"I'm about to get on my soap box" alert

Subject:

Art City Music.  I guess I am feeling a little bit sentimental because summer is just about to graduate from Art City Music Academy's Keyboard Musician Program and enter private piano lessons.  I know, you're thinking you've heard this one from me before, but you can choose to continue or not...Way back in the day when we lived in Mississippi Rick told  me about this music program that one of his advisors recommended for children.  It was Yamaha School of Music and it was a group music program.  First of all, we couldn't afford groceries, how could we afford a music school?  And it was a group lesson situation.  I was 100% convinced that it would not work.  I actually thought it was just a way to get more kids in the door for a lesson and out the door faster for a bigger cash flow.  But, since they offered a free trial class and Summer and Sierra could attend classes at the same time, I decided to give it a try.  One of Rick's fellow residents had 2 of his children in the same classes as my girls.  Jill (the mom) and I tried to sit and observe and be somewhat optimistic.  by the end of the class we were sold and had enrolled all 4 kids in the program.  We did it for a year and were very sad when our husbands graduated and it was time to move away from yamaha school of music.  Jill's family was moving to Tupelo and could not find a similar program.  She contemplated driving 2 hours to jackson each week just so her kids could continue with the program because she was so in love with it.  It was actually a possibility for them because they homeschooled and could work it out once a week.

  We did some research and consulted with music director there and discovered that there was another program called Harmony Road.  The founders of this program were originally trained in Yamaha, but had relocated and started their own music school.  I think they are based in Seattle.  So, we discovered that Art City Music uses harmony road curriculum, but also has implemented many of their own little details and have created their own music school with 3 different Utah Co. locations, plus a new one in SL county.  Perfect, we met the owners, figured out where summer and sierra fit into their program and got started immediately.  Cole has taken for 2 full semesters now as well.  His class is more music, singing, story telling, hand motions, and some key board exercises.  At first he would not have anything to do with the singing at all.  He would just sit on my lap and pout.  This week when he went he was playing the correct notes on the key board, playing other instruments (maracas, bells, drums, etc.) and (excuse me while a wipe a tear) HE EVEN SANG...SOLFEGE!!!  His new semester starts soon and they will be focusing less on stories and actions and more on the actual piano.  He's 3.  He's not even potty trained.  And he knows middle C.  Can you tell how excited I am?

OK back to the girls.  This is why I think it works:  First, I think it is the best deal for the money.  Don't ask me how much it is, it is pretty spendy.  BUT,  don't  you remember the days of piano lessons and you hated a certain song or you just weren't in the mood to practice or you were on vacation or whatever and so you didn't practice or you just flaked our for a few weeks.  Well, there is no flaking out in this program.  Sierra is in her first semester ( of 4) of Keyboard      Musician.  They have all 4 semesters laid out in a binder, week by week.  Each week of homework (music theory), flashcards, written homework, and sight reading excercises and all printed out, and described in detail.  for example, when we went to Hawaii last month.  I knew exactly what the girls were missing for those 2 weeks.  So, we bumped up our practicing before vacation and played a little catch up over Christmas and when we went back in january nobody knew the difference.  They do allow make-up classes but that works more for illness and not for a 2 week vacation situation.  So, I believe that by the time I have paid for these 4 semesters of lessons (basically 2 years with a 2 month break for summer vacation) Sierra will have learned more about music and piano than I ever did in all of my years of piano lessons (a lot!) 

Second, the kids love the group music lessons.  The lessons plans are laid out for the instructors in very specific details.  The girls have had 3 different teachers now.  I thought that wouldn't be very effective either, but because the lessons are so carefully planned and detailed, any instructor (who is trained in their program) could step in and teach a class without much more than a few minutes notice.  

Their instructors are very well trained.  Many of them are college music students or graduates.  They are thoroughly  trained in the Art City Music Curriculum.   Summer and Sierra's first teacher at Art City, Ms Krissy was a graduate student in music and was specializing in choir and conducting.  She has spent the last several months helping Art City Music to write a voice training program for some of their older music students.      

The kids each have their own keyboard.  They love playing together (I never could play duets because that was too much pressure to play "with" someone.  I never learned that skill).  They love singing with the music (I never learned how to accompany music and have never played for more than Primary--they don't care if I mess up!).  The classes are about 50 minutes long and the time FLIES by.  My kids are not afraid whatsoever to perform for anyone.  (Recitals scared the H right out of me) (speaking of recitals...there is another one, yes another one on January 24.  Same place different time.  call me if  you're dying to come and I'll let you in on the details.  My kids won't care who comes really.  They just love to perform.  How cool is that??)

They also do weekly sight reading training.  At first I didn't see the practicality of this but as the past couple of years have gone by, I can see how it all fits together and has developed that skill.  they believe that sigh reading is the single most important thing that  music student can take into adulthood because it will be the thing that determines most if an adult will use their music education to continue playing the piano.  Most adults will not take the time to sit down and study and learn a new piece of music on a regular basis.  However, if they have the skill to sit down and sight read through a piece, then they will be much more likely to continue playing the piano into adulthood.   

another thing I LOVE is that the lessons take place in a music studio.  There are about 10 keyboards, so there are more than enough for everyone to have their own keyboard (I know, I know, they're just keyboards, not baby grands, but, hey at least it makes the digital piano at home look a little better, right?)  There are no other children running around being a distraction, there is no phone ringing, or other disruptions.

They have "Pass Off Standards" that must be met in order for them to pass off a song.

They also have "Practice Directions" for their songs.  I love this idea.  It breaks everything down so nicely so that even the tough stuff is not intimidating. 

Ok, the downside:  I have been attending 2 hours of piano lessons every Tuesday for 3 1/2 years.  WHY?  It helps so much.  I know what my kids are supposed to be practicing, I can answer their questions so they don't have to wait all week to figure something out, and I can support them and the teacher.  The parents can help the child know what questions to ask or what parts are troubling them.  It really is a pain in the neck to arrange my schedule to do this (especially when I drive 30 minutes to the Orem locations and then SIT there for 2 hours) but I really wouldn't keep doing it if I didn't think it was worthwhile.  I absolutely know that I learn something each week along with them.  I'm amazed at all of the things they have learned.  I contemplated taking a music class at BYU but I was always too intimated because I knew NOTHING about music theory.  but, I would have no problem sending Summer off to a music class with what she knows right now.

Anyway, if anyone is still reading after this big, long, huge boring post, please know that I am not in anyway being rewarded for the good things I have said about this program.  I am just grateful that these 2 BYU music graduates got together and used their music knowledge and obsessive compulsive behaviors to write such a fabulous and detailed music program.