Tag: music

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Music Lessons and the Mind

Music and the mind

Recent professional studies have determined music lessons for children are an empowering experience and enhance cognitive abilities and help grow and develop young minds. The interest in music lessons for children as a developmental aid comes on the heels of deep cuts in music education in public schools. As music and the arts continue to be deleted from schools, it becomes increasingly important to seek music lessons for children outside the public schools.  As music instructors, it’s important to help parents grasp that learning to play music has a far more reaching effect than just learning to play songs or scales on an instrument. 

Music lessons versus other lessons

A German study in 2013 cites a significant difference between learning to play music and participating in other skill building activities for children. “Music improves cognitive and non-cognitive skills more than twice as much as sports, theater or dance,” cites the study by German Socio-Economic panel in 2013. Children who take music lessons “have better cognitive skills and school grades and are more conscientious, open and ambitious.” The act of developing an open and ambitious attitude is a life lesson as much as it is a music lesson. Children who take music lessons learn early that discipline, productive practice and having fun as they are learning to play music are lessons that carry through a lifetime. 

Music lessons enhance verbal and reading skills

Children who learn to read music apply that knowledge to verbal and reading skills. There is a connection between the visual nature of note reading and the ability to decipher letters and words on a page. For children, music lessons can improve pitch and pitch recognition is a foundation of verbal skills. Parents may report better grades in reading, verbal expression, and an improvement in attention span for children who take music lessons. 

Music Lessons and mathematics

Music is math and the development of mathematical skills is vastly improved when children take music lessons. Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras said, “There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres.”  Music lessons teach children the values of numbers as they learn to read notes. Spatial recognition is also improved and a sense of mathematical order as they pursue music lessons. 

Summing up

The value of music lessons and the mind is undeniable and all music instructors should be able to talk with parents about not only musical instruction for children but the extreme enhancement to other facets of learning. Music is such a pleasure and such a fun way to accelerate learning in any educational pursuit! 

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How to find a music teacher for all levels

Guitar lessons

A wonderful music teacher can inspire creativity, discover passion and instill a sense of wonder in any student. The right teacher for each skill level is something to be considered as you begin or continue your musical journey. Let’s talk about things to consider when searching for a music instructor.

Ascertaining a skill level

It’s great to know where to begin, right? Are you a true beginner, or do you have some musical skill? Are you rediscovering your talent or starting from scratch?

It’s a good idea to figure out your skill level or the skill level of your child as you’re searching for an instructor. A purposeful dialog that addresses musical skills you have accomplished and what you want to learn helps a potential instructor know how to teach to a student. Talking to your child about what they want to learn from a music instructor is very helpful as children are often shy around new people. Take some time to really thing about where you are skill wise and where you want to be and what you would like to learn.

Personalities and learning styles are important

Children gravitate to funny, cool, young personalities. An older learner may be much more comfortable learning to play music from someone closer to their own age. Teenagers may learn best from young adults. Consider your learning style or the learning style of your child. Does your child learn best by listening and playing? Or is reading music a skill they would like to accomplish? Do they like big personalities or are they more comfortable around quieter people?If you’re a parent, you’re well aware of how your child learns best and what sort of instructor they would gravitate to and learn best from. If you’re an adult student, it’s good to ask yourself questions about the perfect instructor for your particular style and personality.

What skills you want to learn?

Are you interested in being a performing musician? A studio musician? Perhaps an orchestra player? Take time to focus on the trek of your musical path and be sure your instructor matches your goals. There are plenty of students who are not interested in a music career, and just want to be able to play and sing. Some students are music career driven and want an instructor who not only know how to play, but that guide them in music career choices. If teaching is your interest, you’ll want an instructor that is adept in music education and understands the dynamics of teaching others. Consider what you want to learn and the projected path of your musical career when choosing an instructor.

Let Melody Music Studios help you find a great teacher!

Kathi Kerr, our founder, has been teaching since 1985 and she is very adept at matching students with instructors. All of our instructors are professional musicians and are screened before they are hired. Instead of striking out on your own, allow Melody Music Studios to help you find a great instructor for you or your child!

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Gift Certificates for Music Lessons!

Gift certificate music lessons

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

What kind of gift keeps on giving and lasts a life time?  The gift of music lessons, of course!  Gift certificates for music lessons say you care about your special someone in your life.  With every lesson,  practice session, or performance, he or she will be reminded of the person who cared enough to buy a gift certificate to sing or play their favorite instrument.  At Melody Music Studios, we offer gift certificates for all instruments, from piano, voice, guitar, drums, to all kinds of stringed instruments (banjo, violin, viola, cello, bass, mandolin, and ukulele), as well as band instruments (trumpet, trombone, saxophone, clarinet, and flute). 

