A Joy that Keeps on Giving
I get so excited about teaching music that it spills out all over. I have a hard time keeping my enthusiasm under control. Finding a method that works for very young children has opened up a whole new world for me. It takes dedication, patience, and self discipline to teach music to young children; it is not always an easy job. However the rewards are so very special. The smile on a child’s face, when they know they have accomplished a task, successfully completed a new piece, or done a good job performing in front of an audience, is worth a million dollars. At Christmas time, one of my young students, who had just turned four, played Hot Cross Buns for her families’ Christmas party of about 50 people. Yes, her mother helped her keep track of where she was in the music, but she did not miss a note. The Animal Note method allowed her to accomplish this challenge, and her smile at the end lit up the room.
Because of the successes I have had with the Animal Note method of teaching piano to young children, and the many requests by young boys to teach them to play the guitar; I have started working on a book using the Animal Notes to teach the location of the notes on the guitar and their location on the Grand Staff. I have two young boys who are learning the basics of the guitar and note reading with what I have worked out so far. They are excited, and so am I. I hope to have the book ready for this web site soon. I am emphasizing note reading for the guitar to give the children more options with this delightful instrument. Both of the boys have had some basic training in piano which really helps, but would not be essential.
I hope you will be willing to give the Animal Note approach to early music education a try. With the use of the word clues and the Animal Note/Standard Note flash cards for easy transition to standard notes, I think you too will have the joy of teaching music to a young child that will keep on giving for that child’s lifetime.
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