Music Lessons

Our GCCA Music Director, Ms. Blakley, is certified in K-12 music with a concentration in voice and piano. She teaches a wide variety of instruments beyond these, however. Ms. Blakley uses a plethora of materials and methods to give her students a comprehensive background in their instrument of choice. She teaches not only the notes to a song, but works with her students to teach them to read music, recognize musical patterns, understand the theory behind the music, and even do bits of composition.

Learning and creating music are unique activities because they are some of the few that activate both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously. Learning music improves literacy in children by helping them track details on a page, detecting sound patterns similar to how we learn speech, and connecting musical rhythm with that of words.

Music is math. When learning music, a child is constantly calculating addition and subtraction problems. Music is also built upon fractions. As children advance in math, they are often stronger if they have a musical background.

Music also builds attention and perseverance. When making music, children must be focused to keep in time and allow the music to flow. Practicing an instrument at home allows the student to be held accountable for their decisions about how to use their time effectively. They see a direct result of their effort reflected at their next music class or lesson.