Music for Young Children - Mississauga Music Lessons

NEW 2012 Classes starting in January

2012-01-23T08:19:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Elizabeth Dettweiler's studio is starting 3 new Music for Young Children classes in January 2012. If you child wish to start music in January, this is a great opportunity!! Please click on 2012 Music for Young Children Class for time and details!!

Music For Young Children Composition Festival

2012-01-23T07:59:00.001-08:00

Oneof the important elements that the Music For Young Childrencurriculum has to offer, is the oppourtunity of self-expressionthrough composition. It is really something for me to be able to sayas a piano teacher, that I teach children as young as three years oldto compose their own piece of music (to say nothing of the remarkablesense of achievement that these young children possess as a result)!

Ourmusic lessons celebrate a curriculum that has continued to bedeveloped over thirty years, incorporating every element necessaryfor building a solid musical foundation. Not only do we learn piano,but we are able to organize and present the ideas of our musicaleducation in a concise and artistic manner. What a beautifulopportunity for me to experience and contribute to the creativity ofthese young minds!

Togetherwe undergo the process of amalgamating the many solid aspects of ourmusical education, to produce a piece of work that exemplifies ourown personal expression. There is much experimentation anddevelopment that goes into every single piece. Every composition thatis submitted is played by a panel of judges (including guestcomposers) at Music For Young Children’s head office in Ottawa.This takes place annually in March, where literally thousands oforiginal pieces pour in from all over the globe.

Oneof the things that I learned as part of my training to become a MusicFor Young Children teacher, is that some of the compositions selectedare later integrated into the curriculum. In some cases, and at somelevels of the program, the children are studying the work of otheroriginal composers ‘just like them’. Truly remarkable!

Personally,I can’t wait to begin the process yet again!

MichelleFedorowich

MusicFor Young Children Graduate and Teacher

Great Treat for piano practices

2011-11-10T11:20:00.001-08:00

Becausefingers are very important to MYC students and teachers !! When I have time I make these for my students and they LOVE them ! ( the music parents are always asking me for therecipe).

FINGERS COOKIE

1 cup butter,softened

1 cup icingsugar

1 egg

1 tsp almondextract

1 tsp vanilla

2 - 3/4 cupcups all purpose flour

1 tsp bakingpowder

3/4 cup wholeblanched almonds

1 tube reddecorator gel

In bowl, beattogether butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla; beat inflour, and baking powder. Cover andrefrigerate for 30 minutes.

Working withone quarter of the dough at a time and keep remaining doughrefrigerated, roll heaping teaspoonful into fingershape. Press almond firmly into one end for nail. Press in center tocreate knuckle shape. Using pairing knife, make slashesin several places to form knuckle.

Bake onslightly greased baking sheets in 325 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes oruntil pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes.

Lift upalmond, squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond backin place, so gel oozes out from underneath. Remove from bakingsheets; let cool on racks. Makes about 60 cookies.

Deliciousafter a good piano practice !!!

Mrs. Brenda

MYC Mississauga at the Library

2011-10-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

Did you see us at the Library's Open Door Day event? Thanks to our volunteers. We have a great turn out! Looking forward to next year!

Did you check our 2011-2012 beginner class schedule?

2011-09-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Classes are filling up fast and calls are coming in frequently on our phone! So act fast if you wish to start the music journey for your child. It will be the best gift you can give to your child's life!!

Music lessons primes the mind for learning

2011-09-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

KANATA, Ontario, September 02, 2011 – According to an Early Brain Development Conference “by the age of three, brains of children are 2½ times more active than the brains of adults and they stay that way for the first 10 years of life. They are biologically primed for learning”.

Playing different sports requires concentration but nothing like the concentration required to perform a major repertoire of classical music. Playing the piano also encourages creativity which opens children’s minds to new horizons. It enables children to communicate through tempos and dynamics, to express themselves. And it helps children learn persistence which is a great attribute to have.

Any activity that requires discipline and postpones satisfaction is a benefit for children. Learning to delay gratification is considered an important component of emotional intelligence. According to E. Glenn Schellenberg, PhD from the University of Toronto, “Organized music lessons appear to benefit children’s IQ and academic performance – and the longer the instruction continues, the larger the effect.”

Toddler music groups are good for developing social skills and also help young children overcome shyness. Classes with pre-school students need to be active and engaging and include songs, storytelling and puppetry. This keeps the children focused and entranced. Music for Young Children’s Sunrise program is a good example of this and the program delights young children with their three main characters Buddy the Frog, Mellow Yellow (a dog) and Buzz (the fly).

Music plays a critical role in the foundations of communication and expression and is critical to our survival and future intelligence. It should also be a highly personal and pleasurable experience. Early piano lessons set your child up for this winning situation. So if you are thinking of enrolling your child in piano lessons, check out Canadian-owned Music for Young Children. MYC was created in 1980 by Frances Balodis to provide children with an exciting, child-centered approach to learning music and is now also taught in the U.S., South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.

Working together in small age-specific groups with parents and teachers, children learn fundamental music skills. MYC builds a solid foundation of understanding and enjoyment of music. Singing together creates a special bond. Keyboard playing and rhythm ensembles nurture team skills. Music reading and theory are reinforced with group activities and colorful, hands-on materials. Composing integrates aural and written skills and gives children a sense of ownership.

Dr. D.F. Cook, CM, Principal, (Retired) Conservatory Canada said, “Conservatory Canada offers a comprehensive national examination system. We have been pleased to note that students from the Music for Young Children program are in general well-prepared in every aspect for this experience. They appear to be confident in technique, repertoire, aural training, sight reading and viva voce. Moreover, and perhaps even more important, they seem to be happy musicians”.

Classes are filling up fast. For more information call your MYC Mississauga teacher or check out our web page www.mycmississauga.com.

Growing

2011-08-14T14:04:00.001-07:00

When I started Sunbeams 1
I couldn't have been smaller;
But I've been growing, growing -
And not just getting taller!

I've learned to play piano,
Solfege and transposition too,
And there are many other things
That I have learned to do.

Sunbeams 1 is over now
So much that I can do.
And now I know I'm ready
To enter Sunbeams 2!

Author: anonymous
Adapted by Ms. Elizabeth Dettweiler

The importance of parent-child music classes

2011-06-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

KANATA, Ontario, June 21, 2011 – By being present in classes, parents become aware of their child’s learning styles, strengths and interests. Parent participation allows reinforcement of concepts and skill-building at home. The presence of a parent provides stability and security for the child, for whom this may be the first structured experience.

Parents believe they should be involved with their children’s homework and that it creates parent-child bonding. This is quality time and parents can help children with daily practice which builds a habit that leads to progress and a feeling of success.

I like the variety in the program, the methods used to make learning fun, the group lesson concept and all the little “extras” our teacher added to encourage the children. Parent involvement is another plus. Sandy Canning, Byesville

Since both my daughters were 5 years old they have been enrolled in Ms. Balodis' program Music for Young Children. As both a professional musician and teacher (I teach composition and orchestration at the post secondary level, and I am Technical Co-ordinator for the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Glenn Gould School), I can testify that Ms. Balodis' program is excellent for young children. My children have learned the fundamentals of musicianship and composition while having fun. I was always amazed that when I asked my children when they started at MYC. "What did you learn in day's lesson? " they responded with "Nothing... we just played games. " When I queried further I found out that through game playing they learned about pitch, rhythm, melody, dynamics and the basics of composition (thematic development). At a very young age my children not only learned how to compose music and write out their compositions, they learned about the importance of copyrighting one's material... now that is through a music course.

As board member of the Guild of Canadian Film Composers I have had discussions with fellow Canadian composers who have sent their children and grandchildren to Ms. Balodis' MYC program because we all felt that her method of teaching is one of the best ways to teach children music while still maintaining a fun learning environment that emphasized individuality, creativity and exploration. Gary Atkins, Technology Coordinator
RCM / The Glenn Gould School Teacher The Trebas Institute

I have a 7-year-old son who is beginning his second year in the MYC program and his progress is phenomenal. What I like most about the program is that it is NOT just keyboard training. He has improved in math by working on rhythms. His ear is far more developed than mine or his older brother’s who has studied the piano privately for 4 years.
He is an associative learner and the stories for the notes and keyboard really let him learn quickly – not to mention being able to actually visualize the notes and their position on the keyboard. He is also developing an appreciation for the great composers by listening to them in class and clapping the rhythm each week at home. He is beginning to see how much more there is to music than just "sounding pretty". He loves puzzles and math and MYC is opening the door for him to see that music is full of math! And best yet, he is having fun. He doesn’t even think of piano lessons or practice as work, but almost a game. Tara Turner, IA

For more information about Music for Young Children call your Mississauga Music for Young Children teacher at www.mycmississauga.com.

2010-2011 MYC Composition Festival Internation Winner

2011-05-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

The result is out!! MYC Mississauga has 2 international winners:

MYC 2011 Composition Festival

Out of approximately 12,000 MYC students took part in Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam, congratulation to Luka Parikh (Soldier Song) for winning the first place in the Sunshine 1 (3-4 years old) catagory and Colin Jack (Snow Day)for winning the 3rd place in the Sunshine 2 (4-5 years old) catagory!!

The September Schedule for Beginner Class is available!!

2011-05-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

Please go to 2011-2012 Beginner Class Schedule to see the available time and location for your child's music classes in September! Spaces are limited and it's first come first serve. So contact the teacher closest to you before spaces run out!!

We get to meet the founders of MYC

2011-05-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

In our MYC area conference meeting last Friday, the MYC Mississauga team of teachers get to meet the founders of MYC in person. They are lovely people and has reminded to watch the personalities traid and the learning style of our students. Thank you, Mrs. Frances Balodis, for helping us to be better teachers.

Group music lessons that are fun!

2011-04-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

KANATA, Ontario, April 12, 2011 – There have been many articles lately about the importance of piano lessons and boosting a child’s IQ but we should not forget how much fun it is to learn to play an instrument. It also provides children with a sense of accomplishment. The development of a healthy self-esteem and self-confidence should encourage any parent to enrol their child in music lessons. Children are curious and love to learn. Music opens their minds and reaches across cultures and needs no translation.

