The Power of Music

In college, I considered a degree in Music Therapy, but the required "medical classes" with all the math and science requirements led me down another path!

Music is such a powerful and often under-utilized tool.  Over the past few months, I've tried to utilize the power of music more in our home.  With all the technology available today, it's so easy to have inspiring and uplifting music filling our home.  I have watched the mood in our home change almost instantly, as I change the music in our home.  We can go from chaotic and loud, to subdued and reverent in moments (well, pretty much :)).  I have also watched whiny grumpy kids happily and excitedly start doing their assigned chores when I put their favorite music on!

It's a fun experiment, give it a try!

It's all about...T I M E!

This is what one mom had to say after attending a sample class and registering her son for next fall:

...he was in heaven, and I was thrilled to feel like I found just the right thing for him. I think that Let's Play Music and you as a teacher are going to really help him get him ready to start Kindergarten.  And one of the things I liked best was that one-on-one time with him.  On our drive out he kept calling it "our special date." :)  That individual time is something I've struggled to make happen since I had our second child last summer, so I'm really excited for that aspect of this opportunity, too.  Like you said this morning, it will help me turn my good intentions into a scheduled, regular time of one-on-one involvement with my child.  I'm so happy I found this program and you as a teacher!  I think it's going to be a great fit.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the unique aspect of parental involvement in Let's Play Music.  It can be a challenge to come to a lesson with your child every other week.  Some may ask why it is necessary?  There are several reasons for that kind of involvement...but my favorite reason is the regularly scheduled opportunity it gives a parent to spend individual time with their child.

So often the time I spend with my own children is done while I multi-task.  We are trying to get homework done, fix dinner, get someone to their ______ (fill in the class, practice, lesson) on time, find the missing library book, do another load of laundry...the list is never ending!  Despite my efforts to not over schedule our family, it still seems crazy enough that quality/quantity one-on-one time falls to the bottom of my to-do list.  It's something I'm continually striving to be better at.

Kids need us!  They need parents and caregivers who will step into their world, get down to their level and just be with them, enjoy them and appreciate them for the wonderful and amazing people they are!

I see the families in my studio sacrifice to make that happen every time they attend class with their child.  They make arrangements for siblings, they put their phones away, they leave their to-do lists at the door and just come to class and enjoy their child!  It's a beautiful thing!

I applaud them for giving their child not only a great music education, but a gift of themselves for 45 minutes every other week!  You are amazing!

Registration for Fall 2012

Upcoming Sample Class:

Thursday, April 12 @ 10:00

If you are wondering if Let's Play Music is a good fit for your child, this is a great way to find out! 

Email me at alicia.letsplaymusic@gmail.com to reserve a spot!

Last week for Early Bird Registration

Just one week left for Early Bird registration!

Register by Feburary 29th and receive

$10 off your registration fee!

Upcoming Sample Class

Sample class

Tuesday, February 28 @ 4:00pm

A 30 minute abbreviated class, with a 15 minute Q&A session at the end!  This is the best way to check out the program and see if it's a good fit for your child.  Call/email me to reserve a spot:

801-661-0766

alicia.letsplaymusic@gmail.com

Come see what the fun is all about!

What's your secret weapon?

I taught a class to a woman's group last week about how we can use music more effectively in our homes.  In my preparations for the class, I was reminded of what a great motivator music can be.  It's like a secret weapon, with power so great it can totally change the atmosphere in our home!  With the ease of free music on the Internet, and the ability to access it with technology...why am I not using it more?

I remember nagging my kids for a week to clean up the toy room.  After a week of nothing happened, I had the inspiration to turn on their favorite music and work with them to clean up.  Miracle!  The job was done in 10 minutes, and better yet it was one of those magical moments when I saw the beauty of my role as mother!  It was a fun 10 minutes I spent with my kids and the bonus was a clean toy room!

