period.

The children’s IQs were tested beforehand using the full Weschler intelligence test, which assesses various aspects of intellectual function in ten separate areas. All of the children, Schellenberg explained, “came into my lab in the summer before first grade and they had the entire test, which takes about three hours.”

Following that initial assessment, the children “went off to first grade and to the four different groups that they were assigned. Then, in between first and second grade, they came back to the lab and were retested.”

At the time of retesting, all of the students–even those not enrolled in music or drama classes–displayed increases in IQ of at least 4.3 points, on average, Schellenberg said. “That’s just a common consequence of going to school,” he said.

Focusing first on the children taking the drama class, Schellenberg found they “didn’t differ [in increased IQ] from those in the no-lessons group.” However, kids taking the acting class did tend to score higher on aspects of sociability than other children, probably due to the cooperative nature of putting on a play.

The only added boost to IQ came to kids taught either piano or voice. According to Schellenberg, children in the music groups “had slightly larger increases in IQ than the control groups,” averaging 7-point gains in their IQ scores from the previous year–2.7 points higher than children placed in either the drama or no-lessons group.

This increase in IQ is considered small but significant, and was evident across the broad spectrum of intelligence measured by the Weschler test, Schellenberg said.

Commenting on the study, Rauscher said, “It certainly supports a lot of the research that we’ve done in the past.” The Canadian researcher’s results deviate from her own, she said, “in that they found this effect for general intelligence.”

Rauscher’s work has tended to focus on music’s effects on spatial intelligence–the ability to think through three-dimensional puzzles without resorting to an actual model.

Although it remains a theory, she speculated that “understanding music, particularly learning to translate musical symbols into sound, might be transferring to other abilities, because they are sharing similar neuro pathways.”

Both Schellenberg and Rauscher agreed that, ideally, music lessons should be available to children as part of their education.

“We don’t have any evidence that music is unique in this regard,” Schellenberg said, “but on the other hand, it’s certainly not bad for you. Our studies suggest that extracurricular activities are indeed enriching to development.”

Unfortunately, adults who might feel emboldened to pick up the guitar or stretch their vocal skills may not receive the same boost to brainpower.

“I really think you’ll find the strongest effects for young children,” Rauscher said. “That’s not to say that you won’t find anything in adults, but I think it would be a lot harder and would really take a lot longer.”

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Piano Lessons

Piano pedagogy is the study of the teaching of piano playing. Whereas the professional field of music education pertains to the teaching of music in school classrooms or group settings, piano pedagogy focuses on the teaching of musical skills to individual piano students. This is often done via private or semiprivate instructions, commonly referred to as piano lessons. The practitioners of piano pedagogy are called piano pedagogues, or simply, piano teachers.

The range of professionalism among teachers of piano is undoubtedly wide The factors which affect the professional quality of a piano teacher include one's competence in musical performance, knowledge of musical genres, music history and theory, piano repertoire, experience in teaching, ability to adapt one's teaching method to students of different personalities and learning styles, education level, and so on.

Looking for some free tips to help you get a jumpstart with Piano?

Piano Lessons

There are tons of different types of piano lessons or methods for learning to play the piano.  You can take private lessons, teach yourself, learn from online lessons, or try a DVD course.  Check out my articles for lesson tips.

Styles

Whether you want to learn to jam like a professional jazz pianist, or you want to study Bach and Beethoven check out this section for information about different styles.

Sheet Music

Looking for sheet music to your favorite tune?  Need tips for learning how to read sheet music?  Check back here for tips about finding or learning piano sheet music.

Piano Lessons Redwood Shores

Anneliese Messner is a classically trained singer, pianist, choral director and music instructor who offers voice and piano lessons for beginning to advanced students as well as tailored music programs for companies in Belmont, CA, and surrounding areas.

Anneliese Messner has performed as a soloist and in different ensembles in the USA and in Europe. She is available to perform as a singer or pianist for various events. She earned Master of Music degrees from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA, and the Mozarteum, the University of Music in Innsbruck, Austria. She studied with Carol Messner, Marlies Nussbaumer-Eibensteiner, Magdalena Pattis, Paulina Stark, Nancy Armstrong and Max Engel. She has won several prizes and scholarships in Europe and the USA.

Website: http://www.anneliesemessnermusicstudio.com