Camp programs, concerts, sporting events, fireworks. Just a sample of summer cancellations in the era of Covid-19.  While we are getting used to living our lives physically distant from most people, we have gotten use to interacting virtually through computer screens.

A recent news article says working from home has decreased productivity by just one percent as opposed to employees sitting at their corporate desks. One percent! That means we’re certainly more self-motivated and disciplined than we expected.

Exhausted parents are fight the good fight with their students, likening the task of home schooling to herding cats, as children of various stages and grades hunker down with online courses, and hopefully follow up with homework and reading. A warm, sunny day like the ones we’ve experienced recently can make hitting the books even more challenging.

Kids – and adults – long for hobbies, sports, art, communing with nature, the activities that are often rewards for completing those necessary school and work tasks. Without them, life isn’t as fun, and people aren’t as well-rounded. In these strange days, taking up, or continuing to make music is one of the best ways to relax, keep the brain stimulated and enhance everyday life. Especially when one day can feel like every other day.

Some activities, like music lessons, learning a language, or painting are completely portable. They can be done anywhere at anytime.

 Although baseball games, swimming lessons, day camp and in-studio arts and crafts classes won’t happen any time soon, music lessons will play on.  Remember Zoom? It, along with FaceTime and Skype has become a great delivery system for webinars, seminars, meetings and lessons, both giving and receiving.  Online classes and distance learning are here to stay, and that includes music lessons.

In a time when we might be trying something new, say, studying a new language, attending a book reading, taking cooking class, there are plenty of experts who share their talents and experience online. Our wonderful teachers at Stage Music Center are ready to share their talent and experience with you as well. 

Music gives us so much. Aside from the intrinsic joy they bring, music lessons provide countless emotional, educational and social benefits.

Music is the gift that keeps on giving, and music education provides myriad benefits both social and intellectual.  Here are a few perks of music lessons:

1.     They improve reading skills, increase vocabulary and language ability.

2.     Develop listening skills, aural awareness, abstract thinking and imagination!

3.     Build concentration and attention span (and we can all use some of that), as well as increase memory skills

4.     The math connection: Music stimulates and strengthens the same part of the brain needed for math and reasoning.

5.     Piano in particular, develops fine motor skills. Handy for writing.

6.     Stokes confidence, emotional intelligence, and makes you happy.

7.     Helps with performance anxiety and stressful situations.

8.     Leads to higher SAT scores, and provides a solid foundation for learning, a bonus, as students have been absent from traditional classrooms.

Many of us will be forego a family vacation and may spend most of their time gathered in their homes and yards. What better way to introduce novelty, creativity and joy into the day than continuing with, or learning an instrument. Or for the reluctant who always wanted to sing either for an audience, or to experience freeing the voice, we have classes in vocal technique. 

Rather than limit education to one time of the year, our goal is to encourage learning that continues every season, and for a lifetime.

As with every other type of learning, music education doesn’t end in June. It continues through the year, and if we’re lucky, through our lifetime. Remote instrument learning have received positive success in the past years and even more in the past weeks. Benefit from year-round instruction by our award-winning faculty, whether you live five minutes away, or a continent away.  Stage Music offers: 

• Live music lessons taught remotely via Zoom, FaceTime or Skype. 

• Remote lessons on all instruments including guitar, piano, violin, and voice lessons

• Classes for children, teenagers and adult

• For beginner or more advanced students

• Improve with instant feedback and follow up from our experienced and talented music educators wherever you are located.

We invite you to join our global music community and practice with teachers who are both great educators and also awarded musicians. Start or continue your musical journey with one of our flexible learning programs, or if you want to try something new, ask about our 30-minute introductory lesson.

Music feels more essential than ever, and music education is important to us. We invite you to find out more here.

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