The day of the class, I had my ipod out making some final preparations, and the kids turned on "I like to move it move it." (Madagascar).  My son (who typically will NOT participate of his own will in anything musical....oh, the irony), started busting a move and just lit up!  He couldn't HELP but move!  I love how music is so powerful; it touches everyone differently, but it does touch us.

This is one song that makes me move every time I hear it.  How can you not stomp your feet, clap your hands, something to that strong beat!

Michael meets Mozart

Music Makes a Difference!

I just read this great article about music and how it affects the brain development of children.  It targeted children from 4-6 (that made me smile since it's the recommended age for LPM 1st yr students!), and had some great findings that support music education for small children!  I loved this part:

"That the children studying music for a year improved in musical listening skills more than children not studying music is perhaps not very surprising. On the other hand, it is very interesting that the children taking music lessons improved more over the year on general memory skills that are correlated with non-musical abilities such as literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics and IQ than did the children not taking lessons. The finding of very rapid maturation of the N250m component to violin sounds in children taking music lessons fits with their large improvement on the memory test. It suggests that musical training is having an effect on how the brain gets wired for general cognitive functioning related to memory and attention

Happy Reading!

First Evidence That Musical Training Affects Brain Development In Young Children

Practice makes perfect!

Since I'm teaching 2 of my own girls this year, I'm getting a parents perspective of LPM (in a twisted sort of way!)  One thing I'm finding...practicing is harder than I expected, and we're only on year 1!  Not that the actual practice is hard, but finding the time to do it is a challenge.

So with the new year, I'm recommitting myself to be better at sitting down with my girls at practicing!  This week we've done pretty well.

I had an lightbulb moment!  In the past, I'm usually multi-tasking while practicing with them.  I'm making dinner, or helping the older kids with homework AND trying to help with practicing.  This week, I managed to carve out time just for LPM and what a difference it made!

Here is what the week looked like for practicing: Friday, sat down with younger one and did the bells.  Once we did the "assigned" bell work, I just tossed out the three patterns randomly (MRD, SSD, SLTD) and she played them on the bells.  Then I had her close her eyes and listen while I played the different patterns and she had to tell me what pattern it was by doing hand signs back to me.  This lasted for maybe 20 minutes...but only because she was asking for more.  If she was done in 5 minutes we would have called it good, because when it stops being fun for either of us...it looses it's effectiveness.  It is Let's PLAY Music, after all!

Then we moved to the written assignment.  The hardest part of that was finding the right crayon colors needed! Then we flipped to the back of the book and practiced making the three patterns with beans.  She would make them and then I would make them and we would quiz each other back and forth.  We also practicing identifying and making baby steps and skips with the beans.

Through out the week we've turned on the CD (she is really loving the new puppet show) and listened as we've made lunch or cleaned up.

Practice for my older one looked similar, but the bells and written work happened at a different time.  I like practicing separately so we minimize comparison and they each can demonstrate what they truly know, and not what the other one just did.

AND it gives me another opportunity to spend one on one time with them...a huge benefit to LPM!

Year 2 here we come!

2nd year requires each student to be on their own keyboard during class...so we wrapped up Thanksgiving festivities early and hit the Black Friday deals to buy 8 keyboards!  Personally, I've out grown my past adrenaline rush for skipping sleep to fight crazy crowds for a good deal...but when you have to buy 8 keyboards...I couldn't pass up the deal!  My sweetie was such a trooper to come along!

Really, the hard part was getting them home...since we spent the holiday in Bosie and had to fit the keyboards + 5 kids + 2 adults + all the stuff that goes along with them into the family mobile!

Good times!

Almost didn't fit through the door with this load!

Parent testimonials

I love it when parents discover the power and amazing ability LPM has to teach children complex musical concepts!  Here are some of my favorite comments from parents after our first semester:


"I can tell that my children are learning a good foundation for a life of music.  I am excited each week to see their improvement!"


"We are very impressed with Let's Play Music.  Our son loves it and is learning a lot.  We are excited to continue in the program."


"I can't believe how much my child has learned in such a fun way!  He has no idea that he is learning about music.  It's great!!!"