Talentedly tinkling the piano and strumming guitars were kids at the Youth Center’s Elementary School Keyboard and Guitar Concert on May 19 at the Youth Center in Los Alamitos where about 100 parents and family members proudly gathered.
Talentedly tinkling the piano and strumming guitars were kids at the Youth Center’s Elementary School Keyboard and Guitar Concert on May 19 at the Youth Center in Los Alamitos where about 100 parents and family members proudly gathered.
First year beginning keyboard student Annelysse Tran, 7, from Westminster performed well with her father Peter Tran listening. “It’s fun, and when I was little I always wanted to go to my cousin’s house to play the piano,” she said of how she became interested in music. Her favorite song she performed was A Little Night Music by Mozart.
Her father said he likes the process of his daughter learning to play classical music because one has to be patient and hardworking.
The computer programmer also said, “You have to be creative but disciplined as in my profession, much like learning to play a musical instrument. Music is universal and it touches the soul and allows you to express yourself.”
Tran fully supports his daughter’s love of music, and she’s expressed an interest is learning to play the flute next.
“How far she gets, I don’t know,” he said. “Since we all take in many sounds through our ears, I know music is important. It also soothes the soul.”
Another parent who highly values music is former viola player Navie Stani who originally lived in Seal Beach and now commutes from Yorba Linda to Los Alamitos for her 6-year-old son’s keyboard lessons.
Kindergartener Jeffrey Stani’s is in his second year in the Youth Center’s Elementary School Music Program. His favorite song is the Grand Old Flag, and he plans on continuing to play. “He loves it,” said his mother. “He likes to practice 15 to 30 minutes a day at home, and likes performing at recitals. I really like the Youth Center’s music program as it’s really laid back and I don’t think the kids are pressured.”
But having the responsibility of practicing and doing something independently on her own is what father Josh Axel values for his 7-year-old daughter, Heather’s, music education.
The Rossmoor Elementary School student has been playing the keyboard for two years now, and he hopes she continues for at least a couple more years.
“To me, it teaches a different thought process – reading and learning music,” he said. “The learning process has been instilled in her.” Axel and his wife, Heather, have always felt it is important for their kids to have one musical instrument because they believe in helping their children to be well-rounded in music, school and sports.
Heather’s little sister, Samantha, will start in keyboard classes next year with the Youth Center.
For father Rabih Harfouche, it’s all about his 8-year-old daughter, Sara’s, mental development and community support.
They just moved to the U.S. from Lebanon in September, and now reside in Seal Beach. “She loves it, and the support she gets from her music teacher,” he said.
“I wish I had taken my piano lessons seriously when I was growing up, but I’m now passing along my love of it to my daughter.”
Sara has been playing for the last 3 ½ to 4 years abroad and has been with the Youth Center’s Elementary School Music Program since the beginning of the school year. No doubt she’s come far and is going far. If you’d like to give pass along the gift of music to your child, the Youth Center is taking registrations for their Summer Music Program.
This summer’s program is scheduled so that your child can experiment with different instruments and parents can take part in the lessons as well.
You can find more information out online at theyouthcenter.org or by calling 562-493-4043.