Music For Young Children (MYC) has instructor available locally
RENFREW COUNTY (Petawawa) — An international music program for children aged two to 10 called MYC is now available in Renfrew County. Anne Smith, an instructor for 17 years of the MYC program is relocating to Petawawa and will be teaching this program locally.
An experienced educator and musician of 30 years, Ms. Smith is certified through the Royal Conservatory of Music as an Elementary Piano Specialist, in addition to holding her holds her Music for Young Children Certification. In 2019, Smith was nominated in 2019 for the Royal Conservatory of Music Teacher of Distinction Award, which recognizes music teachers for leadership in their
community.
“I am excited to be bringing the MYC program to Renfrew County,” says Ms. Smith, who has 80 students in her current Markham, Ontario studio. “MYC combines all the right elements to create a solid music foundation.”
At the core of the MYC program, students learn the proper technique to read music and play the piano. Parents participate as well, creating a unique opportunity to engage in a child’s learning and spend time together.
Each lesson is carefully planned to include several other elements that create strong musicianship including ear training, singing, rhythm, sight reading, movement activities, theory, history and composition.
“It is truly incredible to see how children develop within music and in their lives as part of this program,” says Ms. Smith. “Some students go on to pursue piano and music at higher levels and others just learn it as an extracurricular activity, but they all grow as children.”
Ms. Smith has been making a strategic transition from her 80 students in Markham to establishing a new program in Petawawa. Musical composition is part of the program and three of her Markham-based students earned awards for their compositions at the 2019 MYC International Composition Festival.
With more than 5.5 thousand submissions, it was quite an accomplishment for these three students. Every composition was played by a panel of 10 reviewers, and in order to place, the song would have been approved by a minimum of three reviewers.
“We create an atmosphere where students are encouraged to try new things and are excited to learn,” says Ms. Smith. “Every child is unique, and we can incorporate different learning styles that are tailored to their individual needs with this program.”
To introduce people to the program, Ms. Smith is hosting an open house where parents and children can see how the MYC program works.
The open house is scheduled for Wednesday, August 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and also from 4:00 p.m. to
7:00 p.m. RSVP’s are appreciated to 613-281-4285 or [email protected].
The beginner class for ages 3 and older begins September 10.
