Aureus Academy: The 3Ds to Learning Music
When I was pregnant with Nicole, I must admit there were grand plans for this little baby. She’s our firstborn, so naturally, we wanted to give her the best possible we can. Other than clothes and toys, we also wanted to give her as much exposure as we could to sports and the arts. We told ourselves, it would be everything but the academics! Hahaha! (she would have more than enough of that when she starts Primary School!)
We were ambitious and adventurous! The list was never-ending! There were new activities that came up every month, each one more exciting than the previous! So we decided, there has to be fixed boundaries. We decided no matter what, each child must be exposed to Music and a Sport.
The reason why exposure to sports is simple.. the need to hone their motor skills and agility. But why music? Isn’t music everywhere? Do we really need to have formal classes for music? If you read my previous post about music, (http://www.mumseword.com/2016/11/music-is-taught-and-caught-aureus-academy-of-music/) you would realise we didn’t really believe in going for music lessons until quite recently.
Since the girls started their music lessons in Aureus Academy, I have been reminded why formal music lessons are important. Oh how could I have forgotten? I’ve had such lessons at a very tender age of 3… and I’ve tried Parent-child classes, child group classes, and of course individual classes!
These days, I see how the girls really enjoying their classes. In fact, they now proclaim they are music lovers! There are 3 Ds that the girls have picked up since their music classes at Aureus.
Delight
Both of them now exhibit great delight when they play the piano. You see, now when they play, it isn’t just sounds or noise. They can actually play a tune, and in some instances, a tune they like or are familiar with.
It’s sheer pleasure on their faces when they make music! And what’s better, they know when the wrong note is played, (before I pick it up!) hahaha!
Discipline
This is the one that comes only with formal lessons! You have to practice practice practice! And when you don’t, the teacher knows! You can’t lie about it. Period. Nicole has shared that when she had a busy week in school and practiced lesser, it is so amazing, the teacher knew she didn’t practice much!
Determination
This comes with the above two Ds. Having put in the time and effort to practice and seeing the results of mastering a song, the girls now have a strong sense of determination to keep trying and trying. I really thank the teachers for affirming the girls, such that they continue that genuine love to learn music.
So how are the lessons coming along? Honestly, Meimei has a rather short attention span. She is extremely satisfied with her rendition of Lavender Blue. To her, that is sufficient. Just one beautiful song in her entire repertoire.
Nicole, on the other hand, loves the lessons. She practices hard, plays that same piece again and again and again.
I am so happy that they are enjoying music, and a disciplined form of it. It’s not just appreciating and singing along, but there’s good and real learning done.
We are very happy with the Aureus and how they regularly come up with new initiatives to keep the interest alive in the kids. Starting last month, you can have the option of renting a musical instrument for practice! For example, carefully selected Japanese pianos are available for rental or purchase. You can rent for the first 6 months and then use the rental fee towards a final purchase. You can also rent a violin or a guitar!
This makes music so accessible to everyone. And I believe this is a great start to creating opportunities for all to learn music!
Disclaimer: Aureus Academy sponsored one term of music lessons for purposes of the review. No monetary compensation were received and all opinions are clearly 100% my own!