Buy a Gift Certificate

For piano, singing, guitar, drums, stringed, and band instruments!

There are so many gifts that are quickly forgotten.  Candy gets eaten, flowers die, things get broken or lost, BUT, a gift of music lessons can never be lost, broken, or forgotten.  It literally lasts a lifetime!  The great thing about buying a gift certificate for music lessons at Melody Music Studios, is that we have a large network of instructors and guaranteed we’ll have the right instructor for that special someone.   Our gift certificate NEVER expire, and the recipient can choose the instructor right from our website at MelodyMusicStudios.com by clicking or taping their state, city, and any instructor’s bio on the list.  The instructor’s bio includes their background, performance recordings, and what we call the “meet the instructor” video.  It’s like a meet a greet with the instructor, so the recipient will feel like he or she knows the instructor personally before even starting the lessons.  

And, it’s so easy to purchase, by phone or on our website.  Simply go to our Gift Certificates page to enter your information, the recipient’s information, as well as the instrument and number of months you wish to purchase.  It automatically calculates the total before entering your credit card information.  If you would like to purchase by the lesson instead of by the month(s), simply call us at 800-Melody 1 (800-635-6391) to purchase just the right amount of lessons.  We’re happy to work within your budget and what works best for you and the recipient.  

We also offer on line lessons (skype, facetime, etc),  so no matter where the student may live or the instrument you choose, we have an instructor available.  For students that may live outside our area, or in a remote area where a music teacher is not available, this is the perfect solution!  Skype lessons are fast becoming a fun and easy way to take lessons, and it’s conveniently at home for both student and teacher.  Skype lessons are live, interactive lessons with an instructor (not a video), and is much the same as in-person lessons, except the interaction is through a computer, laptop, or tablet.  We have a large network of instructors that offer skype for all instruments to choose from.  At Melody Music Studios, only the very best instructors are chosen to be on our skype list, so you can be assured your special someone will receive the very best instruction possible.  

So instead of that old boring traditional gift, why not do something special and buy a gift certificate for piano, voice, guitar, drums, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, trombone, saxophone, clarinet, flute, or any instrument you can think of!  Not only is the gift of learning to sing or play an instrument a lifetime gift, he or she will remember YOU for a lifetime!  

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Fall Music Recitals

Music Recital
Music Recital in Wilton, CT at Melody Music Studios

Fall and spring are my favorites times of year….why??  Because I, Kathi Kerr, owner and founder of Melody Music Studios, get to leave my office and travel to cities across the county to meet my staff of instructors and watch their students perform.  It’s great to see the results of the students’ hard work and discipline.  I also enjoy seeing the students have a great time showing family and friends what they’ve accomplished!  That’s what music recitals are all about!.   And for me, the icing on the cake is to see my staff and students in person.  Over the years, I’ve had the chance to watch the same students perform, and watch how he/she has grown, both musically, and in their confidence as they begin to master their skills of music.  


As I always tell my students, if learning to sing or play an instrument was easy, EVERYONE would be a musician.  But it isn’t easy, and it takes time, endurance, patience, and perseverance, to master an instrument or to sing.  So music recitals are what I call the “pat on the back” to show the student what a great job their doing.  And because of that, music recitals are an important part of the entire musical education.  It gives students a goal to work towards and motivates the student to practice.  Sometimes that little extra motivation goes a long way.  And when the student gets a feel for success, that’s enough to push them through what feels like “tedious” practice sessions.  I still remember times in my youth when I had a performance to practice for.  It can make all the difference in motivation to practice.  And the more a student practices, the better he or she will be, and the better he/she is, the more FUN it is to practice.  It’s what I call the “snowball” effect.  The more skill is developed, the more “fun” it is to play or practice, and in turn gives the student more motivation to practice.  It’s a “good” cycle.  

Although most of the students are children that perform in our recitals, we also have adult students that perform as well.  I especially enjoy having the adult students showcase their songs, and I believe their performance helps to motivate other adults to take lessons.  Often when adults call about signing up for music lessons, they’re first question is if we even offer lessons for adults.  My quirky answer is, “of course, anyone under the age of 99!”  Music lessons are not only for kids, but is a great thing for adults no matter their goal.  Most adult students just want to enjoy learning music, and at Melody  Music Studios, we’re happy to offer that.  Then at recital time, I love to see their performance, and know that what we offering is making a real difference in their lives.   

So keep on going students of all ages, and don’t give up!  It will pay off in your life, no matter what you choose for a career, or what your goal in life may be.  If music is your choice, this is a great way to get started.  But even if you don’t choose to be a musician or music teacher, you’ll have a life time skill of enjoyment as you come home from a hard day’s work and sing or play your favorite song!  Music is the color in a person’s life, that is otherwise only black and white.