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JANUARY NEWSLETTER
in this issue
Children....blooming in their own time
How to find us in the dark!
Music class and lesson availability
Thank you!
Important dates
Ring in the New Year with Music Together®!
Happy Birthday!
Refer a friend and get $25
Welcome new students
Star Student Siblings - Dereck and Julia
It's back - Snowbird Safari at Breton Village
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MUSIC CLASS AND LESSON AVAILABILITY
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Classes available for registration:
Music Together - Tues 6:15, Thur 11:30 (last week to join winter semester)
Music Makers - call for availability
Music Play - Friday 9:30
Glee Choirs - Mondays
Teachers with available lesson times:
Chris Lawrence - trumpet
Stephen Vecchio - trombone (available Fridays)
Amy DeBoer - flute (available Mondays)
Daniel Rosas - guitar (available Tues, Wed, Thur)
Barbara Hendricks - limited availability for piano
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
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Happy January Birthdays to: Henley H., Colin C., Levi M., Bryn P., Will V., and Zachary H.
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WELCOME NEW STUDENTS!
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Please welcome new students Alisa D., Ryan S., Joshua A., and Daniel P.
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IMPORTANT DATES
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Jan 2 - Classes and lessons resume
Jan 21 - Makeup classes (sign up in the studio)
Jan 21 - Ring in the New Year with Music Together and Music Makers (makeup/demo class). Special free demo/makeup classes.
Feb 11 - Breton Village Winter Safari event
Feb 15 - Withdrawal deadline for Music Together classes
Feb 18 - Piano Musicianship Classes
Mar 10 - Federation Festival
Mar 27 - Apr 7 - Two-week Spring Break
Apr 21 - Makeup Classes
May 19 - Piano Musicianship Classes
June 9 - Recital rehearsal
June 10 - Spring recital
June 11-15 - Parent/teacher conferences
July 3 - Summer lessons begin
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CHILDREN..... BLOOMING IN THEIR OWN TIME
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A personal story shared in Perspectives (journal of the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association, Fall 2011) highlighted this sentence: "If you have a child who resists going to class....hang in there. It is so wonderful to watch children bloom in their own time." The author's child, the youngest of three, did not do well with swimming lessons. When her daughter refused to get in the pool on the first day of class, mom was ready to pull her out. thinking the whole idea had been a mistake. But the teachers assured her that they would eventually get her daughter into the water if she continued to bring her each week. The weeks continued, however, with the same scenario....mom bringing child to class, getting her in a swimsuit, and then changing her out of her dry swimsuit and going home. The half hour class consisted of her daughter walking around the pool watching other children having their lessons. Some major vocal resistance matched the resistant behavior. This continued for quite some time until one day, there she was, walking down the stairs and into the water. Swim lessons continued over the next couple of years and this once resistant young lady eventually became a confident swimmer.
So what does this have to do with music classes and lessons? We sometimes see the same behavior in our early childhood music classes and lessons. Parents who try a Music Together class might notice that their child does not participate fully or seems distracted by something other than the classroom activities. Some choose not to enroll. Some do. For those who do, we have the privilege of observing the musical and personal development of these children. The benefits of continuing in class even though a child seems resistant or distracted or non-participatory are immeasurable and lifelong.
If you are the parent of a resistant, distracted, or non-participatory child, give it a try....or, hang in there, ride out the waves of childhood in the best way you can. Some months are challenging, some years are challenging. In the end, it is wonderful to "watch children bloom in their own time." Your child can become a confident musician!
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RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH MUSIC!
SATURDAY 1/21/12
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Join us for one of our highly respected Music Together or piano classes on Saturday, January 21! REGISTER NOW! Limited space in these special events!
MUSIC TOGETHER for birth-5 with an adult who loves them (11:15-noon)
Forty-five minutes of playful and purposeful music activities appropriate for children birth-age five with an adult who loves them.
Free Music Together makeup class for enrolled families.
Follow this link to register for a free makeup class: academyofmusicGR.com/makeups
Free Music Together demo class for new families. Follow this link to register:
space is limited!: academyofmusicGR.com/demo
Former Music Togetherfamilies are welcome to join us for $10/child, $15/family.
Use the demo link to register, and plan to pay when you arrive:
MUSIC MAKERS for 4-5 year olds (2-3 pm)
Forty five minutes of playful and purposeful music activities that include Keyboard Games pieces at the piano. Ten minutes sharing activities with parents at the end of class. Appropriate for preschoolers and kindergartners (minimum age four).
Free Music Makers makeup class for enrolled families.
Follow this link to register for a free makeup class: academyofmusicGR.com/makeups
Free Music Makers demo class for new students in preschool or kindergarten (minimum age four). Follow this link to register for a free demo class: academyofmusicGR.com/demos
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STAR STUDENT SIBLINGS
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Featured Star Student siblings this month are Julia and Dereck B. Dereck and Julia are 6 and 10 years old, attending first and fourth grade at Ada Vista School. They have two cats at home - Mittens and Sadie.
Julia likes taking piano lessons with her friends in a small group. Her goal is to win each of the medals awarded at the completion of our Piano Olympics. In addition to their music interests, Julia enjoys arts and crafts. Her favorite food is spaghetti.
Dereck also enjoys sharing a lesson time with his friend Levi. He especially likes learning solo pieces. His favorite this year is the Festive Sonatina he is learning for the Federation Festival in March. His goal is to win the gold medal in our Piano Olympics competition this year. In addition to music, Dereck enjoys participating in wrestling. His favorite food is pizza.
The Academy of Music thanks Julia and Dereck for participating in our piano program and for recommending us to their friends!
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PLAN AHEAD - SNOWBIRD SAFARI - FEB 11 at Breton Village!
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Rick the Reptile Guy will be featured again this year at the Breton Village February SNOWBIRD SAFARI on Saturday, February 11. Plan to join us from 9:30-11:30. Free activities for kids. Popcorn. Raffle drawings with prizes from participating businesses that serve young families - Academy of Music, Pooh's Corner, Gymco, Abrakadoodle Art, Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park, Turning Pages, and Camp Newago.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFTS
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Many thanks to the families who participated in sharing gifts for the community this past holiday season. We were able to deliver a big pile of toys to the Angel Tree sponsored by the Cascade Business Center AND deliver a cart full of non-perishable food to the Central Reformed Church food pantry. In addition, we appreciated the tuition assistance gifts some of you shared for young families who participate in our Music Together program.
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HOW TO FIND US IN THE DARK
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If you are trying to find us in the dark, look for this giant red and white sign on the north side of 28th street that says OFFICE-RETAIL LEASING. Approaching it from the east, turn in the driveway just past the sign. Approaching it from the west, turn in the driveway just before the sign.
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REFER A FRIEND AND GET $25!
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If you have a friend who might like to take music lessons, refer them to the Academy!
If they register for lessons, we will give you a $25 gift!
It's easy to refer someone.
Just visit academyofmusicGR.com/tell_friend
Type in your name, their name and their
e-mail address, and we'll take care of the rest!
There's no maximum to the amount of
referral gifts that you can receive!
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Academy of Music in grand rapids
6143 28th St SE
Studio C
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Music Together classes, Piano, Piano prep, Guitar, Trumpet, Trombone, Flute, Glee Choirs
965-1655
info@academyofmusicGR.com
www.academyofmusicGR.com
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