New Kidstuff from MYA!

Rebecca Watts is the Marketing Assistant for MYA.
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Midwest Young Artists‘ (MYA) new Early Childhood Education program is up and running!

Since 1993, Midwest Young Artists (MYA) has provided outstanding orchestral, choral and jazz programming for 2^nd through 12^th grade students.  Today, we launched Miniature Young Artists – a music and movement program for 8-month-olds to 5-year-olds.

Research indicates that music-making enhances reading, verbal and math test scores in children and that there is a correlation between music lessons and increases in IQ.  We wanted to provide a program that allows students to experience music as early as possible.

This class has been in the works over the past few years.  Jessica Jordan, our Miniature Young Artists (note the take off on MYA!) teacher, has created a totally unique program for MYA based on the research that music provides a stimulus for young children to achieve in all facets of the educational process – academic, social and artistic.  She truly enjoys teaching and is currently pursuing her Master’s of Music in violin performance and pedagogy at Northwestern University.

It was evident that the hard work was worth it when our first student (an outgoing 2-year-old) walked through the front door and asked, “Do you guys have music here?”

We do indeed have music here, and the students in our first classes today really seemed to enjoy themselves.  Today, they sang, danced, played with rhythm sticks, shakers, resonator bells, bean bags, and scarves, and even had time for story time and a juice break.

Our first session of Miniature Young Artists runs from February 5 – March 19, and the second session will run from April 2 – May 14.  Throughout each seven-week session, children will explore and grow together while learning to express themselves through music.

It’s not too late to register!  If you would like to enroll your child in Miniature Young Artists, please contact MYA at (847) 926-9898.

Please check back for updates about Miniature Young Artists, as well as other MYA programs!

 Link: http://www.mya.org/programs/mini.php

Viols in our Schools

Viols in our Schools: An Early Music Educational Initiative

I recently came across this site while checking out the websites of performers in the upcoming season of early music concerts at the Byron Colby Barn in Grayslake.

Organized by Dr. Phillip Serna (a very busy area performer and string instructor), the program began in January 2008 and works to bring the family of early music string instruments known as viola da gamba into many area schools.

“Renaissance music for viols, as well as performance of early-Western string instruments, in never heard within a school setting, even when a rudimentary early music history program is offered. The Viols in our Schools program seeks to remedy this by offering performances and lecture-demonstrations, enhancing the music program experience.”

Often working “Pro Bono”, Dr. Serna donates his time to travel to and perform in area schools, working to entertain while educating student audiences about the rich literature available for this family of bowed string instruments.    

Donations are being sought to help continue this educational outreach, especially important now when music education is being cut from so many schools. There are three ways to donate:

1. Donate an instrument, which will be loaned to a student
2. Donate financially, which helps to sponsor ”day-long residency” visits by Dr. Serna to local schools
3. Shop at the “Viols in our Schools” Cafe Press online Store

To find out more about Dr. Serna, this program, and this family of instruments, please visit the “Viols in our Schools” website.

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Dr. Serna is the current president of the Chicago Chapter of the Viola da Gamba Society of America, an active instructor at several area educational institutions, and an active double bass performer with several local groups including the Chicago Early Music Consort and Ars Antigua.