When is the right time to start children in music lessons? Formalized training should start as young as three. Music is like a language and the best time for that window of opportunity is from 3-10. Group lessons are one of the best ways for young children to learn because they are not only learning from the teacher but also from each other. The interaction in a Music for Young Children class is very important and the use of puppets and props emphasizes interactivity, playing and having fun.

In group lessons singing and rhythm ensembles are two of the most effective tools. Singing in a group setting makes them less self-conscious and gives them time to develop their voices. Rhythm ensembles are favourite activities of young children. Rhythm instrument ensembles promote rhythmic fluency and reinforce steady pulse and consistency of speed (tempo). This ensemble training starts in children as young as three years old in Music for Young Children using such instruments as hand drums, castanets, tambourines, triangles, rhythm sticks and claves.

Group piano lessons: encourage communication in a positive verbal and nonverbal manner; cooperation with peers; helps students achieve success; teach children self-control; and helps students accept the consequences of their own behaviour. Group piano lessons help students develop the positive attitudes and skills needed for collaboration, leadership and peer acceptance. And one of the benefits of group lessons is that students learn more repertoires from each other through collaborative learning.

Students naturally like to play and work together and it adds excitement to their learning. Music is doing, feeling, moving, listening and creating. The most important thing parents can know is that their child will develop in a far more enriched way with music lessons.

“Music for Young Children has provided a fun and entertaining element for our family. The kids love the fact that we can all take turns playing and that mom and dad are involved in their music experiences. TV has become less important and it is watched much less. In my daughter’s three years of MYC, I have never heard her complain about having to practice. I love to see her passionate about it.” Jill Vasy, parent.

In MYC classes the child and parent bond as a "music team" during lessons and that carries on at home during daily practice and other family activities.

“The props are awesome. The kids are having fun while they’re learning. I feel the program moves at a good pace and realize as a parent how important it is that we are there to support them and help them at practise time. I’m able to have two kids in the same program which truly is a benefit. I’d like to really stress that the FUN in MYC makes it so enjoyable for my kids. We happen to also have an exceptional teacher. What an awesome concept Music for Young Children is!” Cheryl Beatty

For more information about Music for Young Children call your closest Mississauga's MYC teacher. We love to hear from you!

Why Do Parents LOVE the MYC program?

2011-03-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

Parents enjoy all the benefits MYC provides their child. Plus they get benefits too. This is what parents are saying about MYC for themselves:

Helps parents learn music with their child or continue learning music.

Creates a wonderful one-to-one personal bonding with their child. Parents often tell me it is the one day/night of the week that they have an activity with that one child without their other children.

Learning to play music helps them with job skills, such as creative thinking, collaboration, social aptitude, expressive communication and confidence.

Provides a creative outlet that balances work life, family life, and personal time with their child.

Helps lower stress. Benefits your health!

Provides a way to be involved with others that share similar interests.

Helps them stay active, vibrant and mentally sharp.

It is so much fun playing duets with their children.

It is awesome listening to your child use modern technology (Midi Accompaniments) to accompany their songs.

Is a lot of FUN!!!

Very affordable. Coming to MYC and learning music with your child you are getting “two for the price of one!!!”

Both child and parent learn to listen.

Therapeutic. Feel so happy and relaxed after class. Helps us unwind.

Intellectual, physical and creative enhancement for both parent and child!

Parents do not have to nag their child to practice. MYC classes are very motivating and fun.

Children love coming to MYC classes. It is our special night/day out together!!

Parents feel so proud of their child’s accomplishments in exams, festivals and recitals.

Get COOL stickers!!

Laugh a lot!!

Sometimes, work gets in the way of life, and the fun things we used to do are forgotten. Staying involved in music helps us remember our youth and have fun being ourselves and have fun with our children. For parents who once played, the piano can bring back a sense of youth not found in other activities.

I am so proud of my child when he/she performs at recitals and festivals. MYC has really helped him/her develop confidence and excellent music skills. It has helped my confidence too. My child gets excellent grades on his/her exams.

My young child told his kindergarten teacher that she was as elegant as Edyth the elk. I laughed so hard !! Only my MYC teacher and the MYC class could truly understand how funny that was!!!

Here is a testimony from one of my MYC parents received August 15^th, 2010.

MYC is a multidisciplinary approach to music. Though exposing young children to various composers they learn about history, culture and musical style. This sets the context and framework for true music appreciation.

Tapping out rhythms using simple instruments, a young learner can feel, hear and move to the beat. Vibrant character critters help to decipher the world of the piano keyboard, while finger puppets and props help the student to discover rhythm patterns. What is so elegant is how simple things - like the child's voice, their small hands clapping and tapping, and their bright imaginations help to draw them easily and willingly into the magical world of music, musicianship, performance and music appreciation. Of course, parents lovingly encourage young learners, initially. Though by camaraderie within the small group environment, the young musician develops both self confidence and musical skill, which pave their path for a bright musical future.

By Gail Parikh.

----------------------------------------------

Mrs. Brenda Cornacchione

Why choose group lessons?

2011-02-11T20:34:00.000-08:00

Traditionally, students learn to play the piano through private instruction but there are many benefits to group music lessons such as the following:

Develops listening skills
Develops rhythm through ensemble playing
Motivation from other students
Provides peer performance opportunities
Music games

Ms. Teresa Moser
------------------------
So if you have any questions regarding group lessons, please feel free to contact a MYC teacher in Mississauga and they will love to answer your questions in person!!

The Art of Raising a Child

2011-01-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

If I had my child to raise all over again, I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I’d finger paint more and point the finger less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I’d take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.

I’d stop playing serious and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I’d do more hugging and less tugging.

I would be firm less often and affirm much more.

I’d model less about the love of power and more about the power of love.

-Author unknown -

January Starting Class

2010-12-15T12:19:00.001-08:00

If you are looking to put your child into a music class in January, you have come to the right place!!

Mrs. Helen Chu will be starting a Sunbeams 1 class for age 5-7 on Wednesday at 6:30-7:30 pm.
Mrs. Elizabeth Dettweiler also has a Sunbeams 1 class for age 5-7 on Wednesday at 5:30-6:30pm as well.

Putting your child in music lessons in January is a great time to avoid the rush of September and these teachers will be able to provide a great environment for your child's music journey!!

PERSISTENCE

2010-11-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

With new instrument and eager hands
I sat down to learn to play.
The sounds came forth uncertain
But I practiced every day.

Sometimes it seemed hopeless---
I played so out of tune
Folks told me that I’d never learn
And I retreated to my room.

But my instrument went with me
And the practicing went on.
Beyond the door I heard them say,
“Well maybe.” and then they were gone.

The sounds came forth more clearly
I was spurred to harder things
And I began to reap the peace
That self-made music brings.

Folks then began to listen
Amazed at what they heard.
They asked me how I did it---
And “persistence” was my word.

But I kept from them a secret
That has never yet been told---
I found a friendly teacher
Whose secrets did unfold.

Thank you to my MYC teacher !!!!
Anonymous

-------------------------------------

A student's poem for our MYC teachers. We thought we'll share it with you!

Ms. Brenda

Beginner Music Class Schedule for 2010-2011 is available now!

2010-10-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

Classes have started. Here is the Music for Young Children beginner class schedule for 2010-2011.

(You can click on the image for a larger view of the schedule.)

These are music lessons for beginners only, not returning students. For returning music classes schedule, please contact your respective music teacher!

As you can see, there are less music classes available now on the image. That is because some music classes have been filled up and they are taken off the image. So if you are interested in putting your child in the best children music lessons available that teach them how to play piano, and also provide a music education, please contact the respective music teacher of your choice.

If you have any questions, you are free to contact any music teachers. We will be glad to answer your questions. Spaces are filling up fast, so come and reserve your space for a musical experience that you'll never forget for you and your child!!

A typical Music for Young Children™ class

2010-09-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

So, have you ever wished you could listen in on what happens in a typical Music for Young Children™ class? I could tell you that, in the Music for Young Children™ classes, we sing songs, play rhythm ensembles, play keyboard solos and ensembles, play theory games, play scales (harmonized, in most levels). We “play” a lot !!! Young children learn music best through play!

What happens as a result of this holistic approach? In MYC music lessons, children learn to train their musical ear, build memory skills, improve problem solving skills, learn to cooperate, develop a positive self-image, broaden their attention span, develop physical dexterity and hand-eye coordination skills, develop a sense of beat through ‘ensemble’ playing, learn to read and understand the language of music, develop time management skills through their practice at home, and spend quality time with their parent or guardian who participates with them.

These are some of the benefits observed by parents and teachers. It’s enlightening to listen in on a class though, so listen - and watch - as Mississauga music teacher Gwen Fedorowich provides an overview of the Music for Young Children program in this interview with Rogers Cable. Observe, also, as her music students and their parents express how they feel they have benefited: First Local – June 3, 2010. If you would like to participate with your child in this wonderful music program, contact the Music for Young Children teacher nearest you. Music Lessons Registrations are currently taking place.

Perhaps you have been in an Music for Young Children class this past year. How do you feel your child has benefited from the music class?

Music for Young Children Mississauga at the Litraracy Festival

2010-09-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

It was good to meet those parents who attended the Festival. It's so much fun!! We'll be there again next year. So if you are looking for a chance to meet the music teachers and see the Music for Young Children material in person, this'll be your chance!!

You'll meet music teachers who love teaching music lessons to children, patience in explaining the material to this fun and comprehensive music program!!

Selecting an Appropriate Keyboard for Your Needs

2010-08-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

Selecting an Appropriate Keyboard for Your Needs
-Tips by a Keyboard Sales and Rental Associate-
Ms. Michelle Fedorowich

It can be a somewhat daunting task of sifting through the technologies available today to find an appropriate instrument that will serve your child’s needs. There are a few important questions to ask before making that trip down to your local music store (it is beneficial to speak to those who know what they are talking about, verses walking into your local Walmart to purchase a ‘cheap’ keyboard that they may happen to stock and sell there):

How much money are you willing to spend?

Does it make more sense to RENT something to try it out before making the financial commitment of purchasing?

Is branding important, or are you open to playing different kinds of keyboards than you are used to?

