Park Slope Music Lessons

The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled. – Plutarch

Dear parent,

Thanks for dropping by. My name is Andrew and I specialize in teaching music to children here in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Teaching Mission

To inspire, instill and unleash creativity, artistic appreciation, expression and wonder in children/young people through learning music. Music has the power to bring joy, focus, self-confidence, discipline, and has been proven to grow neural connections in the brain. Music is also just plain fun to play, listen or dance to!

“Highly Recommended” – As reviewed by Park Slope Parents

What do you like most about Andrew’s teaching methods?

The “system” – colour coded music sheets, and how easy he makes it to learn music. I also love the fact that he starts of with songs that children can easily sing along with. Finally I love the fact that he adapts the teaching to the student and is playful about it. – Parent to a 5 year old piano student

Our Spring Recital 2011 at Carroll Gardens Library

Winter Music Recital 2011

Our Spring 2010 Recital At Pacific Library

Our Winter 2010 Recital at Pacific Library

Our Spring 2009 Recital At Park Slope Library

Teaching Children

Children have a natural curiousity, wonderment and openness that allows for experimenting, discovery and play. Through music, and the strategies, processes and methods learned and discovered, children are naturally stimulated to carry over these gains to other fields of endeavor outside and inside of music.

Teaching children usually doesn’t require fixing bad habits or out-moded thinking. Yet, it does requires patience, bite-sized lessons and plenty of encouragement and positive feedback. Lessons are like games with stars earned and high fives for effort.

The Link Between Music and Academic Achievement

A recent study finds a true correlation between music lessons (in or out of school) and academics.  See my recent article on this.

At What Age To Start Lessons?

Children naturally respond to the sound of music in voice or instruments or recordings from in the womb. From 0 to 3 years old, it consists mainly of play, discovery and exploration with instruments like a xylophone. From ages 3 and up, more formal piano studies can take place as their fingers are large enough and strong enough to push down the keys.  I take children usually from around the age of 4 ( though I have one 3 1/2 year old who is doing fantastically well.) through teenagers and adults.  If the child can sing the ABC song, and order the letters properly, then we can do some great things.  I’ve written a more detailed blog post about the proper age to start music lessons.

Before this age, I would highly recommend Music Together of Park Slope where we had our son for several years.  I’ve also heard good things about Music for Aardvaarks, and John Carlin’s Kids Music Underground in Brooklyn Heights.  If you want a Spanish class that incorporates music and art, you must go to Juguemos A Cantar – maravilloso!

Curriculum

I teach using a combination of materials including exercises and games I have created, and books.  See Curriculum/Music Books for more details.  After the initial lesson, I will recommend certain books and materials for your child.

Location

I’m located at 114 Garfield Place, 3r between 5th and 6th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Here’s a list of recommended instruments for children – both guitar and piano.

Tuition

Lessons are given in a semester-based system with Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer.  Most semesters run around 10 weeks.  There is a Winter Recital and Spring Recital.

Current Tuition for the Winter 2011  is $520 and runs from November 28, 2011 through February 18, 2012 for 10 sessions.  There will be a recital sometime in late January/early February.

For new students who are just starting with me, you can try the first 2 lessons at $55/each -payable at the lesson – before deciding whether to join for the semester. Further lessons will be billed pro-rated.  Lessons are 30 minutes each.

There are limited openings for the Winter Session.  Please contact me asap if you are interested. You can register here.
Home-school parents and parents of pre-schoolers, if you are available for weekday morning lessons, there is much more flexibility. Please email me and we can discuss scheduling.

A portion of proceeds is donated is annually to the PTA of PS 321 and the Brooklyn Public Library.