While playing their hearts out students of the Youth Center’s Music Program performed for family and friends at the mid-season Guitar and Keyboard Concert on Feb. 26 at the Youth Center in Los Alamitos. The budding talented elementary school music students entertained more than 60 guests.
The Youth Center just finished with other mid-year Mini-Percussionist Concert, All District Band Concert and All District String Concert earlier last month, and are gearing up for finale concerts towards the end of the school year, yet to be announced.
“It’s always a privilege and honor to watch these kids grow from knowing absolutely nothing about music to playing beautiful little songs on the keyboard and guitar,” said Youth Center Music Director Daniel Van Adler. “I especially look forward to the end of the year concert where we get the opportunity to see them grow again into fine musicians.”
Some of the young musicians were Los Alamitos Unified School District 3rd grader Brady Furr (electric guitar), 3rd grader Jeremiah Leong (guitar), 5th grader Arielle Joubert-Honack (guitar), 3rd grader Elliette Rebennack (piano), 1st grader Shivani Shah (piano), brothers 3rd graders Ian and Evan Chambers (guitar).
“I chose to play the guitar because I always liked guitar music so I decided I wanted to play it too,” said Brady. “I like music because it makes me feel happy, I like the way it sounds, and I like learning new songs. Music has given me confidence and the opportunity to perform in front of an audience.”
For another music student Jeremiah, his mother Chamile Leong said, “Young Jeremiah is a fan of the famous Elvis Presley, loves the way he plays and loves the way his guitar sounds. So, when I allowed him to choose an instrument, without hesitation he eagerly picked up the guitar.”
On what he likes best about music, Jeremiah’s mother also said, “Music allows Jeremiah to relax and enjoy. She said he once told her, ‘Mom when I become an adult I won’t have any stress because I’m going to continue to play my guitar.’”
“Since Jeremiah has started playing the guitar his concentration has improved tremendously,” continued his mother. “Jeremiah has learned to read music and have lots of patience. Music has definitely allowed Jeremiah to become more well-rounded. “
Yet another guitar student, Arielle, said “What I like best about music is that it always cheers me up. Every time I learn to play a new song I feel like I can do more things than I could do before I learned to play,” she continued. “Music also changed my point of view, like when people say that they can’t play any musical instrument, I think that they probably can.”
Playing music has given Arielle more focus, a sense of self and her abilities, said her mother Chantal Joubert-Honacki .
Young pianist Elliette she said she chose to play piano because they have one at her house, and her parents said it’s fun.
“I like being able to read the music, because it’s like another language,“ said Elliette. “Music gives me something to practice to get really good at. I love to dance, so music is important to me.”
Pianist Shivani watches other kids play piano and singing, so she thought it would be fun to play and learn, said her father Pranan Shah. “Her favorite piece is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” he said. “Music has impacted her life in that it makes her happy. She is confident and can express her emotions through it.”
Her mother Jeanmarie said that Shivani has the same focus she puts into music as she puts into school, and that she is a good student.
For young guitarists Ian and Evan, their father Rich Chambers who also plays guitar said, “Music helped them in concentration in school. They enjoy it, and it’s opening up their minds to other things around them.
The Youth Center’s Band Director Tom Mitter who teaches flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, percussion and electric bass said that his students are developing confidence, poise and self-efficacy that benefits them in every aspect of their lives including in academics, athletics and social development. “The nice thing is that the students develop these positive attributes in the process of having fun playing music,” he said.
Mitter pointed out clinical studies that has gathered data showing that being involved in the process of playing a musical instrument helps develops brains neurologically
in a unique way that benefits students like no other activity. “Playing an instrument that is physically appropriate (for example, percussion or piano) can be started at very young age. The students can enjoy themselves and reap the benefits as well,” he said.
“Band and other larger string instruments can be started as soon as the student can
physically handle the instrument,” said Mitter. “At the end of their first year in music lessons the children are able to learn life skills such as teamwork, responsibility, accountability, punctuality, instrument maintenance and assembly, self-confidence and focus.”
“As far as music foundation skills, the students learn tone, note fingerings, articulation, rhythms, dynamics, even tempos, accurate entrances and releases and proper physicalities,” he said.
For Youth Center Music Program instructor Jennifer Walton, who is a professional violinist, talent manager and contractor, she said that she’s enjoyed working with children for more than 30 years because each child is unique. “Kids are not standardized,” she said. “Each child brings me a challenge to ‘solve’ how to communicate with them to be sure they understand the concepts.”
Walton said she enjoys figuring out how to inspire each child to practice so they can grow to be better musicians. “I love how the discipline of practicing all by themselves leads to being disciplined in other areas of their lives.”
Besides the obvious concepts of pitch and rhythm, she thinks her favorite concept to teach is musicianship. “This means the pitches and rhythms have to sound beautiful to the listener,” she said. “This is where the kids can put their personalities into their music.”
Los Alamitos Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Sherry Kropp said, “We are extremely grateful to the Youth Center for providing our elementary music program. This program connects many students to the arts – students who continue to pursue music through high school and beyond.”
Kropp also said, “One can easily see the joy in the students’ faces when they are first playing an instrument, and this is just the beginning of igniting unlimited possibilities.”
The Youth Center is now taking names for their Summer Music Program. For more information, please contact Office Manager Julie Rubin at 562-493-4043 or email her at Julie@theyouthcenter.org.