What are the long-term implications of the instrument remaining in your household, and how many individuals will benefit from said instrument?

If aesthetics and space are an issue, come prepared with measurements and preferences.

Is it important to have weighted keys, something that sounds and feels like a real piano?

I don’t think many people are aware that it is possible to RENT a keyboard for a period of time. This is a wise decision for those who are unsure of the commitment of a beginner child beyond a one-year period. A small, in-expensive, simple keyboard can rent for as little as $20/month (the same keyboard retails for around $150.) This is also a wise route to take when going away for a short period of time (to the cottage over the summer months, perhaps), in order to keep the interest and habit of practicing during this temporary period.

A 61-key keyboard with TOUCH SENSITIVE KEYS (when you hit the key hard, it produces a loud sound) is more than suffice for a beginner. These keyboards range in price from $150-$300.

A full-sized DIGITAL PIANO is an instrument with 88 weighted keys, designed to sound and feel like a real piano. This kind of instrument would be necessary for anybody who is preparing for piano exams and performances where an acoustic piano would be present. These keyboards range in price from $500-$3000. Some of these instruments are furniture style pianos that come with wooden casing, 3-pedals, and often a bench to match, emulating an acoustic piano in appearance as well as sound.

A WORKSTATION or SYNTHESIZER is a sophisticated machine whose purpose is often for performance or studio recording, featured in many kinds of ‘modern’ music heard on the radio today. This kind of instrument is ideal for students with a music background (have taken lessons before), who are looking to have some fun with what they are doing and taking their music to a whole new level. These keyboards boast a wide range of voices (many sounds, such as guitars, brass, orchestral, sound effects, etc), on-board recording capabilities, and some have mixing and mastering capabilities. These keyboards range in price from $700-$4000.

It is also important to know that you are never ‘stuck’ with a purchase, no matter where an individual’s music career goes. Many instrument retailers will buy back keyboards, and it is common to sell instruments online through sites like Craigslist. I wouldn’t recommend buying your first instrument off of a private seller for warranty purposes mainly. Technology can be somewhat frivolous, and you want to be reassured that the instrument can be repaired and serviced when required.

Happy Music Making!

A chance for you to win a piano from Music for Young Children and City TV

2010-08-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a piano or a keyboard, you can't miss this. This is a chance for you to win a Roland digital piano by enter the contest that is being held by Roland, Music for Young Children and also City TV.

Don't miss this great opportunity:
MYC Piano Contest

Thumbs Up to Music for Young Children (MYC)

2010-07-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Thumbs Up to Music for Young Children (MYC)

Click the above for a heartfelt testimony of a parent on the Music for Young Children program.

International Composition Festival: Congratulation to the Winners in Mississauga MYC

2010-06-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

KANATA, Ontario, April 1, 2010 –
Music for Young Children’s 2010 International Composition Festival is now in its 23rd year. A total of 12,219 Music for Young Children students took part from across Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam. Compositions are judged within their level in seven different regions – Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB), Ontario, Eastern Canada (PQ, NS, NB, PEI, NF), United States, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and Vietnam. The first place winners of each of these regions then compete internationally. Fifteen reviewers, including visiting Canadian composer Dr. Stephen Chatman, played every piece. “I found the MYC festival process fascinating and completely unique, in the sense that it involves so many very young composers. The experience of perusing multitudes of well written little pieces by such an array of talented young children was unforgettable,” according to Dr. Chatman.

Dr. Stephen Chatman is Professor and Head of the Composition Division at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. A consecutive winner of the 2005 and 2006 Western Canadian Music Awards “Outstanding Classical Composition” and a 2006 Juno nominee, Dr. Chatman is recognized internationally as a composer of choral, orchestral and piano music. Dr. Chatman is the only North American to have won three consecutive BMI Awards to Student Composers, Inc.

Music for Young Children (MYC) is the story of Frances Balodis who started the business at her kitchen table and has seen it grow exponentially. Frances Balodis believes music is a gift that lasts a lifetime, her passion and dedication to bringing this gift to children stand unsurpassed. In 1980, building on her background as an educator and piano teacher, Frances set out to create an engaging music program for children aged three to 11. Her goal was to develop the world’s first keyboard-focused curriculum that, through clever merging of play and study, welcomed children to the joy of music and also to give them a seamless path to traditional conservatory programs. The result was Music for Young Children, an internationally renowned music business.

MYC, celebrating its 30th birthday, is now taught to 24,000 students annually across Canada, the United States, New Zealand, South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore. For more information phone 800-561-1692 or visit www.myc.com.

Janice Reade, Public Relations in Ottawa 613-592-7565

Sunshine 1 (3+4 years)
1. Tran Minh Khang, Going to the Park, Vietnam.
2. Chloe Dzemalovic, Pretty Princess Chloe, Edmonton, AB.
3. Charlie Brekke, Bumble Bees, Holmdel, NJ.
4. Malina Samsoodeen, Snow Flakes, Mississauga, ON.

Sunshine 2 (4+5 years)
1. Jin-Woo Lee, A Gloomy Hedgehog, Korea.
2. Christie-Ann Koh, Little Ducklings, Singapore.
3. Jaimie Edel, A Princess Lost Her Love, Winnipeg, MB
4. Ethan Parikh, My Special Flag, Mississauga, ON.

Sunbeams 1 (5+6 years)
1. Kaelin George-Wagner, My Little Hampster, Dartmouth, NS.
2. Harriet Abley, Song in My Head, London, ON.
3. Haley Kao, Piano Friends, Walled Lake, MI.
4. Sanjay Shiva Kamar, A Litle Tiger Playing, Singapore.

Sunbeams 2 (6+7 years)
1. Jacob Fu, My Olympic Song, Maple Ridge, BC.
2. Cora Annear, Snow is Falling, Kensington, PE.
3. Akita Kotian, Akita’s Ladybug, Walled Lake, MI.
4. Jo Mingi, Water Mill, Korea.

Sunbeams 3 (7+8 years)
1. Betty, Splash, Korea.
2. Joshua Balfour, Interest, Brantford, ON.
3. Helen Gow, Happiness, Lunenburg, NS.
4. Ryenne Feeney, Snakes, Topsfield, MA.

Moonbeams 1 (7+8 years)
1. Do en Kim, Snow Slide, Korea.
2. Parker Diggle, Bagels for Breakfast, Surrey, BC.
3. Alexandra Rupert, Peace, Belmont, ON.
4. Signey Hong, Catching Butterfly, Sacramento, CA.

Moonbeams 2 (8+9 years)
1. Vu Dieu Anh, Peaceful, Vietnam.
2. Kaitlyn Hao, Railroad Crossing, Walled Lake, MI.
3. Mersadie Thiessen, The Moody Waltz, Steinbach, MB.
4. Julie MacDonald, Fading Light, Mabou, NS.

Moonbeams 3 (9+ years)
1. Ryan O’Leary, Imagination, Stow, OH.
2. Tyler Stott, Enchanted Castle, Brantford, ON.
3. Claire Scammell, Copy Cat, Torbay, NZ.
4. Hubert, The Winter Route which is Delight, Korea

Everyone is born musical

2010-04-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

News Release: For Immediate Release

KANATA, Ontario, April 08, 2010 – Everyone is born musical. Children learn most things through play so it is important to communicate advanced musical activities through fun games. Active music making helps children acquire mental, physical and social skills needed for future intelligence and well-being.

Parents need to encourage their children but not be pushy. And remember too much choice can distress children so limit after school activities to two or three.

University of East London researchers found children who maintained interest in playing an instrument had:

- started at an early age

- had a great deal of parental support

- began their studies with friendly teachers who were not very technically able.

Music can build confidence – especially in Music for Young Children’s group lessons – children are interacting with others. It can have dramatic positive effects on a child’s self-esteem by enforcing a sense of personal identity. Music can be used as a tool for building leadership skills by putting children in positions of creative control and giving them reasons to play, negotiate and work together.

Children given the chance to play with creative ideas will advance their social skills. Their sense of self-esteem will be stronger and their understanding that they are naturally creative will stay with them all their life as a positive influence.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Music for Young Children has been among the world’s leading music-learning systems. Children start at ages 3-10 years in group keyboard lessons. The classes are highly structured and follow a carefully worked-out series of increasing complexities. The hour-long classes include rhythm ensembles, singing, ear-training, sight-reading, note-reading, theory and composing techniques.

“The Music for Young Children program has to be counted as the dominant force in the musical training of young children in Canada today,” Marc Widner, Chief Examiner emeritus, Royal Conservatory Music Examinations.

For more information call, you can contact one of the 7 music teachers serving in Mississauga.

New registration will start in May 2010. So stay in tune on the new schedule for beginner in May!

An Music for Young Children class in action on CBC news

2010-03-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

Want to see a MYC class in action. Click on the link and enjoy!

Music for Young Children (Mississauga) is looking for new teachers

2010-02-16T11:07:00.000-08:00

Due to overwhelming demand for classes next year, Music for Young Children (Mississauga) is looking for new teachers to join our team. You are qualified to teach MYC if you have grade 8 conservatory skills/advanced piano performance, a natural, accurate singing voice and grade 2/college level theory. A music degree is not required.

A background working with children in groups is helpful, but not essential. However, you must have a love of children, enjoy watching the learning process unfold and have an understanding of a child's need to learn through all senses. You must be patient, firm, kind and careful in g uiding and directing the child's music training in a congenial atmosphere.

If you are interested, please go to MYC teacher application to contact MYC for details.

Our newest ad in Mississauga Library. Check it out!

2010-02-05T16:57:00.001-08:00

Piano lessons increase your EQ

2010-01-31T16:39:00.000-08:00

News Release For Immediate Release

KANATA, Ontario, February 01, 2010 –
We often hear about how music lessons increases a child’s IQ but it also increases their EQ, emotional quotient.

EQ is the measure of emotional intelligence including empathy, intuition, creativity, flexibility, resilience, coping, stress management, leadership, integrity, intrapersonal skills and interpersonal skills. So basically, EQ is the ability to understand and manage your emotional life, which in turn will affect the life of others around you.

Optimists have high EQ and treat obstacles as minor, while the pessimistic low EQ group personalizes all setbacks.

As Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Those of us who survive and thrive in this complex world are not only the most adaptable, but also the most optimistic and the most likely to have a high EQ.

Your EQ has more to do with your success and happiness in life than your IQ and the good news is that it can be learned.

So what does EQ have to do with piano lessons? Group piano lessons: encourage communication in a positive verbal and nonverbal manner; cooperation with peers; helps students achieve success; teach children self-control; and helps students accept the consequences of their own behavior. Group piano lessons help students develop the positive attitudes and skills needed for collaboration, leadership and peer acceptance. And one of the benefits of group lessons is that students learn more repertoire from each other through collaborative learning. Students naturally like to play and work together and it adds excitement to their learning.

Music is doing, feeling, moving, listening and creating. The most important thing parents can know is that their child will develop in a far more enriched way with music lessons. The successful Music for Young Children program founded in 1980 by Frances Balodis is taught in small groups with adult and child both participating. It includes piano instruction, singing, rhythm ensembles, sight reading, ear training, theory and composition. MYC is taught by independent teachers throughout the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam with approximately 24,000 students enrolled this year.

“Music for Young Children has provided a fun and entertaining element for our family. The kids love the fact that we can all take turns playing and that mom and dad are involved in their music experiences. TV has become less important and it is watched much less. In my daughter’s three years of MYC, I have never heard her complain about having to practice. I love to see her passionate about it.” Jill Vasy, parent.
For more information contact MYC Mississauga.

www.myc.com. Janice Reade, Public Relations in Ottawa 613-592-7565

How long should my child practice?

2010-01-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

One of the most frequently asked questions is “How long should my child practice?” Each child is different but a beginner probably needs from 15 to 25 minutes per day at least five times per week. Just like sports need warming up of muscles to begin a practice, fingers need warming up with finger games or exercises. The keyboard pieces can then be tackled in many different ways. Some songs are short and they can be played through without much difficulty. Other songs may be needed to be broken down by playing one hand at a time or one phrase at a time. There may be just one section that needs extra work. It is important to set a goal for the practice so it does not become frustrating when the song cannot be perfected during the first practice. The list of new songs can be intimidating if trying to learn everything all at once. If your child can play something they were unable to before they started their practice, it was probably a very successful practice. If your child can play all the assigned warm-ups and keyboard pieces at the next lesson then it was an excellent week and you should celebrate the great achievement you and your child shared together.
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We all want our children to do their best and in order to learn to play the piano, it requires the dreaded practicing. The first few weeks seem to go pretty smoothly as the children are excited about learning but as it gets more difficult practice time is not always as easy. Here are a few tips to help make the practice more enjoyable:
Pick the same time each day so that it is part of the daily routine (i.e.: before breakfast, after school)

If it is difficult to do everything in 1 practice, try 2 shorter practice times
Break new songs down into smaller parts
Sing and play
Play a song as a duet
Clap some rhythms
Play with the tin sheet

Mrs. Teresa Moser

January 2010 Registration

2009-12-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

Music for Young Children Mississauga are taking in new registration for January 2010.
2 classes of Sunshine 1 on Tuesday: 9:30 am and 1:30 pm

If you are interested, please contact Ms. Elizabeth Dettweiler at (905) 607-3125.

It's never too early to start your child in music. Sunshine 1 is for children age 3-4. Perfect age to stimulate their brains with the marvelous power of music education.

Solfège

2009-12-10T17:41:00.000-08:00

Have you wondered why we sing in our Music for Young Children class? Especially the Solfège? Mrs. Chandrika here will introduce us to the benefits of singing Solfège as a musician!
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In music, solfège (also called solfeggio, sol-fa, or solfa) is a technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable. The seven syllables normally used for this practice in English-speaking countries are: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti.

The Kodály approach emphasizes the importance of learning how to sing on pitch. In the 18th century, John Spencer Curwen drew upon an earlier music teaching system known as Norwich Sol-fa, which had been devised by Sarah Glover, and developed hand signs to go with the solfege syllables (do re mi, etc.). Kodály integrated these hand signs into his teaching methods.
Hand signs are a way of giving a physical placement for a vocal pitch. The low "do" begins at your midsection. Each pitch is then above the previous one. Thus, you have the hand signs going up when the pitch goes up. The upper "do" is at eye level.

Solfege is the language of the well-educated musician. .When we sing the solfege syllables while reading notes or playing the keyboard, we develop a strong sense of tonality and relative pitch. Each solfege note sung strengthens the connection between what is heard, what is seen and what is played. Singing solfege teaches us to internalize the music. With time, and practice, you and your child will begin to hear the notes that you read before those notes are even played on the keyboard.

A successful composition workshop

2009-11-25T12:56:00.001-08:00

Thank you, Tyler!
The Tyler Syidenberg was a great success. Tyler, with his amazing personality, captured all the children's attention and sparked their imagination.

The Music for Young Children classes in Mississauga will be in full swing for our composition. "Starting with a seed and nurture it to become a tree!" We'll surely remember that, Mr. Tyler!

Why take music lessons?

2009-11-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

We need to think and analyze. We need to question and to be creative and to be innovative. We need to be able to "think on our feet".

Music nourishes creativity, confidence, self-expression and intellectual development.
The study of music helps with concentration, hand-eye co-ordination, teamwork, leadership skills, memory skills, responsibility, communication skills, goal setting, time management, poise, motivation and fulfillment.

Music helps students achieve in other academic subjects like math, science and reading.

Music provides students with the opportunity to express themselves in verbal and non-verbal ways. Students can take risks and solve problems creatively. Music helps develop a rich and healthy sense of beauty and imagination. It helps students appreciate diverse perspectives, openness and flexibility in thinking.

Our children today become accustomed to having free-time or play-time with their friends and technology. While this is fine, it does not offer their brains necessary challenges to develop and grow.

Our children today sometimes think that "life is easy", "nothing should be hard". They can lean towards "giving up" and "giving in". They struggle when things become challenging, perhaps because they long for the "good old days" of being young, when their parents may have protected them from frustration and the opportunity to problem-solve.

After the "glow" of "starting" lessons wears off, children can wish for the "easy life" and want to abandon sight-reading, technique, anything requiring challenges in counting or note-reading. How will they really feel when they don't advance to more beautiful music, and instead find themselves caught in a circular loop of playing music that offers no challenge and no rewards?

Many years ago I had a student, John, apply for a summer job at Nortel. He was one of many applying. He was offered the job. After some weeks of working there, John asked his boss why he had been awarded the job when other of his friends had not. His boss told him that he was awarded the job because he had noted on his resume that he had studied music. Yet the job required no musical training. Why was this important? His boss told him that since he had studied music he knew that John would be able to concentrate, problem-solve and set personal goals. How true!

When my students become frustrated with the idea that they are studying music and their friends are not, it is often because they don't know when to practice. I suggest that the student, with the help of their parent (or with me), sit down and write out the hours in their waking day. Figure out when they have commitments and when they do not. Free time to play/meet with friends is important, but does not have to consume all the extra time. It may be that practicing in the morning will dodge the issue of after-school challenges of friends calling when practicing is happening. Perhaps after supper is homework time. This could mean that immediately after coming home from school would be a good time to have a snack and then practice music. Writing out a schedule can help everyone plan their time and leave everyone feeling as if their concerns are heard.

Parents can get tired and frustrated with hearing their child complain about practicing. It feels easier as a parent to "give in". Is this really the best for the child and for the parent? Is this what happens as an adult when we have challenges at work? Does the boss say "let it go" and the project is over? Not so. "giving in" may not be the appropriate message to send to the music student.

When the child is frustrated with music practice it is important to find out the source of the frustration. Does the student know how to practice? Is there too much assigned? Is the music too difficult? Is the practicing happening at the wrong time? Does the student feel hungry when s/he is practicing? Does the student feel lonely when s/he is practicing? Is the student angry (about something else) when s/he is practicing? Does the student practice in a way that creates success or failure? These are things that should be explored as soon as any signs of frustration are exhibited.

It is very sad to hear how many adults say, "I wish I had continued music lessons when I was a child." It is equally sad to hear how many adults say, "I hated music lessons when I was a child." When students condemn themselves with such statements as "I am stupid" or "I hate music", I become overwhelmed as a teacher. Is this the vicious circle starting all over again? Is the student taking lessons only to please me (or their parent), but fighting with him/herself at home - only to grow up to say, "I hated music lessons as a child,"...and then, "I wish I had continued music lessons."

It is also important to realize that everyone goes through highs and lows in their life. As adults we do in our jobs and as children we do in whatever lessons/sports we pursue. Sometimes hockey players win and sometimes they don't. They don't leave the team just because they don't win. The same thing can be true for music lessons. Success is inevitable. Believe it!

Encourage music students to think beyond themselves. Think of the music, think of others. The "I am a Star" pages should continue on, far past MYC days. They are "a star" when they achieve small goals in their music (it was hands-separate last week, now it is hands together this week). Playing music for oneself can be a goal; playing music for someone else can be another goal. Who can be the audience? When I was a little girl, my dollies were my audience! Students can play for their grandparents or other relatives over the phone or webcam. They can be recording on a camcorder. Being a closet musician is unnecessary in these days of relationships in technology. Record the music and put it on You Tube or Facebook. There their friends can have a "wow" reaction and perhaps understand why practicing came before play-time.

I had a music student a few years ago who decided that he would quit music lessons when he was going to be entering high school. He said that he didn't think he would have time to practice once he got to high school. I offered him the opportunity to start music lessons later that fall, after he became acclimatized to high school and the new demands there. So, he did start late, as planned. A few months later he told me that it was the best thing that he was taking music lessons because, "All the with-it kids play the piano. All the smart kids are in the band. It's so cool to play the piano."

If music students develop and reinforce the following five habits of success they would not have to make any decisions about quitting lessons. They would instinctively know what they are going to do and how they are going to do it!

