Warning: Music-making may enhance human attachment capabilities!

Beware!

Music making creates stronger bonds between people.

Stronger non-verbal bonds!  These are bonds with heartstrings.  Attachment that lasts.

Cutting the strings is routine at this time of year for any teacher and I am no exception.

Students grow up and move one. (teachers grow up and move on!)

Yesterday was the last party of the year.  (a bit of a relief because now I am having a bit of a holiday)

This last party was also the last Musicalia party for a creative, talented, fun-living, popcorn-eating bunch of kids, some who've been with me for 10 years. (more than a bit of sad...)

I know we'll keep in touch and I'll hear about their milestones for many years to come (for instance, I'm off to a gr.12 graduation ceremony tonight for a young woman who studied/played with me for 8 years (ages 3-11).

Knowing we'll keep in touch is reassuring but I still feel attached (and sad!)

with a song in my heart - artwork from lorettaalvarado.com...so beautiful!

Beware!  Music making creates stronger bonds between people.

I think it may also create stronger people!

What do you think?

Love at First Song

You've heard of love at first sight...well...how about love at first song?

I've had so many children come by lately to meet me and see the studio.

The parents are for the most part, looking for a playful, child-oriented program (thankfully! because that's my "forte") and not for a didactic type of lesson (something more traditional and teacher-oriented).

I don't think there is anything wrong with the teacher-oriented type of lesson.  I have just seen so many children leave with excitement bubbling up and music pulsing through their bodies once they've had a chance to make up their own songs (and not mine) on some beautiful instruments.

So, the child walks in for the first time and is instantly drawn to the  Orff Orchestra set up in the room....mallets at the ready...songs pour forth!

These children are already musical.  They respond to opportunities for creating beautiful melodies.

It's as though they fall in love with music as soon as they play their songs on the beautiful rosewood bars of the xylophone.

As we touch the beautiful wooden bars we are improvising in C pentatonic...mommy on the metallophone, Susan on the contrabass bar and the child on the glock or the bass xylophone.  It sounds so lovely they just keep playing and playing.

What's next?! they say and then they try the piano, the guitar, the harp.  It's all so magical.

Then the bad news...classes have filled in the last day...and my private lesson times are fully booked as well...now what???

Maybe one day there will be another teacher to work at Musicalia.  I can dream!