My music education begins and ends with 6th grade orchestra.
I vividly remember going into the orchestra room on the first day of middle school and sitting down in chairs arranged in a semicircle. I was excited to finally be playing an instrument. See, my best friend since I was 3 years old came from a very musically talented family. Her father was a professional guitar player, while she and her brother played piano and drums. I always envied her talent, but of course I couldn’t straight up copy her and join band. . . . I had to be unique, so logically I chose orchestra.
My memory gets blurry and somehow I chose (was assigned?) to play the viola. Now for those of you who don’t share my wealth of knowledge from one year of middle school orchestra, the viola is like a violin, but larger and plays lower notes.
In case you can’t already tell where this is going, 6th grade orchestra was not my cup of tea. I never got passionate about music or playing an instrument. So when 7th grade rolled around, I opted for Home Economics as my elective. Looking back, I wish I would have stuck with it longer or even started earlier in my childhood. We all know how confusing middle school can be. Throw in daily practice, not having a supportive mentor, and having to lug around a viola case to and from school (this is where I wish I would have gone with the smaller, lighter violin), it was futile pursuit.
Fast forward 18 years. . . . OMG it’s been 18 years since I was in 6th grade. How did that happen? Anyway, I still have the fantasy of learning how to play an instrument. And like any good parent, I also want to live vicariously through my children and have them learn to play. Besides the fact that playing a musical instrument is really awesome, musical training has been shown to enhance executive functioning.
Janow Academy of Music is an amazing program in Albuquerque.
They specialize in teaching children (and adults) of all ages and skill levels piano, voice, guitar, and strings. One thing I love about their programming is that music theory is included in every workshop. This allows for students to learn to enjoy and appreciate music on a whole new level.
Not only does music help children perform better academically, it can really help boost confidence. I’m not sure about you but, one of my #momgoals is to teach my children self-confidence and resilience. So much of life is trying again when you get knocked down and standing up for yourself. Raising good humans demands that we as moms teach them how to be brave, put themselves out there, and be their true selves. Music education can be an avenue for all of these things!
Janow Academy of Music offers summer and after-school workshops. Classes are taught by professionals, who are truly passionate about music and helping youth find joy through music. Summer Workshops begin June 4, 2018. They are held at Hoffmantown Church. Check out their website to learn more about summer programming and get a jump start on your child’s after-school plans for the fall.