1. The habit of positive thinking!
Successful people have simply formed the habit of doing what failures do not like to do and will not do: they think positively! They have the habit of expecting to win, the habit of planning to win, the habit of working to win...and they win!
2. The habit of prospecting (looking around for good music)!
Develop this habit, and you will have music everywhere and you will have an endless supply of energy and pleasure.
3. The habit of calling on people (good teachers, good friends, other musicians)!
This makes communication fun and exciting-and helpful.
4. The habit of selling oneself!
It will make you a skilled musician, a person who plays with emotion and conviction.
5. The habit of working!
Practicing is a privilege! Work is a joy! It is one of the most exciting things you can do. When you get results, it pumps your adrenalin, gives you more energy and multiplies more results!

How do students acquire these habits?
They simply decide that music lessons are an opportunity!
They determine ahead of time the personal goals that can achieve success in music.
They are confident that they have the ability to change or to do whatever it takes to get the job done!
They enter into it with the positive mental attitude of success!
Live each day with positive expectancy! Stick to the basics and the fundamentals!
Music is a mystery and a miracle. Every student and every teacher is a mystery and a miracle. M&M!

Positive Music Statements

I can "think on my feet".

I am creative.

I know how to "get going" when "the going is tough".

I like to practice.

I can enjoy my own playing.

I can schedule my time.

I can take the "good" with the "bad" and come up smiling!

I like to think about my music.

When I listen to others play, I get ideas of new repertoire.

I can talk about my music frustrations with my music teacher.

I love the "feel" of playing the piano.

My favorite composer is _________.

I like to talk to my friends about playing the piano.

I am proud of myself.

My favorite thing about playing the piano is __________.

My favorite thing about music lessons is _____________.

My oldest memory of sharing my music is ____________.

I like to set goals in my music journey.

I can manage my time when I'm practicing.

Playing hands-separate helps make learning easier.

I feel special when I go to my music lesson.

Frances Mae Balodis, MEd. ARCT LCCM(Hon) LCNCM(Hon) RMT

MYC Founder and Chairman of the Board

frances@myc.com

www.myc.com

Composing

2009-10-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Every MYC student is taught the basic principals of composition, and writes a song for the Music for Young Children Composition Festival each year. What a wonderful and fun festival it is! The compositions are sent to the MYC headquarters to be judged. Each year, a panel of judges plays and evaluates approximately 13,000 pieces composed by students 3 years of age and up. Everyone who sends in a piece will receive a beautiful 8 ½ X 5 ½ inch sticker. The best compositions from each level in each region in Canada, the US, New Zealand, Viet Nam and South Korea will be chosen as finalists, first, second, third and fourth place winners will be chosen for each level in each region, and these students will receive another certificate. Then all the first place winners, for each level are considered again, to choose the International first, second, third and fourth place winners. Those four students receive a really special certificate. It is a great honor to receive any of these certificates. They are well worth framing. Everyone gets the big participation sticker because everyone who submits a song for this festival is a winner!

Canada is divided into three regions – the West, Ontario, and the East. Our compositions are entered in the Ontario category.

Every student who writes a composition deserves a round of applause for a job well done!!! It is SO exciting to see what the children have written!! Composing integrates aural and written skills and gives children a sense of ownership.

This year in November we are pleased to be offering our students a Composition Workshop with musical prodigy, Tyler Seidenberg!!! Tyler is a multi award winning composer, pianist, singer, actor and drummer. He started playing the piano when he was 5 years old and started composing at 10 years of age. At age 12 he made his first CD with 9 original songs and he performed 2 of them on national tv. We are so excited to welcome Tyler!!

Mrs. Brenda

"I can only play the song the piano teacher taught"...

2009-09-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

I always feel bad to hear that from a music student. Usually, you can hear this from a student who rushed through the RCM programme and never took the time to understand the concepts. Most of the time, a piano teacher's hands were tied, since a parent insisted on finishing RCM by a certain number of years and with only 30 minutes in a lesson, the teacher will have to spoon fed the child in order to finish the task at hand.

But the sad truth behind spoon feeding the student is that they never learn to feed themselves. So after they grow up, without the teacher by their side, they can't enjoy music on their own and many quit as a result...

After teaching the Music for Young Children programme, I truly believe that it is so important to take the time to lay down the foundation. So that if the child is interested, they can learn songs on their own. In other words, be able to eat by themselves (play songs on their own) and be able to pick food that they like (play their favorite music genre) and love eating (love music).

But laying the foundation requires patience, it'll take more work and it'll be slower. As a mom, I can relate to that. Imagine me trying to teach my 3 years old to eat with chopsticks, she'll drop much food on the floor for me to clean up and she'll take forever to finish what is in front of her. It'll be easier for me just grab the bowl and feed her (and to finish the meal within 15 min). But if I feed her, she'll never learn to hold a spoon or the chopsticks. And I'll probably have to feed her until she is 10 years old.... :)

Don't rush your child and be patience with your child. It's important for a child to understand what they are playing instead of just playing a fancy song without knowing what she is playing. Music for Young Children incorporates important concept in every little songs. They are fun and easy to play; so that at the same time, the children won't notice that they are learning important concepts. Soon, they'll become a musician and turn into a butterfly right in front of your eyes.

Ms. Esther Ng

Join us at the Mississauga Literary Festival 09

2009-09-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

Mississauga's Music for Young Children Teachers are on the go again. We are part of the Mississauga Literary Festival 09 at the Living Arts Center this Sunday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

We will be there introducing the Music for Young Children programme to the general public. We all know how music lessons for children can improve their reading and brain development. It'll be a great day!! The event includes Celebrity authors, Kids’ Zone, Local Authors’ Lounge, Teen Zone, Book Truck Parade and much, much more.

It'll be a great fun family day out to release the stress of school starting!! So if you are coming out of the event, do drop by to say hi to us!!

Ms. Esther

..something to think about...

2009-09-06T22:59:00.000-07:00

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing.. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story.. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... How many other things are we missing?

------------------
Ms. Gwen Fedorowich

September preparation

2009-08-14T10:10:00.001-07:00

It's been a great summer! Now that we are in the middle of August, it's time to prepare the mood and slowly get back into the routine.

Here are some ideas for you to do to start music fun:
- play some music flash card
- use the Music for Young Children tinsheet to play music note game
- listen to the Music for Young Children CDs
- play duet with your child on the piano (esp. the scales)
- play some favorite songs
- ...

Have fun in the rest of the summer. All of the teachers in MYC mississauga are looking forward to making music with you and your child in the fall!

Ms. Esther

Mississauga's Music for Young Children in City Canada at Canada Day

2009-07-15T08:54:00.001-07:00

It was a great day and thank you all for dropping by to our booth. We were so worried that it was going to rain, but thankfully, it was a sunny day. There are lots of people there. The whole place was packed!!

We were able to introduced the MYC curriculum to the public. Many people took our bright yellow flyers. We were there from 1pm to 7pm. What a fun day!!

Some of you might have enjoyed the facepainting and the dinosaur tattoos. They were a big hit that day! Thanks to four lovely ladies who helped us out!!

It was a busy day that day, so we weren't able to answer some of your questions, please feel free to contact us. We'd love to answer any questions you have!

Music for Young Children Summer Camp

2009-07-02T09:22:00.001-07:00

Thank you for your interest! The camp is currently full!

Summer is just around the corner. Have you plan any educational fun for your child this Summer? Maybe some Music Summer Camp can fill your Summer with some music fun!!

Mrs. Esther Ng will be having a MYC Music Day Camp for children 6-12.
Date: Aug 17-21, 2009 (Deadline has been extended)
Cost: $100
Please contact MSCBC (www.mscbc.com) for detail.
Please click the following flyer for more details.

MYC Mississauga will be at Canada Day Celebration (City Hall)

2009-06-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

If you are at the Canada Day Celebration Event (City Hall), please come by to say hi to us! We'll be there introducing MYC to the public!

Mississauga students win in International Composition Festival

2009-06-05T11:11:00.001-07:00

News Release -For Immediate Release

KANATA, Ontario, May 27, 2009 – Mississauga Music for Young Children teachers and their students are celebrating International wins in MYC’s 2009 International Composition Festival. Isobel Gasparotto-See in her first year of Sunshine 1 placed first in Ontario for Families and went on to compete with 1,755 Internationally where she also came in 1^st. Noah Baran in Sunbeams 3 came in 1^st in Ontario for Nothing and competed Internationally against another 2,031 where he came in 2^nd. Esther Chee, in My Choice 2, came in 1^st in Ontario, 2^nd Internationally against 383 with I Love Horses. The Festival is now in its 22^nd year and is the largest in the world of its kind.

Below is the list of Mississauga students who placed in the top 4 in Ontario:

Pilar Bianchini, Sunshine 2, 2^nd Pilar’s I Love Piano Song
Brandon Doria, Sunbeams 1, 4th The Snow Keeps Falling
Luke Doria, Sunbeams 2, 3rd Ski Time
Michelle Iwama, Sunbeams 2, 4th Canada Geese
Nathan Chu, Moonbeams 1, 3rd Lion Dances in My Dreams
Bobbie Alvernaz, My Choice 2, 3rd Sports are Good Fun
Evangelynn Chee, My Choice 2, 4th Jesus

A total of 12,718 Music for Young Children students took part from across Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea. Compositions are judged within their level in seven different regions – Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB), Ontario, Eastern Canada (PQ, NS, NB, PEI, NF), United States, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand. The first place winners of each of these regions then compete internationally. Thirteen reviewers, including Canadian composer Nancy Telfer, played every piece.

Nancy Telfer has been a choral clinician and guest conductor for many provincial, national, and state organizations throughout Canada and the United States. Since 1979 Ms. Telfer has composed more than 260 works for soloists, chamber ensembles, orchestras, bands, pianists, and choirs, most of which are published in Canada and the United States. According to Ms. Telfer, “It is truly amazing to see what these children have composed – so much creativity and such a high understanding of music and music notation. As I was reading through the pieces I could hear the enjoyment the children must have had as they were writing. Composing is not a race where the greatest pleasure is often in the winning. It is while a composer is actually writing the music that the composer has the most enjoyment. I hope that these children will continue on with their composing. Music for Young Children has provided a unique opportunity for them!”

