FAQ
What is “play!”?
play! is an instrumental music program developed to provide access to instrumental instruction for children in their school or day care environment.
There are so many ways we as working parents would like to enrich our children’s experiences and learning opportunities. Our schedules can be prohibitive. That’s why I developed play!
play!
Who am I?
I am a professional and active violinist playing in the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Principal in the Hamilton Philharmonic and Esprit Orchestras, and can be seen with Tafelmusik, Toronto Symphony, National Ballet of Canada, and elsewhere in and around the GTA. I have been teaching for over 20 years.
I am also a mother of two girls, aged 6 and 8. As a mother, I realize the difficulties associated with getting children to and from any kind of lesson or activity from school, to home, leaving time and energy for us to be together. Music lessons are generally when you finally get back from work, or have some family time. Any way to buy more time together and also get a well rounded education is a win for everyone!
My full bio is online at my website: www.bethanybergman.com/bio.html
How does the program work?
Your child will have 1 or 2 group lessons and/or a private lesson each week, during school hours. The best case scenario is 2 group lessons and a private lesson sometime that week.
Many children will do just a private lesson, and that works well if there is parent involvement in practicing. If a child does only group lessons, they will learn the basics of the instrument but the progress may be slower. Optimally, the parent will participate in practicing at home.
What about practicing? I can’t possibly get my kid to practice.
I will be the first to admit that practicing is challenging. However, regular practicing is incredibly beneficial for both your child’s progress and their confidence. The reinforcement of what is learned in class can be learned so quickly at a young age if it is repeated (think of walking, riding a bicycle, times tables....) If practicing with your child is out of the question a minimum of the two group lessons a week is recommended for your child to feel they are progressing!
How much does the program cost?
- $60 per week for a half hour private lesson and two group lessons
Group lessons will have a minimum of 3 students and a maximum of 4 students.
- If you wish to have group lessons only each group lesson is $15 per child. A group class must have 3 children in it for it to be held.
- If you wish to have private lessons only, it is $40 per half hour lesson
How many lessons and classes will be held every year?
Three terms of 12 weeks each will be held. At the end of each term there will be a performance. Each term will consist of ten lesson weeks with two weeks allotted for makeups due to illness, work, or family conflicts.
Where do we get an instrument?
Instruments can be rented at one of these three locations:
www.thesoundpost.com
www.remenyi.com/Strings/Overview.aspx
www.long-mcquade.com/rentals/band
What instruments can my child learn other than violin?
Young children can learn violin or cello quite easily. Wind and brass instruments are slightly more difficult at a very young age (younger than 8 or 9) until adult teeth are more established. However, if your child is keen to learn the trumpet or tuba, I can certainly arrange a suitable teacher with infinite patience and a sense of humour.
Who are the teachers?
Violin will be taught by me.
All instructors, include substitute and instructors of other instruments, will have a minimum of a Bachelor’s in Music, most with either a Master’s, Artist Diploma, or DMA. All teachers are experienced, highly qualified, and love working with young children.
But my child already learns music in school. Why do they need to learn an instrument?
Your school already has in place a basic music class, just as they might have a gym class, an art class, and other specialized classes. To learn a skill that requires complex motor skills combined with an aural and visual understanding of what amounts to another language requires one on one attention and repetition.
Learning an instrument benefits a child beyond what they learn by listening to music or participating in children’s classes like Orff or Eurythmy. While these classes are wonderful for child development, the complexity of instrumental mastery brings a child’s problem solving and critical thinking abilities to a new level. It is hard work, but a lot of fun once they get the hang of it!
As a parent, I can tell you first hand there is no better way to introduce the concept of “baby steps” and the incredible feeling of satisfaction that comes from being able to execute all the steps needed to perform a piece music. The resistance comes mostly from frustration. The best way to head this kind of frustration off is through regular practice.
What about performing?
Three times a year, there will be a recital opportunity for every child to perform. The cost of the recital preparation is including in the cost of your lesson. Performances are crucial to the learning and growing process, and it gives children a chance to show off and be proud of how hard they have worked! In most cases the teacher will be able to accompany children on the piano. As children advance, they may need a piano accompanist. There will be a collective feeThese recitals may be in your school, or with children from other schools depending on the number of children in each program at an outside venue (a church, retirement home, etc) It is a joy to see your child perform!
What happens if we miss a class?
With enough notice a makeup lesson can be scheduled. There will be a “makeup week” at the end of every term for those students who need to make up a lesson. If the teacher needs to reschedule, there will be ample notice for your child, and either an appropriate replacement teacher from our roster of instructors will be found, or there will be a makeup lesson. As all our instructors are professional and active musicians, this may happen from time to time if they need to be at a rehearsal or performance.
