Why Music School is More Beneficial than Home Instruction: The advantages of studying with other children
Music education can be a valuable part of a child’s learning process, benefiting everything from language and problem solving skills to overall brain growth and development. And once a child expresses an interest in music, parents can choose between at-home instruction with a private teacher and sending their child to music school.
While both are great options, attending music school may benefit a child in a number of important ways that wouldn’t be realized with at-home instruction. Dorothy Kaplan Roffman, founding director of Tenafly’s Kaplen JCC Thurnauer School of Music, explains some of the advantages of attending music school.
Children benefit socially by studying music with other children: “The act of making music is a very social experience, and it’s lots of fun to make music with other people,” says Roffman, noting that learning alone at home can be an isolating experience. “When you’re at a music school, you’re in an environment that is vibrant and exciting, and you’re exposed to all different types of music,” she says. “And, when you can share that experience and the process of learning about and making music with friends, that’s really exhilarating.”
There are many classes and programs to choose from: The world of music is very broad, explains Roffman, and sometimes a child chooses an instrument and later realizes he or she is attracted to a different sound or wants to add a secondary instrument. “Having so many different programs at music school allows children to explore that curiosity,” says Roffman. “There’s such a diversity of instruments to choose from, and when children choose what they think is really exciting, that’s when they are most successful.”
Students are matched with the right teacher for their age and learning needs: Roffman explains that the educational needs of a young child are very different from those of an advanced student, so having the proper instructor for your particular age and skill level is important. “Before a child enrolls here I meet with the family and student to get a sense of how this child might learn or respond, and then I match the right teacher for the student,” says Roffman, noting that home instruction usually limits a student to one instructor throughout their changing developmental stages. “Teachers who are great for young children have a particular understanding of how to present the material and engage the child, and how to teach younger students to hold an instrument in a way that makes them feel proud and eager to learn,” she says, adding that older students will need a teacher who can concentrate on advanced repertoire.
Students learn to perform: “You can only become a comfortable and skilled performer by actually performing. It’s not something you can teach in a studio,” says Roffman, noting that performing teaches students everything from how to walk onto a stage holding their instrument to how to smile, bow and respond to an audience. “Performing also builds a child’s confidence, both as a musician and as a person. It’s about learning how to relate to and communicate with other people, which are skills people carry through life,” she says. To that end, students at Thurnauer perform in solo and group concerts several times a year. “Our concerts, in our beautiful recital hall, are relaxed and fun, and the students look forward to performing,” adds Roffman.
Students can collaborate with other students: Many music schools offer orchestral opportunities, where students playing different instruments work together on pieces. “This opens up a child’s understanding of what all the possibilities are and what the differences are in all the instruments, and how that comes together to create an amazing orchestral sound,” says Roffman. Thurnauer offers beginner and advanced orchestras, as well as a variety of award-winning choruses to join. Roffman notes that students taking at-home instruction can supplement their music education with Thurnauer’s ensembles. “A student doesn’t need to give up a home instructor they love to be a part of our school,” she says. “They can study privately and still come here for the opportunity to be in our orchestras, jazz big band or choruses, or play chamber music, as a complement to their private lessons.”
Students can learn from distinguished musicians: In addition to accomplished faculty members, many music schools offer guest master classes taught by notable musicians, which are both educational and inspiring. “The opportunity to talk to an artist who had to start from where a student is now but who’s reached a high level is exciting. It shows students what they’re capable of achieving and what’s possible,” says Roffman, adding that Grammy-award winning violinist Joshua Bell visited and performed with Thurnauer students multiple times in recent years. “He gave the orchestra pointers and directed them, and the students truly felt they were a part of the real world of music.”
Seeing peers excel at music motivates students to work harder: “Children have an innate sense of competition, and seeing a friend play their instrument well makes a child want to be good at their instrument also,” says Roffman. “At music school, there’s great motivation to learn and practice so that you can make music with your friends. The environment inspires students to want to work harder.”
Students are exposed to other instruments and styles of music: “When you walk down the halls of Thurnauer, you’ll hear jazz coming out of one room and classical music from another, and then chorus from yet another room,” says Roffman. “Being exposed to many styles of music creates a fuller educational experience and brings the real world of music into a child’s life.”
Don’t miss it: On Sept. 11th from 1 to 4 p.m., Thurnauer will hold an open house, where everyone is welcome to join them for an “instrumental petting zoo” where children can try a variety of instruments and sample some of the available children’s music classes.
About the Thurnauer School of Music:
Established in 1984, Thurnauer is one of the most prestigious music schools in Bergen County, offering students of all ages, from preschoolers through adults, the opportunity for an extraordinary music education. The school’s diverse curriculum includes private music lessons and group classes, as well as performance ensembles such as orchestra, chorus and jazz. Thurnauer also presents over 100 recitals and concerts annually, including student performances, chamber music concerts and master classes taught by world-renowned artists.
Thurnauer is located at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades, Taub Campus, 411 East Clinton Ave., Tenafly, N.J. 07670. Call (201) 408-1465 to schedule a tour. For more information, visit jccotp.org/thurnauer.