The successful Music for Young Children program, with corporate head office in Kanata, Ontario was founded in 1980 by Frances Balodis. The program, taught in small groups with adult and child both participating, includes piano instruction, singing, rhythm ensembles, sight reading, ear training, theory and composition. MYC is taught by independent teachers throughout Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea with approximately 24,000 students enrolled this year.

http://www.myc.com/. Janice Reade, Public Relations in Ottawa 613-592-7565

Saskatchewan Kinsmen Telemiracle

2009-03-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

KANATA, ON, March 24, 2009 -- Congratulations to the more than 100 Music for Young Children students and teachers who performed in the Saskatchewan Kinsmen Telemiracle on March 8. I'd also like to thank Bob McGrath, one of the original hosts of Sesame Street, who sang with the students. Bob has just celebrated his 38th year as the music teacher on Sesame Street. In his career he has been honored by the National Music Council for his support of music education in the United States. He has been Chairperson of National UNICEF day and served as host at the United Nations celebration for the "Rights of the Child". He served as the annual host for World Children's Day at the UN General Assembly.

According to Bob "Music for Young Children is a fantastic group. If you have any kids in music -- I can't recommend highly enough that they become a part of Music for Young Children. It's a wonderful, wonderful program."

More than $2300 was donated on behalf of the MYC students and teachers. Thank you to Della Roy for coordinating this and a special thanks to the Saskatchewan teachers for all of their hard work in getting this organized.

Take a moment to see the performances by clicking on the links below.

Music for Young Children

Janice Reade

Public Relations

email: janice@myc.com

Music for Young Children (Mississauga) is looking for new teachers

2009-03-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

Composing time

2009-01-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

It is the time of the year!! Composition time! So exciting!!

MYC offers a method that allows even 3 years old to start composing. It's always so lovely to see the composition from children of all ages and to see the look on their faces, when they realize that they can have a song of their own!!

The final products will then be sent to MYC's International Compositional Festival and be played by a panel of judges. Each child will then receive a specially designed composition sticker for their efforts.

I would encourage you to approach this composition time with enthusiasm and excitement, so your child will in turn be excited to use their imagination.

Happy Music Making

Halifax MYC grad a winner on YTV's "The Next Star"

2008-11-25T09:21:00.001-08:00

KANATA, ON November 25, 2008 -- His name is Bond, Dunnery Bond, and he is an MYC graduate from Halifax, NS. Dunnery Bond was named champion of the YTV singing show The Next Star in September. (Like a junior Canadian Idol for children up to 15.)

Thousands auditioned across Canada and 12 were chosen to go to Toronto, of which another six spent the summer filming weekly shows. Bond was counselled by professionals on how to tackle every aspect of the music industry. That included getting the right look, to having the single Shy created for him.

His music teacher Kathryn Andrew said Bond "always stood out as a singer in MYC classes. He is now working on his grade 9 piano and accompanies himself amazingly well and has always been a big hit in recitals."

Good luck to Dunnery Bond, we'll be watching for you!

Click here to see Bond singing 'Shy'

Music for Young Children

Janice Reade

Public Relations

email: janice@myc.com

Awards for Excellence

2008-11-20T07:03:00.001-08:00

KANATA, ON November 20, 2008 -- Sister Lillian Gaudet, an MYC teacher in Nova Scotia, reported that her student Francis Grenier, who wrote his exam in June, won the Silver Medal from Conservatory Canada. Francis had the highest mark in Nova Scotia for Grade 1 Theory with a mark of 90. His mother Norine, now living in France for a year, said "we credit his MYC teacher, Sister Lillian Gaudet, in Antigonish for his success and we look forward to returning to lessons with Sister Lillian.

Molly Drinnan, an MYC graduate in Ottawa, received the Silver Medal for Ontario from the Royal Conservatory of Music for her Grade 1 Vocal exam with a mark of 98. Besides vocal training, Molly also studies piano with MYC teacher Marilee Mansfield in Ottawa. "MYC certainly continues to shine through in our family! Thank you for the most wonderful introduction to music a child could have!", wrote Molly's mother Janine.

British Columbia teacher Tammy Francis' MYC graduate student, Rebecca Benner, has been awarded the Conservatory Canada Medal for Excellence for her Grade 5 Contemporary Idioms exam for the highest mark in B.C.

Congratulations to the students and their teachers! This is very exciting! Please send me your good news so I can pass it on.

Music for Young Children

Janice Reade

Public Relations

email: janice@myc.com

Visual music learners vs. Auditory music learners

2008-10-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

Recently, many parents come up to me and commented that their children can play their pieces well at home, but when they come to class in a group setting, they cannot play as well as they did.

Beside the nervous factor (which we all experience when we go on the stage or play in front of people), it is because the student might be an auditory music learner. They learn music by ears and they rarely look at the music once they know it by ears. When the children is practicing at home, there are no other sounds competing with their playing. Their ears were able to "read" the music for them. But when they are in a group setting, other children's playing or the MIDI do mix in with their own playing and since they only play by ears, they get lost.

Therefore, Music for Young Children focuses a lot on note reading. It's essential for a musician to be able to play solo and also with other musicians. That's why MYC is in a group format. Students get to play individually and also with their little "orchestra". Students will then be able to strengthen their performing in both formats.

Now as a parent, how to help your child in preparing to play with their "orchestra" during practices? Here are a few suggestions:

- practice the songs in multiple tempos after the songs have been well learned. Try a slow tempo, medium tempo and a fast tempo. So they are used to adjusting to whatever tempo been thrown at them. Make it a game with a dice at the piano and let the dice pick the tempo to spice up their practicing.

- play with your child just like what happens in class and of course, as a parent, you won't be stopping even if the child stopped. That's the point! :) Your children would love to enjoy the duet time with you!! Make it a special treat after they learn the songs well.

- play the songs without turning on the volume on the keyboard if you have one. (make it a silent exercise.)

- play the songs with a rhythm if you have a keyboard... that would keep the children going!! Rock'n'roll!!!

Lastly, an auditory music learner always is weaker on their note reading. So use your MYC tinsheet to good use at home, and make it a fun game to review all the storys of the critters. Use a dice to have the children tell the story. Get a "Critters meet the Staff" CD to play in the car or in the house. Anything to help the auditory music learner to strengthen their note reading will definitely worth it!!

Keep up the good work, parents!!

Ms. Esther Ng

Music for Young Children teachers in Ontario

2008-09-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Look at all the Music for Young Children teachers in Southern Ontario!! And this is just in Southern Ontario. During the 2008 International Conference in Niagara, we were able to meet with a lot more teachers from all over the world. Their dedications, their love of music and children have spread the music through music lessons all over the world. If you have the privilege to be touched by a Music for Young Children teacher, you'll understand what I mean -- the fun, the love, the encouragement and the support!!

We have lots of teachers serving Mississauga and all of us in Music for Young Children (Mississauga) welcome this 2008-2009 school year with a big smile!! We are looking forward to make more music with all the wonderful children!!

Have a great year making music!!

Music for Young Children (Mississauga) is now serving Milton

2008-08-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

The 2008-2009 year will be starting soon! Are you excited about another year of making music together with us? The music teachers in Music for Young Children Mississauga are all very excited about the coming year and busy preparing for the children's arrivals: decorating the studio, sorting the newly arrived book, getting our stickers ready! So much fun!!

Only minimal spaces are available at this point. So contact your area teachers to reserve your space as soon as possible.

Mrs. Cordelia Sequeira's studio will be moving to Milton in end of September. Therefore, more children can be reached by the wonderful experience of the Music for Young Children. Congratulation, Mrs. Cordelia for the move! If you are in the Milton area and are interested in enrolling for this September, please contact Mrs. Cordelia to reserve your spot!!

Looking forward to see you in the classes!!

International Music for Young Children Teacher Conference in Niagara Falls

2008-07-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Mississauga Music for Young Children music teachers have just recently attended the International International Music for Young Children Teacher Conference in Niagara Falls. It was a comprehensive 4 days conference and music teachers from all over the world came to Canada to attend this conference. MYC has more than 900 teachers all over the world and is now being taught in Canada, USA, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand. It has more than 24,000 music students and have 28 years of experience in providing the best music education to children all over the world.

We are privileged to meet up with all the teachers in the conference, especially getting to talk to Frances Balodis (The founder and director of MYC) and Oliver Riddell (Business Development and Advertising of MYC). We share ideas, attended workshops, and brought teaching aids to enrich our music classes. We strife to provide the best music education experience to our students.

This year, we are also very excited to have Gwen Fedorowich receiving her pin for teaching over 1000 music students and Brenda Cornacchione also received her pin for teaching over 800 music students. Congratulation!

And if you haven't heard, Music For Young Children has a new Sunrise and Moonbeam 1 program. It's better and more exciting than before and we all know that these 2 programs are already marvalous. They introduced the new and better changes to the programs. We just can't wait to show all the music students to the upgraded music lessons!!

We will share more about this weekend experience with you in later days! So stay tune to our blog!

Our newest Ad

2008-07-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Look out for our newest Music for Young Children ad in the Mississauga library brochure!!

The Gift of Music

2008-06-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

A student forwarded this to us and I'd like to share it with all of the music parents out there. Your hard work in introducing music and piano lessons to your child in their young age is definitely worth it!!

---------------------------
The Gift of Music
---------------------------
Playing an instrument isn't just a way to kill time. There are tons of benefits. Here are a few:

* Builds confidence and self-esteem.
* Develops memory skills
* Reduces stress
* Increases self-discipline which helps at school
* It allows you to impress your friends
* Presents opportunities to meet people
* Develops co-ordination of your body, ear and intellect
* It stays with you for the rest of your life!!!
-----------------------------

International Composition Festival

2008-05-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

KANATA, Ontario, April 3, 2008 – The highlight of Music for Young Children’s year has been the International Composition Festival now in its 21st year and the largest in the world of its kind. Every year Music for Young Children students have the opportunity to participate in this festival. Children strengthen their aural, reading and harmony skills through music composition. Composing is a long term project, well worth the effort.

This year 12,710 students from across Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea took part in the festival. Compositions are judged within their level in eight different regions – Western Canada (BC, AB, SK, MB), Ontario, Eastern Canada (PQ, NS, NB, PEI, NF), United States, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand. The first place winners of each of these regions then go on to be judged internationally.