How the program will work:
Each student will have weekly lessons in school on the same day every week as often as possible. The group classes will not happen on that day so that each group class will be a "practice" of the music they worked on in their lessons.
I will meet your child before the first lesson to introduce myself and the violin! Of course, I will play something.
I use a combination of the Suzuki method, Shirley Givens' “Adventures in Violinland” method, Kurt Sassmanshaus and Mimi Zweig. Links to all their work and websites are here and on my website if you would like to get further information.
Three times a year there will be an informal recital for students to play for each other, family, and friends.
You will be given a list of books to order. I will also occasionally have copies of pieces you may not be able to get from a collection that is specific to your child’s needs at the moment. Make sure they have a dictation book for writing down lesson notes and for small exercises and songs I may want to write for them! A folder is helpful, or some other way to collect the items.
When requested and/or permitted by the school and the parent, I will provide a video or photo of your child working on their assignments for the week so that you know what they are doing and can hopefully support them at home in practice!
When should a child start violin or another instrument?
I had my first violin lessons from 6 - 10 from my older sister. The lessons were fun and somewhat informal - a bit unstructured but filled with love and wonder! I hope to be able to give some of that to every student I have.
Some of my colleagues began their music lessons at 3! There is a lot that very young children can do and are so proud of their accomplishments!
I am looking forward to meeting each and every child and watching them grow!
“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning”
― Plato
Why this program?
We’ve known this for thousands of years - music is food for our minds and souls. However, in recent years there have been tremendous developments in education, psychology and neurology research which indicate that learning to play an instrument, specifically, has a huge positive impact on a child’s development, emotionally and academically. Further research shows that the craft and joy of music continues through adulthood and can have an impact on our sustained mental health in our golden years. Giving our children the pleasure, pride, and skill of learning to play an instrument not only gives them a voice they may not have had without it, but develops their minds so that they can create and learn optimally.
Currently, there are little to no options for young children to learn an instrument during school hours. An in school program provides a child with this opportunity that is so crucial for their development.
The research!
For those of you who are interested to learn the science behind why instrumental music lessons are incredible for young children, I have some interesting links below you may want to look at. I've provided a few quotes to pique your interest! Enjoy!
“A University of Vermont College of Medicine child psychiatry team has found that musical training might also help kids focus their
attention, control their emotions and diminish their anxiety. Their research is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child
& Adolescent Psychiatry.” -University of Vermont, College ofMedicine
“After a year of music lessons, the reading scores of nine and 10-year-olds held steady compared to a dip seen in those who were not
taught any music. Another group of musically-trained children were found to be better at processing sounds and language. We are
finding that musical training can alter the nervous system to create a better learner... “ - Dr Nina Kraus, Northwestern University
I recommend everyone look at this TED talk, and all of Dr. Collins’ work:
How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins - YouTube
“... playing music has been found to increase the volume and activity in the brain's corpus callosum, the bridge between the two
hemispheres, allowing messages to get across the brain faster and through more diverse routes. This may allow musicians to solve
problems more effectively and creatively, in both academic and social settings.”
- Dr. Anita Collins
-
And this video on Music Education:
“The benefits of music education has been researched for decades. Most recently neuroscientists have been excited about the significant differences they have seen between the brain functions of musicians, when compared with non-musicians. It has become clear that music education before the age of 7 has the greatest benefits to brain development. Furthermore it has been found that it only takes, at the very lest, an hour a week of structured, formal music education to make permanent and positive changes to the brain functions of every child. This film has been made for music educators, parents, principals and policy makers to help get across the importance of music education in every child's education.”
- Dr. Anita Collins
Music Education and the Brain on Vimeo
Further reading:
https://www.facebook.com/BiggerBetterBrainsProject/
http://www.anitacollinsmusic.com/neuroandmused/
“With music, I feel complete. It reminds me that humans possess genius and can use it to create
beauty. Music classes in our schools can unlock the doors to creativity and self-expression for Canada’s
young people and help them expand their horizons.”
- Dr. Marc Garneau, Former Head of the Canadian Space Agency and the first
Canadian Astronaut in space
Kurt Sassmanhaus:
http://www.violinmasterclass.com/
Shirley Givens:
http://www.givensviolinland.com
Mimi Zweig:
http://www.stringpedagogy.com
Suzuki:
https://suzukiassociation.org/about/suzuki-method/
Canadian Coalition for Music Education:
http://www.musicmakesus.ca
Anita Collins’ website:
http://www.anitacollinsmusic.com
What is “play!”?
play! is an instrumental music program developed to provide access to instrumental instruction for children in their school or day care environment.
