Children's Program Overview
The Academy is pleased to announce an enriched Children's Program. Bonnie Dike, who was with us for many years, brings a lifetime of experience with children's music education to the Academy.
She joins Brianna Atwell (Junior Program Director), Brad Hawkins (Choir), and Charlotte Dike (AMNW Alumna & Accompanist) in this program.
Classes will draw on the Dalcroze Method, which promotes the development of musicianship through active musical experiences of the mind, body, and spirit. The program seeks to encourage a lifelong appreciation of music in a friendly, supportive, and appropriately challenging environment.. Students will have opportunities to develop their creative abilities, take part in class presentations, and listen to guest performances. Optional field trips to special musical events may be arranged. Teachers and parent-teacher conferences will occur.
Parents are welcome in the Performance class, in the Music with Movement class, and in other classes if space is available and if children are not distracted by the presence of guests. We will do our best to make waiting families comfortable in the lobby.
A limited number of beginning piano, violin, viola, and cello lessons may be available on-site, especially to accommodate families with siblings enrolled in the school, or those who travel very long distances to the Academy. Most students take their private lessons at their teacher's private studio. We do provide excellent studio teacher referrals on request, but do not ask parents to change teachers. If a change is needed, it will usually be obvious to parents, children and teachers, and should take place using approprite professional protocol.
