music education

Enrollment in music school

Do you know the benefits of involving children in musical activities from an early age? When is the right time to enroll a child in music school? Which instrument should the child choose? Which music school should a child enroll in? Are you worried about high instrument prices? What if the child does not want to exercise?

There are many questions that arise for parents when deciding to enroll a child in music school, and there are even more benefits that attending music school brings.

Did you know that a child is supposed to perceive the first sounds already between 16 -18. a week in pregnancy? After the 24th week, when the ears develop so much, the baby already responds to sounds from the surroundings. So the baby already recognizes the mother’s voice in the womb and also responds to the music we play. Music calms, stimulates movement and stimulates the heartbeat.

Most of us play music to our children. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, as Jeremy Summerly, a British conductor and lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music, says every father also wants his son to cheer for his favorite football team.

Or maybe with this we can shape a child’s taste for music? Some children will follow the things their parents love, others will do the exact opposite.

The task of parents is not to limit their children to listening to only one type of music, but also to acquaint them with different styles. Children are open to all sounds and listen to music of different styles.

Allow them to listen to folk music and classical music, which will also have a positive effect on the development of children’s brains, e.g. Mozart – The Mozart Effect is a study by scientists in different parts of the world regarding the impact of Mozart’s music on our brains. You can see more about this in a short article on the RTV SLO – IN BRIEF link.

Why enroll a child in music school?

The offer of various activities for children has grown significantly in the last few years. Which activities will help a child the most in development and success in life is an important question that every parent asks. Why would you decide to enroll your child in music school during a flood of courses, sports activities and learning?

In the following lines, we will present the positive effects of playing the instrument and the important role of involving the child in musical activities from an early age in many areas of child development.

Despite the fact that not all professional musicians will continue their music careers after finishing primary music school, music lessons and classical music play a very important role in your child’s overall development.

Below we have summarized just a few of the main benefits of music education:

Development of coordination and motor skills

Playing an instrument requires the movement of the arms or even the arms and legs at the same time. Playing each instrument requires simultaneous different actions with the left and right hand. Improving the coordination of hand, finger and posture movements prepares children for other hobbies such as dancing and sports

Improves academic skills and increases IQ

Music and math are very intertwined. By understanding rhythm and scales, children learn to divide, create fractions, and recognize patterns.

It affects the ability to remember. According to dr. Laurel Trainor, a professor of psychology, neuroscience and behavior at McMaster University, “Young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory in one year, compared to children who do not have a music education.”

Increases IQ. Numerous studies (such as the 2004 study by E. Glenn Schellenberg) have shown that IQ in children increases due to even a few weeks of music. Brain activity increases after music training, some parts of the brain also increase. Unlike many other activities, playing an instrument helps to develop both sides of the brain at the same time.

Improves social skills

When children play in a group, it is important to cooperate and communicate with each other in order to achieve a common goal. In music schools, they often combine different instruments (eg piano accompanies the flute or violin), and many works are also written for several instruments at the same time. Teamwork teaches children patience, tolerance and peer encouragement.

It perfects discipline and patience

Playing an instrument teaches children to persevere through hours, months, and sometimes years of practice before reaching certain goals, such as performing with a band or performing solo. Learning an instrument requires hours of concentration and patience. For example, the violin has a steep learning curve. Before you can hear a single sound, you must first learn how to hold a violin, how to hold a bow, and where to place your feet. Children need to be persistent even if things don’t go well, which is an invaluable skill for all areas of life.

It increases self-confidence

By playing an instrument, children learn to accept criticism and constructively criticize themselves and others they listen to. In particular, group lessons and performances can help children understand that no one, including themselves or their peers, is perfect and that everyone has room for improvement. Performing in public is an important skill, whether you become a professional musician or not, but it helps boost self-confidence.

Reduces stress

Numerous studies show that music reduces stress in both the short and long term. It helps us relax and forget about our problems for a while. Music also helps emotional development, as we can express our emotions through music.

Which musical instrument should the child choose?

Choosing the right instrument is not that simple. The right choice is especially important because the child has to put in a lot of effort and practice before the first songs sound. Therefore, it is advisable to take into account the child’s wishes, as this will also be more motivated.

What if a child may not know which instrument to play? If the child has not yet had the opportunity to learn about individual instruments, hear and see them, the choice will be a little harder. Parents can help a child by listening to how each instrument sounds together, so that the child can tell which sound suits him. For this purpose, some music schools have also prepared video presentations of individual instruments and departments in the music school, which you can watch with your child.

You can also involve your child in a music internship or preschool music education, where he will get to know different families of instruments and individual musical instruments. Music teachers will help you with your choice, as they will recognize if the child is enthusiastic about a musical instrument.