Toronto:
Student Samantha Horwood, 4 years old, placed 1st in Ontario and 4th Internationally for her song Snowflake Dance (teacher Natalia Ryjanovskaia, MUSICA Music School 416-696-0905). Approximately 382 students took part in Samantha’s level, Sunshine 2, in Ontario and 1,025 Internationally. Natalia had another International winner with Alex Lowrie who came 1st in Ontario and 1st Internationally with Family. She is a Sunbeams 1 student with 911 competing provincially, 2576 Internationally. Christine Seaton also 4, came 2nd in Ontario in Sunshine 2 with My Kitty.

Selena Tohmé, 7 years old, placed 4th in Ontario in Sunbeams 3 with Dancing Music, competing with 704 students provincially (teacher Liselotte Jongedijk, MUSICA Music School 416-696-0905). Selena’s mother, Tania Maalouf, is also a Music for Young Children teacher in the MUSICA Music School.

Mississauga:
Jonas Irwin, 4 years old, placed 3rd in Ontario for Hungry Buldozer, competing against 655 in his Sunshine 1 level (teacher Brenda Cornacchione 905-271-0477). Brenda’s student Madelyn DeVoe, 5 years old, placed second in Ontario in Sunbeams One for My Pig Flys, competing with 911 provincially.

Johann Peter Gamini Misersky, placed 1st in Ontario for Cat and Mouse, competing with 1,031 in Sunbeams 2 (teacher Chandrika de Almeida 905-615-8637).

Esther Chee, 8 years old, placed 2nd for Littlest Pet Shops in her level of My Choice 1 competing against 269 students (teacher Esther Ng 416-816-3142). Her sister, Evangelynn Chee, 11 years old, and also in the same level placed 3rd in Ontario for A Rainy Day.

Fifteen reviewers, including world renowned British composer and recording artist Christopher Norton, played every piece. Mr. Norton said “I was one of the judges for the 2008 MYC Composition Competition and I really enjoyed the experience. There were more than 12,000 entries, and I'm sorry to say that I didn't personally see every single one. But the many entries I did see indicated that there's lots of enthusiasm and creativity among young people in Canada (and the U.S., Singapore and South Korea!). It always stood out if a student had a clear idea about the chords they really wanted to use, or wanted an effective variation in their melody or liked piano textures that were a bit different from the ones you always hear. Creative solutions stood out! The lessons they will have learned from notating their own pieces and playing around with a very specific set of notes and rhythms will lead to better listening and ultimately a love of music for life”.

The successful Music for Young Children program, with corporate head office in Kanata, was founded in 1980 by Frances Balodis. The program, taught in small groups with adult and child both participating, includes piano instruction, singing, rhythm ensembles, sight reading, ear training, theory and composition. MYC is taught by independent teachers throughout Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea with approximately 24,000 students enrolled this year.

For more information or a photo of these students, please contact the teacher directly.

www.myc.com. Janice Reade, Public Relations in Ottawa 613-592-7565.

Music lessons improve kids' brain development, memory: study

2008-04-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

Last Updated: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 | 10:43 AM ET

Music lessons can help children as young as four show advanced brain development and improve their memory, even when it sounds like a budding musician is banging out little more than noise, a new Canadian study suggests.

Researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton used magnetoencephalography (MEG) brain-scanning technology to compare the developmental changes in 12 children aged four to six over the course of a year.

The study, to be published in the October edition of Oxford University's neurology journal Brain, found that those who took music lessons showed more changes in brain responses.

Even when parents hear only what sounds like random notes or nonsense, it's likely their children are developing their brains in ways that could enhance their overall thinking, said professor Laurel Trainor, who led the study with Takako Fujioka, a scientist at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto.

"There are probably really fundamental things going on in the brain as those kids are learning over that first year, so even though they appear on the surface to maybe only play a few pieces, very simple pieces, it's probably setting up networks in their brain," Trainor said.

Music training could lead to improvements in literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics and IQ, she added.

The study found particular changes in the attentional systems of children who took music lessons, which affected their ability to pay attention to important things around them.

"A child with a superior attentional system will be able to apply that in different domains, so they'll be able to focus in on what's important in a verbal learning task, they'll be able to concentrate when figuring out a mathematical problem," Trainor said.

"So you can imagine how a superior attentional system would have wide-ranging consequences across many domains."

Trainor said the study represents the first time researchers have identified the benefits of music lessons for preschool children.

Value of music education

Previous studies compared the impact of music classes and drama classes in older children and found kids who learned an instrument had better improvements in IQ scores.

"I think our study and other studies show that music has benefits … for cognitive processing and cognitive development," she said.

"We would hope that when decisions have to be made, music would be considered a core part of the preschool and school curriculum."

Many studies have shown the value of music education and many parents want it for their children, said Ingrid Whyte, executive director of the Coalition for Music Education in Canada.

"There's this tremendous emphasis on math and English and science, and those are wonderful and important things, but here's a study proving, yet again, that music education does help develop the brain," Whyte said.

"There's also a whole range of other skills that are being developed in terms of social skills and creativity, and a sense of belonging and community and collaboration with one another."

Christopher Norton Workshop - Toronto

2008-03-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Finally some news from the Toronto front after the very successful Christopher Norton Master Class Event on a very snowy Saturday March 8. Roughly, 80 students were registered to perform in the master classes, some with backing tracks and some with Chris accompanying them on the Roland Keyboard. A total of 29 students returned to perform in the evening Gala Concert which included Christopher Norton playing from his various books & performing some of his new works.

Thank-you to Music for Young Children for making these Master Class events possible, and Christopher Norton for being such an excellent, patient, and above all humorous teacher that day. A special thank you to all those who braved the weather on that Saturday, and for the hard work form the students to prepare for the Master Classes. Certainly, the preparedness of the students contributed greatly to the success of the event. Given the very positive reactions from everyone who participated, there are good hopes that another Norton Master Class Event shall be organized for next year.

MYC in Ottawa Citizen - Frances Balodis & composition festival

2008-03-19T07:22:00.001-07:00

Take a look at Ottawa Citizen's interview on Frances Balodis (Founder of MYC). And you'll learn more about this program!! Enjoy!

Wednesday » March 19 » 2008

Music to young ears

Frances Balodis began teaching music at her home in 1980. Now, 900 teachers around the world embrace her system

Peter Hum

The Ottawa Citizen

Sunday, March 16, 2008

CREDIT: Julie Oliver, the Ottawa Citizen

Jaida Banks, 5, focuses intensely as she receives instruction from her teacher, Frances Balodis.

CREDIT: Julie Oliver, the Ottawa Citizen

Teaching music to children has defined Frances Balodis' life. Her husband Gunars is the family firm's business manager. The couple plans on turning over Music for Young Children to daughter, Olivia, and her husband. 'We will decrescendo and they will crescendo,' says Mrs. Balodis.

The highlight of Frances Balodis' year always begins at the end of February as, each day, Canada Post trucks deliver big envelopes filled with short musical compositions, scrawled neatly in pencil by thousands of children on three continents, to the Kanata headquarters of Music for Young Children, the music education company that Mrs. Balodis founded 28 years ago.

Then, through the end of the first week in March, the giddy, chaotic, serious fun lasts until Mrs. Balodis and her colleagues have picked the best of a batch that totals almost 12,400.

In between, culling occurs as songs such as I Wish I Could Fly So High, Shooting Star, and Playing on the Swings pass through a gauntlet of reviewers who must, perhaps above all, heed Mrs. Balodis' guideline No. 17, which is to take breaks as required.

"By the time you've reviewed a ton of compositions, you can't remember your name," Mrs. Balodis says.

Guideline No. 18 is "Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!" But it's unlikely that her 15 or so reviewers would agree to their slog if they didn't relish prolonged exposure to the works of budding composers between the ages of three and 10.

They share, after all, Mrs. Balodis' love of teaching music to children. Come this fall, she will have done just that for 50 years, having begun giving piano lessons at the age of nine.

She never dreamed then, however, that she would develop a music program that would be embraced so far by roughly 900 teachers in North America, South Korea and New Zealand. She never could have imagined that roughly 24,000 students from Ottawa to Singapore would opt for Music For Young Children, which at its core is a family business, over giant corporate rivals such as the Yamaha Music School and SuzukiMusic.

Frances Balodis is a small and quiet woman, but a focused and energetic teacher who naturally motivates the international empire that has arisen from her ambitions.

Her commitment sets a striking example because it is so consuming, leaving no part of her life untouched.

Teaching music to children has helped define her marriage -- her husband, Gunars Balodis, is MYC's business manager. Teaching music to children will be her legacy to her youngest child, with Gunars, 61, and Frances, 59, passing the family business to their 31-year-old daughter, Olivia, and her 34-year-old husband, David Riddell. The younger couple abandoned corporate careers in Toronto because both felt the opportunity presented by MYC was too good to pass up. "We will decrescendo and they will crescendo," says Mrs. Balodis.

All of them say that the company is less about profits and more about quality.

"We're not focused on making a lot of money," says Mr. Balodis. "We're focused on doing a good job. We're focused on doing something for the students and teachers and parents."

The case in point is the annual composition festival. It could have been a cash grab with entry fees, but instead it's free for teachers and students, "intended to enrich the program," says David Riddell.

By mid-morning on the first Monday in March, the reviewers were settling into their routines. Each had a stack of compositions by Ontario children between six and eight years old. Each happily set to work, at keyboards scattered throughout the company's headquarters.

Snippets of music, simple cadences and four- and five-note melodies were wafting from behind office doors. There was silence only as each reviewer paused to place a song in his or her "yes," "no," or "maybe" pile, marking the best compositions with a colour-coded check mark in the top right corner.

"Listen to the music," says Mrs. Balodis. "It's everywhere."

***

There was a moment during Mrs. Balodis' life when she might have opted for a career in something other than music.

That was in 1971, when she graduated from Queen's University with a triple major in biology, chemistry, and, well, music.