There are so many ways we as working parents would like to enrich our children’s experiences and learning opportunities. Our schedules can be prohibitive. That’s why I developed play!
play!
Who am I?
I am a professional and active violinist playing in the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Principal in the Hamilton Philharmonic and Esprit Orchestras, and can be seen with Tafelmusik, Toronto Symphony, National Ballet of Canada, and elsewhere in and around the GTA. I have been teaching for over 20 years.
I am also a mother of two girls, aged 6 and 8. As a mother, I realize the difficulties associated with getting children to and from any kind of lesson or activity from school, to home, leaving time and energy for us to be together. Music lessons are generally when you finally get back from work, or have some family time. Any way to buy more time together and also get a well rounded education is a win for everyone!
My full bio is online at my website: www.bethanybergman.com/bio.html
How does the program work?
Your child will have 1 or 2 group lessons and/or a private lesson each week, during school hours. The best case scenario is 2 group lessons and a private lesson sometime that week.
Many children will do just a private lesson, and that works well if there is parent involvement in practicing. If a child does only group lessons, they will learn the basics of the instrument but the progress may be slower. Optimally, the parent will participate in practicing at home.
What about practicing? I can’t possibly get my kid to practice.
I will be the first to admit that practicing is challenging. However, regular practicing is incredibly beneficial for both your child’s progress and their confidence. The reinforcement of what is learned in class can be learned so quickly at a young age if it is repeated (think of walking, riding a bicycle, times tables....) If practicing with your child is out of the question a minimum of the two group lessons a week is recommended for your child to feel they are progressing!
How much does the program cost?
- $60 per week for a half hour private lesson and two group lessons
Group lessons will have a minimum of 3 students and a maximum of 4 students.
- If you wish to have group lessons only each group lesson is $15 per child. A group class must have 3 children in it for it to be held.
- If you wish to have private lessons only, it is $40 per half hour lesson
How many lessons and classes will be held every year?
Three terms of 12 weeks each will be held. At the end of each term there will be a performance. Each term will consist of ten lesson weeks with two weeks allotted for makeups due to illness, work, or family conflicts.
Where do we get an instrument?
Instruments can be rented at one of these three locations:
www.thesoundpost.com
www.remenyi.com/Strings/Overview.aspx
www.long-mcquade.com/rentals/band
What instruments can my child learn other than violin?
Young children can learn violin or cello quite easily. Wind and brass instruments are slightly more difficult at a very young age (younger than 8 or 9) until adult teeth are more established. However, if your child is keen to learn the trumpet or tuba, I can certainly arrange a suitable teacher with infinite patience and a sense of humour.
Who are the teachers?
Violin will be taught by me.
All instructors, include substitute and instructors of other instruments, will have a minimum of a Bachelor’s in Music, most with either a Master’s, Artist Diploma, or DMA. All teachers are experienced, highly qualified, and love working with young children.
But my child already learns music in school. Why do they need to learn an instrument?
Your school already has in place a basic music class, just as they might have a gym class, an art class, and other specialized classes. To learn a skill that requires complex motor skills combined with an aural and visual understanding of what amounts to another language requires one on one attention and repetition.
Learning an instrument benefits a child beyond what they learn by listening to music or participating in children’s classes like Orff or Eurythmy. While these classes are wonderful for child development, the complexity of instrumental mastery brings a child’s problem solving and critical thinking abilities to a new level. It is hard work, but a lot of fun once they get the hang of it!
As a parent, I can tell you first hand there is no better way to introduce the concept of “baby steps” and the incredible feeling of satisfaction that comes from being able to execute all the steps needed to perform a piece music. The resistance comes mostly from frustration. The best way to head this kind of frustration off is through regular practice.
What about performing?
Three times a year, there will be a recital opportunity for every child to perform. The cost of the recital preparation is including in the cost of your lesson. Performances are crucial to the learning and growing process, and it gives children a chance to show off and be proud of how hard they have worked! In most cases the teacher will be able to accompany children on the piano. As children advance, they may need a piano accompanist. There will be a collective feeThese recitals may be in your school, or with children from other schools depending on the number of children in each program at an outside venue (a church, retirement home, etc) It is a joy to see your child perform!
What happens if we miss a class?
With enough notice a makeup lesson can be scheduled. There will be a “makeup week” at the end of every term for those students who need to make up a lesson. If the teacher needs to reschedule, there will be ample notice for your child, and either an appropriate replacement teacher from our roster of instructors will be found, or there will be a makeup lesson. As all our instructors are professional and active musicians, this may happen from time to time if they need to be at a rehearsal or performance.