When choosing the right instrument, it is necessary to take into account certain restrictions on individual instruments, as e.g. you know that you need good listening to sing, it is also important for strings, for winds and brass it is important that the child has no respiratory problems, the accordion is among the heavier instruments and is more suitable for physically stronger children…

The choice of instrument is also influenced by whether the child will have the opportunity to practice at home. If you live in a multi-apartment community, your neighbors probably won’t be thrilled with an evening of drumming practice?

Sometimes it also happens that a child chooses a certain instrument simply because it is also played by his sibling or best friend, or because the seats in the desired instrument are already occupied. If the child later wants to play another instrument, the replacement is also possible after consultation with the professors and the management of the music school.

Purchase an instrument

A child attending a music school also urgently needs an instrument at home, as without practice and consolidation at home he will not progress fast enough. Buying a musical instrument is a big expense for parents, especially with musical instruments that the child quickly outgrows. To this end, many music schools have the option of renting an instrument.

A child will not outgrow the piano, but parents have doubts whether the child will persist in music school? That is why, we also offer PIANO RENTAL at the Benton Piano Salon, which you can also buy later, and a certain rental period is also taken into account when you buy. We also deliver the piano to you free of charge.

novi in rabljeni pianini

The purchase and choice of the right instrument is not only influenced by the price, but several factors must be taken into account. We have broken them down in more detail in the blog post BUYING A PIANO

When buying an instrument, the most important thing is that it is high quality! If a child has problems with the instrument, he will also lose interest in practicing. The biggest problem is the purchase of used instruments – for this purpose, Benton offers advice and evaluation of used pianos or  grand pianos (since you probably do not buy a car without prior inspection by a car mechanic). Don’t miss our offer of new and used pianos under the SALES tab.

The child’s teacher of the instrument will also be of great help in purchasing. They often accompany their students with their parents to the music store and try out the instrument for you.

What if the child does not want to exercise?

Parents also have a big role to play in making children’s music school a pleasure by encouraging and providing optimal conditions for rehearsals.

A big leap can happen right on the verge of puberty, when a child who used to happily exercise every day simply doesn’t want to exercise anymore. That is why it is very important that parents are also involved in music school, monitor the child’s progress and communicate with the teacher. This will allow you to identify the problem, guide the child, find solutions together and help him through the obstacle.

When is the right time to enroll a child in music school? Which music school should a child enroll in?

Children from the age of 5 can be enrolled in music school. Due to the positive effects of music on the child, you can also enroll him in various music workshops or music lessons in your vicinity where they offer and usually include children from 3 years of age.

Enrollment in music school and entrance exams take place in late May and early June. Registration forms and exact dates of enrollment and entrance exams can be found on the websites of individual music schools.

Klavir za otroka

PRESCHOOL MUSIC EDUCATION – The child gets acquainted with the world of music in a playful way. Developing musical skills through play and various musical activities. The program is intended for children aged 5 years. The program lasts 1 year, no entrance exam is required for enrollment.

MUSIC TRAINEE – The child develops musical skills through play and acquires and learns about individual instruments. After completing the music internship, they enroll in the MUSIC program on the basis of the entrance exam. The program is intended for children aged 6 years or. 1st grade of primary school. The program lasts 1 year, no entrance exam is required for enrollment.

MUSIC – Instrument lessons are individual and take place twice a week for 30 oz. 45 minutes and group lessons once a week (music lessons, solfeggio, orchestra…).

The music program lasts 4.6 or 8 years. An admission test is required for admission.

Source: http://pisrs.si/Pis.web/pregledPredpisa?id=ZAKO2063

Today, there are 54 public music schools and 16 private music schools in Slovenia.
Two conservatories and three secondary schools, in cooperation with music schools, implement the Art Gymnasium program, the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, the Department of Musicology at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana and the Department of Music Pedagogy at the Faculty of Education in Maribor. Taken from: GOV.SI At this link you can find a list of all music schools

Playing an instrument is an activity that requires a lot of time and energy. By attending music school, a child will gain many virtues in addition to knowledge of the instrument, which will be a great guide for him during school and later in life.

Piano for Music School

Piano for Music School

At the beginning of the school year / When a child enters music school, parents are confused about What kind of piano to buy for a child for music school?

It is really not necessary to buy the most expensive piano for a beginner, but it is important that it is of good quality, because if a child has problems with the instrument from the beginning, this will deter him from playing the piano and practicing.

Piano, Upright Piano, Electric Piano or Hybrid?

For elementary music school, parents mostly decide to buy (or rent) an UPRIGHT or an ELECTRIC PIANO – here we must note that the professors of piano do not recommend electric pianos for beginners, because despite the extremely advanced technologies, key weights and real piano sound reproduction, the feeling and sound are still not the same as the acoustic piano, so before buying it, we advise you to consult with the chosen professor or. piano teacher.

