Why Cant Piano Lessons Be Fun? Cincinnati's Playtime Piano Instructions answer vanquishes visions of rulers smacking wandering fingers and stupefying rote practice with student and parent friendly in-home lessons.
For every kid who wants to play piano or keyboard, and every time-starved parent who dreads more chauffering and daily tussles at practice time, Playtime Piano Instruction of Cincinnati has a solution that happens right at home. Parents, who may harbor unpleasant childhood memories of their own humorless task master teacher looming with ruler poised to strike, have embraced Playtimes kinder and gentler" approach.
Cincinnati, Ohio (PRWEB) September 3, 2003 -- For every kid who wants to play piano or keyboard, and every time-starved parent who dreads more chauffering and daily tussles at practice time, Playtime Piano Instruction has a solution that happens right at home.
Parents, who may harbor unpleasant childhood memories of their own humorless task master teacher looming with ruler poised to strike, have embraced Playtimes kinder and gentler" approach. Proof it works: Kids stick with it, rockin recitals with standing room only, and a steady demand for lessons.
Playtime Pianos program begins by indexing each students dominant learning style and respecting their personal musical tastes and goals. Students learn to read and play music and understand the meaning of musical terms and symbols, and are encouraged to express themselves through original composition.
Exquisitely qualified instructors are matched with students in personality and temperament. Only teachers who genuinely love playing and interacting with children --and who can infuse the process with fun - need apply. Instructors come from many walks of life. Cincinnatis teacher roster includes a local football star who also happens to be an R&B artist, a former Eagle Scout and highly degreed musician who interestingly is hearing impaired, and a young woman who had been a childrens behavior therapist and camp counselor for gifted kids.
Mason, Ohio resident and former international IT consultant Jeff Roller opened Playtime for Greater Cincinnati in spring 2003. Roller observes, If someone is taking art lessons, dont they create art? Why cant students create original music if they take music lessons? Children will literally want to stretch to learn a favorite piece of music. The real issue has always been how to hold the interest of a child. What motivates one child might not work for another. Music education needs to reach students on a personal level."
Playtimes Practice Incentive Program" offers students a catalog of music related prizes they may work toward featuring CDs, T-shirts and posters of favorite artists.
It also helps to have the experts behind you. Studies prove that learning to read and play music -- particularly piano or keyboard -- is one of the best ways to enhance neurological development and function in children. In fact, music is beating computers at enhancing early childhood development.
Playtime Piano Instruction was founded by husband and wife musicians Scott and Harlene McGowan of Owings Mills, Maryland. It worked so well as a home-based business for the McGowans in Greater Baltimore that it begged to be franchised -- more from necessity at first than from ambition. Serving more than 1,500 students since 1997 through hired instructors and their personal student rosters, the McGowans were hard pressed during the early years to keep up with demand. By early 2002 the franchise was registered to do business in 37 states.
For more information about Playtime Piano Instruction in Greater Cincinnati, contact Jeff Roller at 513-459-3069 or visit www.playtimepiano.com.
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Backgrounder: Children and learning music
Studies have proven that learning music, specifically piano or keyboard, may be one of the very best ways to enhance neurological development and function. The 1997 study by Rauscher-Shaw (University of California, Irvine) declared:
Music is beating computers at enhancing early childhood development. Music training, specifically piano instruction, dramatically enhances childrens abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and science. Learning music at an early age causes long-term enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning."
In September 1997, The College Board, a national, nonprofit membership association dedicated to preparing, inspiring, and connecting students to college and opportunity, reported : "Music Students are Scoring. Music students are outperforming non-music students on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). College bound seniors with coursework or experience in music performance scored 52 points higher on the verbal portion and 37 points higher on the math portion of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience."
Founded in 1900, The College Board is composed of more than 3,900 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations.
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TIPS FOR PARENTS
1. Say "I love hearing you play" instead of "it's time to practice".
2. Establish a regular time for playing. Some students prefer getting up early or practicing before homework.
3. Praise noticeable improvements.
4. Expose students to many different music styles by playing a mix of radio stations, tapes or CDs, watching musicals or music videos together, going to concerts.
5. Share your opinions of what you each like and why. Use that feedback to find music assignments that tie into their favorites.
6. Share excitement about upcoming recitals.
7. Encourage play dates with other children who also take music lessons. Let them "jam" or compose duets.
8. Teach them through example to be patient and gentle with themselves. Learning to read and play music is a discipline. Honor this process.
9. Allow students to record their playing on tape to increase awareness of their style.
10. Encourage students to listen to more advanced pianists (siblings, friends, professional musicians, others at recitals, etc.) to inspire them about the payoffs that await.
www.playtimepiano.com
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