In her hometown of Cookstown, Ont., she had grown to love music early. Her father was an "old-time fiddler," she says. Mrs. Balodis remembers that when she was just four, she played piano while sitting on her grandmother's knee, learned to harmonize melodies and accompany her father. At 10, she completed the Royal Conservatory's Grade 8 level for pianists, which is the level that MYC's teachers must themselves attain to be accepted as program instructors. Before she was 10, Mrs. Balodis was already teaching piano to younger children in Cookstown.

Still, after university, she thought she might become a pediatrician.

But Mr. Balodis -- they were already married -- questioned whether Mrs. Balodis really wanted to endure all the lab work of medical school. He suggested she pursue teaching instead, although not necessarily in the field of music. Mrs. Balodis earned two teaching degrees at Acadia University, while Mr. Balodis, who had attended Royal Military College while Mrs. Balodis had attended Queen's, was posted at CFB Halifax with the Canadian Forces.

In the late 1970s, in Dartmouth, N.S., Mrs. Balodis, the mother of two small children, began teaching teaching group lessons for a Yamaha music school. She says now that under Yamaha's yoke, she was pressured to get students to buy keyboards and organs and pianos. She says she couldn't stand that pressure -- and the stress-related asthma attacks -- and she quit.

She considers March 7, 1980 -- the day after she quit Yamaha -- MYC's birthday. With knowledge gained from her Acadia studies, and in particular from her master's degree specialization in working with children that had learning disabilities, Mrs. Balodis began to write her own music program.

All the while, Mr. Balodis, who has a master's degree in physics, was the commanding officer of the acoustic data analysis centre at CFB Halifax. By night, he provided support and encouragement to Mrs. Balodis. "I was manning the three-hole punch," he kids now. For several months, they worked into the wee hours to develop MYC's first curriculum. Subsequently, Mr. Balodis even took a second job as a computer programmer to make enough money to pay back the bank loans.

"We were fairly energetic. We were running on adrenalin," he says. "In hindsight, if I knew how much work that would have taken, I'm not sure I would have done it."

The business slowly expanded, as other teachers embraced Mrs. Balodis' curriculum, which she contends remains unique after many years of revisions. Mr. Balodis calls his company's materials "the best ideas of nearly 1,000 teachers."

The Balodises and others at MYC say that while some of their more celebrated competitors stress learning by ear, Mrs. Balodis' program stands alone in introducing children to sight-singing, composition, the keyboard, movement and rhythm, thereby providing a broad and recognized foundation for subsequent study in the Canadian conservatory system.

Mrs. Balodis contends that the complexities of music theory and even composing can be simplified so that pre-schoolers can begin to grasp them.

"I find little children so anxious to learn when you present it to them in a positive way," she says. "If you slice that thin enough, then the children learn it, which is so wonderful for their self-esteem."

Run during its first decade or so out of the Balodis' home, MYC spread, sometimes as teachers moved to different parts of Canada and propagated the system once they had settled down. By 1985, the Balodis' networking efforts had led to 112 teachers embracing the MYC system, paying for the program's materials, with more than 2,700 students were under their wing.

Still, the business lost money in its first five years. It only became profitable in 1986, when the Balodis family moved to Ottawa as Mr. Balodis retired from the Forces to work for what was then Computing Devices Canada in Bells Corners.

Over the next five years, MYC roughly tripled in terms of the number of teachers and students, although it was still a home-based business.

But in 1991, MYC moved to a rented Carling Avenue office. Also, Mr. Balodis left Computing Devices to become Music for Young Children's full-time business manager. Soon after, following the move by one teacher to the U.S., the company attempted to crack the American market.

In 1995, MYC moved to its Leacock Way headquarters, which more than two decades earlier had been the home of Mitel Corp., then the fledgling company of Michael Cowpland and Terry Matthews. MYC later bought the 5,600-square-foot building.

There has been one setback since. The company lost money in 2004 after efforts to grow in the U.S. bore little fruit. However, recent years have seen the rise of the U.S. National Music Certificate Program, which is associated with the Toronto-based Royal Conservatory of Music. Given that Music for Young Children is the sole business of its kind recognized by the Royal Conservatory, Mr. Balodis says that his company is at last poised to take off in the U.S.

Over the next 25 years, with the business in the hands of the next generation, MYC "will certainly double in size," Mr. Balodis says.

Meanwhile, student growth in percentage terms has been in the single digits for nearly the last decade. Growth could have been greater, Mr. Balodis says, but only at the expense of quality.

MYC's teachers are effectively franchisees, recruiting their own students, retaining all tuition fees from students and setting their own rates for the one-hour group lessons. The company, Mr. Balodis says, has revenues of more than $2 million a year from the sales of teaching materials. MYC profits, he adds, are "somewhat less than that," because the company, which employs 12 in Ottawa and 15 regional co-ordinators across North America, above all re-invests in itself to improve quality and support for teachers. Frances and Gunars are the company's only shareholders.

In recent years, applicants from Shanghai, Nepal, Hong Kong and Taiwan have inquired about licensing with MYC. All learned about the company through Internet searches. The Balodises have turned down the applicants because they felt that the Kanata headquarters would be unable to provide proper support.

However, the company could not turn down applicants from Singapore.

"We told them we were not expanding," says Mrs. Balodis. "They were insistent -- 'When can we come to Canada for training?' After a while, you just get sick of saying no, right?" In January, she and her daughter Olivia travelled to Singapore for 10 days to train more teachers there.

In Kanata, both mother and daughter teach roughly a half-dozen classes for children too.

At a recent Tuesday morning class given by Mrs. Balodis, there was perfect attendance by a group of six-year-olds and their parents despite the freezing rain.

The class was a non-stop flurry of activities, filled with singing, rhythm work with castanets, tambourines and triangles, homework checks, singing, music history, games, composition and piano technique.

"What does D.C. al fine mean?" asks Mrs. Balodis. Most of the six-year-olds remain a bit unclear of the concept.

"What are the three most important numbers in every key?" Mrs. Balodis asks. This time, children respond "one, four and five," referring to the degrees of the related scale that yield the tonic, sub-dominant and dominant chords.

The children play games, including one that involves placing a plastic "#" symbol in its proper place on a plastic music staff. They are exposed to Johan Strauss' Blue Danube Waltz -- Mrs. Balodis plays the piano while the children, guided by their parents, play tambourines and triangles. There's a bit of show and tell, when Mrs. Balodis displays her father's violin.

During the last 10 minutes of class, the children take turns at keyboards, playing their works-in-progress compositions for Mrs. Balodis. "That's a great composition. I love it!" she says. "That's beautiful."

There's no telling how far these children might progress musically, but there have been MYC grads who have distinguished themselves. Mrs. Balodis says that, two years ago, a former student achieved the highest mark in Canada for Royal Conservatory Grade 9 piano studies.

"He had started private lessons, but gotten totally turned off. The boy hated music," she says. The parents tried to turn him back on to music by enrolling him in Music for Young Children -- and clearly they succeeded.

"That happens a lot," Mrs. Balodis says.

***

It is MYC's 28th birthday -- and the composition festival's last day of judging. In the MYC basement studio where Mrs. Balodis teaches, 14 reviewers are gathered to hear a playdown of the regional finalists so that international winners can be chosen. Among them is Christopher Norton, the leading composer of music for children and beginning musicians.

The reviewers are seated in a circle, listening to Ottawa music teacher Tania Granata play a set of compositions by four- and five-year-olds in MYC's Sunshine II level. Snowflake Dance is a micro-waltz. Donkey Song features clusters and echoing motifs. Dora's Sad Song is a minor-key trifle, with a Celtic touch. Jumping Frog is a long, staccato melody.

"Wow," says one of the reviewers.

"This is Sunshine II?" asks another.

"Did you make a phone call?" asks a third, half-joking. Calls are made to teachers if there are any suspicions that a parent unduly helped a child with a composition.

After a show of hands, Jumping Frog is declared the unanimous winner.

Soon they are evaluating the finalists in the Moonbeam II category, with composers who are eight and nine years old, picking the best from Shadow, When to Pray, Stormy Night and Sweet Sounds, a major-key waltz in Eb with distinct sections.

"How about they all be first because they were all so good?" says Ms. Granata.

At one point, Mrs. Balodis asks for a tissue to dab at her eyes. Sweet Sounds has moved her to tears.

"I don't know why that song makes me cry," she says, before thinking a bit. "I love the harmony in it and how it flows."

"Music just has an impact on people in ways that nothing else can," Ms. Granata says.

By noon, the evaluations are over and it's time for birthday cake.

Some of the year's winning compositions are likely to stick with Mrs. Balodis. After all, she can clearly recall winning compositions from years gone by. She begins singing a song with lyrics, a winner from eight or nine years ago: "Peanut butter, peanut butter, honey and jam, I make sandwiches, yes I can." She taps the rhythms on her lap, and takes pleasure in singing the song again.

"Some of the compositions never leave you," Mrs. Balodis says.

Ottawa Citizen
16 Mar 2008

MYC Ottawa on CTV

2008-03-04T11:08:00.000-08:00

This is a clip where MYC Ottawa hosts a Christopher Norton's Masterclass & Gala.

Good new for Music for Young Children@ Parents

2008-01-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

The Royal Conservatory of Music's new Piano Pedagogy Certificate Program has included the Music for Young Children@ program as one of the approved beginner methods for music. Music for Young Children@ is the ONLY children group music curriculum to be on their list of methods.

(You can click the link above to see the RCM publications that announced the news!!)

It's exciting to know that Music for Young Children@'s comprehensive and yet fun method has been recognized by the Royal Conservatory of Music. It shows that this group method's high standard. We, as teachers for the MYC programs, congratulations all parents for choosing the best group music curriculum out there for your child!!

Composition

2007-11-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

We'll be starting to compose our pieces soon for the MYC composition festival. If you ever wonder how composition comes in action with improvisation, this will show you. It has to do with all the things we've learned in MYC with motives and how to apply the different techniques to the motives. The earlier a child learn to apply those techniques (like what we learn in MYC) to the motives, the better chance for a child to use them in their improv and composition in the future years.
Enjoy!

Thank you for a wonderful recital 2007

2007-06-08T12:53:00.001-07:00

We have a great recital 2007 for Esther Ng's music studio. Look at all the smiles!! Thanks all the parents who brought refreshments!! Your participation is a key to the success of the recital.