Program Success Summer 2014 | Page 23

Never Too Late nor Too Soon for Music and Singing Lessons

Piano and Singing Lessons By Brejoya Daytona Bech Florida Summer 2014
( CNN ) - It ' s no secret that education in America is broken . We can ' t define a good school , let alone figure out a way to measure success . Yet when money is tight , as it is right now because of the forced budget cuts , the first thing to be cut is always the arts . And that ' s a tragedy .
Music is an art and a science , and it ' s one of the best ways kids can learn creativity and those mythical critical thinking skills . The focus of the curriculum isn ' t forcing everyone to learn about Bach or Mozart . It ' s about learning how to think , rather than what to think . Here are a few points of why music lessons are key to the very young beginner and even for the adults who may think it is too late :
Work hard and make it happen ... it pays off No one starts the way that they will finish . With music being a skill , it takes practice . Compare it to sports for instance , if you want to score multiples of threes and beyond , you have to miss and make a lot of shots ! If you want to sing or play an instrument well , you will have to practice . This is a concept that will carry throughout childhood and beyond childhood .
Know where you stand What do you eat ? Do you exercise regularly ? This may not seem to apply to music , but it does because any and everything can affect your musical performance and your performance in life . Music lessons will teach you to pay close attention to your body and health .
Do your research Playing or singing a piece of music is simply playing . However , when you research why a piece of music is written , when it was written , why it was written in the key of C major or A minor , etc . Music lessons allows a student to perform research and tell a story . This is a direct correlation to reading and language arts . In a real life situation , having all of the data and facts allows you to make a clearer decision .
Work with others Working with a coach / teacher is a team effort . The teacher sings or plays along with you while learning . If one half of the puzzle is not participating , the puzzle cannot be complete . In an ensemble setting , which I strongly encourage , it allows the student work within a group and realize that if the tenors stop singing , the chorus will be incomplete ; if the tubas walk off stage , the performance is incomplete . There is no escaping people ; you have to work together in every aspect of life .
Be responsible for your work You simply cannot cheat in music . You are completely responsible for the work you created . Take ownership . I cannot express further how much this simple action can and will take you to high heights .
In conclusion , music education is not the only thing that will teach these skills , but for a person who is trying to make a decision for their children or themselves , you will definitely receive these benefits in an enjoyable , musical manner .
When you ' re performing music , you can ' t cheat . You can ' t say to the audience , " You don ' t get it ." If they didn ' t understand it or like it , you failed . You are completely responsible for your product being well received .
I recently spoke to a recruiter from a large tech company and was told that two of the most important traits they look for in new hires are their ability to think like the customer and taking complete responsibility for their work . It ' s a sense of responsibility that has to be learned , and I learned it as a musician ... in high school .
I ' m not advocating for everyone to go to music school . I am saying that we , as a nation , need music education to teach everyone these lessons and more . It ' s what will help prepare students to join the workforce , whether they ' re part of an orchestra , a lab or a startup . Keep kids involved in the arts and stop underestimating the inherent value of music education .
- Points made by Andrew Swarts Special to CNN
Piano and Singing Lessons by Brejoya
( 386 ) 254-9981
Children $ 30.00 Adults $ 50.00