Major melody:

Expanding!

Milder Musical Arts has expanded by renting additional space to make room for two new programs, Music Together® and Special Needs.

Music Together® is a nationally known early education music course designed for infants/toddlers - four. (Students entering kindergarten in the fall of 2011 have the option of taking Piano Prep.) We believe that all children are musical and can learn to sing in tune and keep a beat if they are exposed to music education as early as possible, much like learning a new language. For more information, or to sign up for a Music Together® class, click here.

Special Needs lessons, taught by Sandra Alexander, are similar in all ways to our general music programs except this one: We modify the instruction to whatever extent we need to in order to take into account the learning styles and preferred sensory modalities of each student. These individual education plans allow each student, regardless of ability to create music and build self confidence in the process. For more information on a tailored music curriculum, click here.

Hip harmony:

Adult Lessons on the Rise!

“You don’t stop doing things because you get old, you get old because you stop doing things.” Rosamunde Pilcher - British author

Every Thursday at noon there are four older gentlemen waiting to get into the Performance Classroom so that they can set up for their guitar class. These gentlemen, all over 50, have discovered one of the best kept secrets to staying young: Learn something new!

Every time you learn something new, you make new neural pathways in your brain, essentially exercising your mind. This mental exercise can help prevent some of the mental side effects of aging, such as memory loss, confusion, and a general loss of mental “sharpness.”

But that's not why they do it. Adults have many different reasons for why they've taken up an instrument later in life. They "enjoy making music." They feel "at peace" when they sit down and play or sing. They "feel a sense of accomplishment" when they learn a song or piece. Some have even taken their skills into the community, like Debbie Schuster, St. Louis jazz singer, and Alisa Gordon, singer for the local band Snack Jacket.

Are you ready to join the bandwagon?

We will be offering adult classes in piano and guitar this fall. Please Email Sharon in the office for more information.

student spotlight:

Giving Back!

Recently, students from Milder Musical Arts put on a special performance at Rossman Elementary School. These students, Victoria Enderle, Grace Glennon, Eliza Miller, and Abigail and Evie Oglesby (pictured), played, sang, danced and performed in ensembles with other members of their Girl Scouts troupe in an effort to raise money for the relief efforts in Haiti.

Teacher Laura Falls and her husband Brian took 18 high school students to Lutheran Valley Retreat outside of Woodland Park, Colorado to work with individuals with physical and mental handicaps. The first part of the week they made the camp handicap accessible- building wheelchair ramps, putting railings on the fishing docks, and moving beds around. On Tuesday, the disabled campers arrived and the group helped them experience camp activities like fishing, archery, crafts.

How can you give back? What about playing or singing for a retirement home once a month? There are many websites that you can look into, like Volunteer Match and Serve.gov. These sites combine service opportunities in your area in one easy to find place.

We're always so glad to hear when our students and faculty are out in the community using their special skills and talents to bless others! You inspire us all to give a little more!

teacher tidbits:

Beyond the Classroom

Marsha Medley has once again been chosen to be a part of the Marquis Who's Who of Women 2010. Marquis is the most well known and prestigious of the Who's Who biographies. Marsha has had many pieces published in a national, bi - monthly journal for organists. Her piece, Bless the Lord, was included in the ACSI Workshop 09 - 10.

Kate Reimann spent nearly two weeks working with the prestigious Redwoods Opera Workshop in Mendocino, CA. The Redwoods Opera workshop is an intensive 10 day program where participants work with opera coaches and stage directors on movement, acting, stage presentation, and learn about how to be successful in the business of singing. She participated in a performance of arias, and another one that included 10 diverse operatic scenes.

Mort Melman, who regularly keeps up with his former students on the social networking site, FACEBOOK, can be seen in the picture above with his former student, Morgan Younkin. Mort had the priviledge of playing for Morgan's wedding this past June.

Activities:

Summer Camps

Even though the summer is almost half over, there are still many more summer camps at Milder Musical Arts that you can take part in. See the list below!

Camps at no charge to current students:

Voice Master class, Thursday, July 8, 6:30 - 8pm
Percussion Ensemble, Tuesday, July 13, 9am - 12pm
Piano Master class, Thursday, July 15, 6:30 - 8pm
Music Game Camp, Saturday, July 24, 1 - 3pm
Voice Master class, Tuesday, July 27, 7 - 8:30pm - WAITING LIST
Piano Master class, Tuesday, August 3, 7 - 8:30pm

Week-long camps at an additional fee:

GLEE, grades 8 - 12, July 12 - 16, 2 - 4pm
Glee to be, grades 4 - 7, August 2 - 6, 1 - 4pm

These summer camps are a great way to build your music skills and make new friendships in the process. Email Sharon in the office to sign up for any of these camps.