Embarking on a Musical Journey

We’ve been talking about extracurricular activities on the blog lately, and I think it’s because soon-to-be-5 Little Monkey is expressing a desire to learn and experiment with new things. Our house is filled with music on a daily basis, either because the hubs has one of his albums playing or because Little Monkey and Baby Boy are banging away on their keyboard or make shift drums  saucepans. My parents have been nagging me to sign Little Monkey up for music lessons and I’ve been avoiding it because I was forced to take piano lessons growing up, and I want to wait for Little Monkey to ask us to sign her up.

Disclosure: This post is in partnership with the Royal Conservatory but, as always, opinions are totally ours! 

That day will soon be here I think! Especially after our trip to Newfoundland, where every member of the hub’s extended family plays an instrument, or FIVE!! Every family gathering revolves around music and as soon as dinner is done, the guitars, ugly sticks, bodhrans and fiddles come out. Little Monkey and Baby Boy partied into the wee hours of the morning because they were enthralled by the music and the shenanigans that came along. As you can see, Baby Boy has mastered the Ugly Stick!

There’s plenty of scientific research proving that music education helps develop children’s intellectual, social and creative skills. Speech development and reading skills are two obvious ones that spring to mind but I really like that music helps teach kids how to focus their attention for longer periods. I definitely remember my brother getting lost for hours whilst he played his guitar and baritone (the later one was a bit more painful growing up in a condo!!). Click the image below for a video of the Newfoundland musical gathering.

Growing up in Dubai, it was easy to find a good music teacher through referrals but when my dad asked me to find a teacher for Little Monkey, I was at a loss. I mean…where does one start? Google surely, right? I was thrilled to learn that the Royal Conservatory has the tools to help us find the right music teacher! They not only allow you to choose the instrument (yes voice lessons are listed!!!) but also the distance you’re willing to travel. You may recall that I don’t like to travel too far when it comes to extracurricular activities! The Royal Conservatory of Music is one of the largest music education institutions in the world and is a leader in setting the standards of excellence in curriculum design, assessment, performance training, teacher certification, and arts-based social programs. I trust that their teacher directory is a solid, reliable one! I especially love the guidance they give with the top questions to ask a music teacher before you enlist their services.

As we start this school year, we’re trying to determine which extra-curricular activities will work best for Little Monkey and our family as a whole. We have learned that acting wasn’t her thing, but swimming is! Music is the next one, and I think we’ll try out a couple different classes, including voice lessons, piano lessons and maybe a “whistle instrument” – as she likes to call anything she can blow into!

If you’re looking to find a reliable music teacher in Canada to help your child develop their musical talents, be sure to check out the Royal Conservatory directory and start the research and conversations!