Elliott Music Studio Update

Things have been quite busy for me at the Elliott Music Studio for the last couple weeks. So, I thought I would give you an update on my current projects.

Private Piano and Voice instruction has grown steadily this summer. We currently have 8 enrolled and attending weekly lessons. My voice students are working on music literacy & sight-reading skills, preparing for musical auditions for this falls' high school musicals and preparing for American Idol auditions this August. I am working with several awesome young people on beginning piano skills and we are having a blast. I am excited about all the new and innovative ways I have learned to help get the word out to our community about the awesome things we are doing at the Elliott Music Studio. I am certain that we will double our enrollment this fall. Our first studio recital is also in the works for this fall. Look for more information about that soon.

Classroom Music for Little Mozarts is a fun curriculum designed for 4, 5 & 6 year olds that are interested in learning piano but aren't sure if they are ready. This class requires no pianos or books to buy. Over the course of the 10-week session a story unfolds with Beethoven Bear and Mozart Mouse as we share music together. When I first heard of this idea I was thrilled. I have missed sharing music with parents and their children in a classroom setting and see this program as a way to do just that. I have spent the last week putting together a proposal for space rental at a local church. I plan to start offering these classes for families this October.

I have had the opportunity to get to know the Musikgarten program in the past couple months. I am passionate about giving families the opportunity to share music with their children at any age. So many studies show that the sooner we share music with are children the better. Musikgarten is a comprehensive music program that offers programs from birth to age 9. I am also excited that Musikgarten offers a Christian based music class for toddlers and preschools that I know my church would be interested in looking into. I am researching the qualifications for certification in this wonderful program. I plan to take classes next summer.

I am so excited to announce that I will be taking my final class for United Methodist Church Lay Musician Certification. I sent the paperwork in before the July 4th holiday. I will be taking United Methodist Studies in Doctrine to fulfill my United Methodist Studies requirement. Once that is complete, I have an application process that includes recommendation letters, an essay, and an application followed by interviews. I cannot wait to get this all accomplished. I started this process in 2001 and had no idea it would take this long. It doesn't have to, but I have enjoyed the fact that it's a flexible program of study. You now have 10 years to complete the process without having to start over. I am confident that next June, during United Methodist Church Annual Conference, I will be receiving my certificate.

Have you heard of Squidoo? I hadn't until today. You should check this site out. You can create pages which they call lenses for just about anything. They just ask that your lens be about a specific thing or idea that you are passionate enough about to write about it. Now I have a new Elliott Music Studio Squidoo lens page to share with the world. Check it out at http://www.squidoo.com/elliottmusicstudio. I can't wait to add more lenses to my list.

My goal has been to perform somewhere at least once a month as a soloist and I have reached that goal so far by sharing special music at church this summer. Well, I think that about covers it. Each week brings more opportunities and musical surprises. I will start this one with being a soloist at church tomorrow morning.