With a large offer on the market, the question still arises, what to choose? How to choose the right piano when you are not playing the piano yourself?

There are several factors that influence the choice of the right instrument.
– Acoustic, digital or a mixture of both – a hybrid?
– Which brand to choose?
– Where can we put it?
– Size?
– Color?
– New or used?
– What about the price? Buy or rent?

 

Pianino, klavir, električni klavir ali hibrid?

To help you answer the above questions, we invite you to read our post at the link HERE.

When buying a piano for a beginner, it is really difficult to choose which piano is right for you, because a child does not yet know how to play the piano while in the early stages of learning, so we recommend that you bring a piano teacher or someone who knows how to play well so that you can hear what sounds better for you. In our experience, professors are very happy to respond to invitations from parents or they advise you. The advice of experts who follow changes in the piano market, how pianos are designed and manufactured and what they cost is also very important – with more than 30 years of experience in the piano industry, Ivanka and Jože Benda, directors of Benton Piano Salon are always happy to advise you.

 

There are several options for providing your child with a quality instrument that he can practice at home whenever he wants:

PIANO RENTAL – For beginners, one of the best options is to rent a piano (new). This way you will have a new piano at home without spending the family budget. Renting a piano also gives you the opportunity to find out if the piano is the right instrument for your child. You can buy the piano after the expiration of the lease (where the rent is taken into account for 9 months) or extend the lease. However, if it turns out that the child’s desire to play the piano has passed, you return it.

You can read more about renting a piano HERE.

PURCHASING A PIANO – Buying a new piano is not really cheap, but it is definitely an investment that will last in your family for decades. Based on long-term business partnerships, Benton d.o.o. we guarantee the lowest prices of upright and grand pianos in Slovenia. Our suppliers are our long-standing business partners. We are proud to be the exclusive sales representative for Slovenia for the brands: Fazioli, Kawai, Petrof, Bosendorfer and Schimmel and a long-term partner of the Yamaha brand.

You can see more about our offer of pianos HERE.

PURCHASE OF AN ELECTRIC PIANO – the purchase of an electric piano is more affordable than the purchase of a piano, it also does not require regular services. However, compared to the classical piano, they lose value faster, as their lifespan is much shorter and the models change quickly due to the constant development of technology. So if you are thinking about buying an electric piano for a beginner, we definitely recommend that you take the one that is the best approximation to a classical piano – has weighted keys, with dynamics and 88 keys.

You can see our offer of electric pianos HERE.

BUYING A USED PIANO – The prices of used upright pianos and grand pianos are sometimes very tempting, especially for those who do not have a high budget. However, you need to be very careful when buying any used instrument, as a cheap purchase can cost us quite dearly. In addition to relocation and service costs, the materials may already be worn out so that the tuning will no longer hold (the piano must hold the tuning for about a year under appropriate conditions and normal use). Before purchasing, we advise you to inspect the instrument by an independent piano technician. Read more about what to look for when buying used instruments HERE.

You can see the offer of our used pianos HERE.

Our offer

In Piano Salon Benton d.o.o. we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of our business this year. We always strive to offer our customers only the highest quality products and quality services.

At Benton Piano Salon you can choose between new and used upright pianos, pianos and new electric pianos and hybrids. For beginners, we also offer the rental of NEW Kawai Upright pianos with the possibility of later purchase.

We are the exclusive sales representative for Slovenia for the brands: Fazioli, Kawai, Petrof, Bosendorfer and Schimmel and a long-term partner of the Yamaha brand, so we can guarantee you the lowest prices for new pianos and Upright pianos in Slovenia.

Our offer is also complemented by piano chairs, piano lights, metronomes, grand and upright piano covers, hygrometers, children’s pedestals with pedals, locks for grand and upright pianos, etc.

In addition to sales, we take care of your instruments completely  – from minor repairs, tuning to major repairs in our modern workshop. With our team we deliver or move your piano all over Slovenia. We also rent pianos, harpsichords or harmonies for concerts and events.

We offer you:

  • Professional consulting with more than 30 years of experience,
  • free delivery
  • free 1st tuning,
  • favorable purchase conditions – discount on immediate payment, possibility of purchase in installments
  • warranty,
  • we guarantee the lowest prices for new pianos and upright pianos from renowned brands Yamaha, Kawai, Fazioli, Petrof, Schimmel and Bösendorfer
  • renting a piano (new) with the possibility of later purchase.

Join our satisfied customers! We are here to help you! Call or visit us and together we will find the best solution for you!

 

Mengeš, September 2020