How the program will work:
Each student will have weekly lessons in school on the same day every week as often as possible. The group classes will not happen on that day so that each group class will be a "practice" of the music they worked on in their lessons.
I will meet your child before the first lesson to introduce myself and the violin! Of course, I will play something.
I use a combination of the Suzuki method, Shirley Givens' “Adventures in Violinland” method, Kurt Sassmanshaus and Mimi Zweig. Links to all their work and websites are here and on my website if you would like to get further information.
Three times a year there will be an informal recital for students to play for each other, family, and friends.
You will be given a list of books to order. I will also occasionally have copies of pieces you may not be able to get from a collection that is specific to your child’s needs at the moment. Make sure they have a dictation book for writing down lesson notes and for small exercises and songs I may want to write for them! A folder is helpful, or some other way to collect the items.
When requested and/or permitted by the school and the parent, I will provide a video or photo of your child working on their assignments for the week so that you know what they are doing and can hopefully support them at home in practice!
When should a child start violin or another instrument?
I had my first violin lessons from 6 - 10 from my older sister. The lessons were fun and somewhat informal - a bit unstructured but filled with love and wonder! I hope to be able to give some of that to every student I have.
Some of my colleagues began their music lessons at 3! There is a lot that very young children can do and are so proud of their accomplishments!
I am looking forward to meeting each and every child and watching them grow!
“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning”
― Plato
Why this program?
We’ve known this for thousands of years - music is food for our minds and souls. However, in recent years there have been tremendous developments in education, psychology and neurology research which indicate that learning to play an instrument, specifically, has a huge positive impact on a child’s development, emotionally and academically. Further research shows that the craft and joy of music continues through adulthood and can have an impact on our sustained mental health in our golden years. Giving our children the pleasure, pride, and skill of learning to play an instrument not only gives them a voice they may not have had without it, but develops their minds so that they can create and learn optimally.
Currently, there are little to no options for young children to learn an instrument during school hours. An in school program provides a child with this opportunity that is so crucial for their development.
The research!
For those of you who are interested to learn the science behind why instrumental music lessons are incredible for young children, I have some interesting links below you may want to look at. I've provided a few quotes to pique your interest! Enjoy!
“A University of Vermont College of Medicine child psychiatry team has found that musical training might also help kids focus their
attention, control their emotions and diminish their anxiety. Their research is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child
& Adolescent Psychiatry.” -University of Vermont, College ofMedicine
“After a year of music lessons, the reading scores of nine and 10-year-olds held steady compared to a dip seen in those who were not
taught any music. Another group of musically-trained children were found to be better at processing sounds and language. We are
finding that musical training can alter the nervous system to create a better learner... “ - Dr Nina Kraus, Northwestern University
I recommend everyone look at this TED talk, and all of Dr. Collins’ work:
How playing an instrument benefits your brain - Anita Collins - YouTube
“... playing music has been found to increase the volume and activity in the brain's corpus callosum, the bridge between the two
hemispheres, allowing messages to get across the brain faster and through more diverse routes. This may allow musicians to solve
problems more effectively and creatively, in both academic and social settings.”
- Dr. Anita Collins
-
And this video on Music Education:
“The benefits of music education has been researched for decades. Most recently neuroscientists have been excited about the significant differences they have seen between the brain functions of musicians, when compared with non-musicians. It has become clear that music education before the age of 7 has the greatest benefits to brain development. Furthermore it has been found that it only takes, at the very lest, an hour a week of structured, formal music education to make permanent and positive changes to the brain functions of every child. This film has been made for music educators, parents, principals and policy makers to help get across the importance of music education in every child's education.”
- Dr. Anita Collins
Music Education and the Brain on Vimeo
Further reading:
https://www.facebook.com/BiggerBetterBrainsProject/
http://www.anitacollinsmusic.com/neuroandmused/
“With music, I feel complete. It reminds me that humans possess genius and can use it to create
beauty. Music classes in our schools can unlock the doors to creativity and self-expression for Canada’s
young people and help them expand their horizons.”
- Dr. Marc Garneau, Former Head of the Canadian Space Agency and the first
Canadian Astronaut in space
Kurt Sassmanhaus:
http://www.violinmasterclass.com/
Shirley Givens:
http://www.givensviolinland.com
Mimi Zweig:
http://www.stringpedagogy.com
Suzuki:
https://suzukiassociation.org/about/suzuki-method/
Canadian Coalition for Music Education:
http://www.musicmakesus.ca
Anita Collins’ website:
http://www.anitacollinsmusic.com
