Early Ears - Language and Music Classes for Children

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Having Fun at Early Ears!

throwing-balls

Click here to see our photo gallery by Annie Frantzeskos!

Spanish & French Language Classes for ages 5 thru 8 years

Find out how much fun learning a foreign language can be! A complete immersion into the foreign language nourishes the inquisitive ears of the youngsters. Stories are told and songs are sung while instruments such as violins, drums, castanets, xylophones to name just a few, are played.

Circle games and movement activities vary the curriculum. Translating familiar songs establishes a direct association between the two languages while introducing authentic songs from the rich children folklore of each country gives a taste not only of the language but also the culture.

Spanish & French Classes

Monday @ 4:00 pm at Edison Elementary
Classes are on-going, starting 01/04/2012

Tuition for 12 weeks session: $80. Materials fee: $10 book & CD

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Music Classes for Newborns thru 4 years of age

Hands-on instruments are changed frequently during the forty-minute classes, allowing the tiny toddler attention span to latch on something new every four or five minutes. Fun songs are sung while instruments are played, often incorporating rhythmic activities and solfeg (based on the Kodaly method of music teaching).

Four-year-olds love experimenting with the activities all on their own, and infants are enchanted by Mommy or Daddy’s “performance” on the triangle, sandblocks, castanets or recorder. Every age in between has a great time shaking, blowing, strumming, bowing, dancing and singing!

MusiKids Classes

Tuesday or Friday @ 9:30 am

Tuesday @10:30 am
Classes are on-going, starting 01/04/2012

Tuition for 8 weeks session: $80. Materials fee: $10 book & CD

All classes are held at 2015 East 27^th Ave, Eugene.

newborn-violin

Piano, Voice and Violin Class for ages 4 thru 8 years

This class teaches basic violin and piano skills, while singing incorporates rhythm and music reading. Fun songs and activities will prepare the student for an enjoyable and successful music experience.

Thursday @ 4:15 pm
Classes are on-going, starting 01/04/2012

Tuition for 8 weeks session: $130 including materials fee
Late registration is accepted and prorated.
Family rates are available.

piano violin

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Schedule of Classes

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	9:30 am Musikids class			9:30 am Musikids class
	10:30 am Musikids class
4:00 pm Spanish & French			4:15 pm Piano Voice & Violin

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Performances

Anahid Bertrand performs children’s music at Family Music Time at Eugene Library, the Saturday Market and at private parties that can be scheduled by calling: (541) 221-3407.

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Twelve Benefits of Music Education

Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning. It is thought that brain development continues for many years after birth. Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain's circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help imprint information on young minds.
There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things). This kind of intelligence, by which one can visualize various elements that should go together, is critical to the sort of thinking necessary for everything from solving advanced mathematics problems to being able to pack a book-bag with everything that will be needed for the day.
Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, rejecting outdated rules and assumptions. Questions about the arts do not have only one right answer. 
Recent studies show that students who study the arts are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT. They also achieve higher grades in high school.
A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures. This development of compassion and empathy, as opposed to development of greed and a "me first" attitude, provides a bridge across cultural chasms that leads to respect of other races at an early age.
Students of music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work. These standards, when applied to a student's own work, demand a new level of excellence and require students to stretch their inner resources.
In music, a mistake is a mistake; the instrument is in tune or not, the notes are well played or not, the entrance is made or not. It is only by much hard work that a successful performance is possible. Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the concrete rewards of hard work.
Music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline. In order for an orchestra to sound good, all players must work together harmoniously towards a single goal, the performance, and must commit to learning music, attending rehearsals, and practicing.
Music provides children with a means of self-expression. Now that there is relative security in the basics of existence, the challenge is to make life meaningful and to reach for a higher stage of development. Everyone needs to be in touch at some time in his life with his core, with what he is and what he feels. Self-esteem is a by-product of this self-expression.
Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace. It focuses on "doing," as opposed to observing, and teaches students how to perform, literally, anywhere in the world. Employers are looking for multi-dimensional workers with the sort of flexible and supple intellects that music education helps to create as described above. In the music classroom, students can also learn to better communicate and cooperate with one another.
Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks. A little anxiety is a good thing, and something that will occur often in life. Dealing with it early and often makes it less of a problem later. Risk-taking is essential if a child is to fully develop his or her potential.
An arts education exposes children to the incomparable.

Carolyn Phillips is the author of the Twelve Benefits of Music Education. She is the Former Executive Director of the Norwalk Youth Symphony, CT.

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Fun Music Play Games

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall (bend your knees to create a wall and place your child high on top)

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall (let your knees fall along with your giggling child)

All the kings horses and all the king's man (make a bumpy ride by moving knees up and down)

Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again (wrap your arms around your child and shower him or her with kisses)

Parent Education

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About the teacher

Anahid Bertrand began her piano training in her native Bulgaria at age five. She completed her Bachelor of Arts with a Piano Pedagogy Emphasis at Sonoma State University, where she was twice awarded the Everett Person Scholarship. She studied in the Master’s Piano Performance Program at San Francisco State University. She received her Suzuki Training at Holly Names University.

After teaching piano and MusiKids classes for seven years in Northern California, she moved to Eugene with her family and started the MusiKids program and Harmony Piano Studio.

Anahid is currently a member of the MTNA and the American College of Musicians (Guild). She offers many performance opportunities to her students such as state competitions, guild exams, and various concerts.

Besides a musician, Anahid is fluent in six languages which include Spanish, French, Russian, English, Bulgarian and Armenian.

She is the mother of young Sebastian herself and thoroughly enjoys imparting the love and wonder of music and languages to all children.

teacher

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Early Ears
Classes are performed at

2015 East 27^th Ave. Eugene

Mail to:
Anahid Bertrand

Phone:
(541) 221-3407

Directions: Take East 24^th, Turn right on Columbia, Columbia turns into 27^th after the Golf Course. Driveway on the left between Central & Spring Blvd. Please park along rock wall or on 27^th. Entrance in the Back.

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