Two students of MAP Family Learning Center recently won the Altamira special prize at this year’s University of Rhode Island (URI) Guitar Festival Rising Stars Virtual Competition. Harshini and Ananya, siblings who have been studying guitar with Devin Ulibarri since 2016, received the news in mid-November that they were chosen for the special prize. As winners, they will receive a new N600 Classical Guitar, valued at $1800. We are very proud and happy for them both.
The criteria for winning the Altamira special prize is based on a mix of need and merit. According to the URI Guitar Festival website, the jury was asked to choose a “High School Division guitarist in greatest need of a new instrument.” Harshini and Ananya have worked very hard over the years and made steady progress. In fact, in 2020 circumstances required that they move out of Malden, MA, but they have persisted in their study of music by continuing their lessons with Mr. Devin online. We are very proud to have them as students at MAP!
Of hearing about their being awarded the prize, Mr. Devin said, “I’m so very proud of both of them. Their hard work and dedication over the years has really paid off. I’m excited that they were able to participate in this competition and receive this encouraging award for their effort.” He added, “I’m also very thankful to the leadership of URI Guitar Festival for their thoughtful approach to competitions, finding ways to award students for their hard work while also helping those in need of better instruments to help them achieve their maximum potential. We need more competition prizes like the Altamira special prize that Harshini and Ananya received.”
We are excited to announce a limited-time offer to help families save time and money for their year-end** and 2024 classes!
Booking credits: Back by popular request
This is the forth year that we are making this special offer for students to purchase lessons in bulk to save time and money. All participating students have reported their satisfaction, and we received many requests to offer them again this year!
How does this offer save us money?
We have three tiers of pricing, which can save you between 20% and 30% on the standard half-hour private lesson and hour group class rate.
Comparison of this year’s Black Friday special offerings
How does this offer save us time?
Most families are making class payments once every two months. These packages offer approximately a year (depending on how often you take classes) of classes. Pay once, and enjoy classes for the long-term.
Is there a Sibling Discount?
No. However, all of the offerings this year are better than any year-round sibling discounts we provide.
When does this Deal End?
This offer ends November 30, 2023. Also, please note that we are only offering a limited stock of these items at their sale price (details below).
**When can I start using my credits?
You can start using your credits anytime. You may not, however, use credits to pay for classes in which you are already enrolled.
Can I use this with all classes?
You may use your credits for all classes with Ms. Chie, Mr. Devin, Ms. Anabel, and Music+Code classes — both private and group classes. All sharing sessions for the duration of enrollment are included.
As we did in years’ past, private lessons cost 10 credits, and group classes cost 6.
The discount and pricing is the same as last year
As promised, we have stuck to the same pricing as last year (as detailed in Pricing and Policy Updates). Plus, we are able to offer the same discounts as last year.
News headlines are regularly reminding us that kids who learn music do better in their academic classes as well. But why is this? Some argue that music lessons are the reason that those kids are doing better in their academics, while others argue that it’s the kids who would do better anyway, either because of their inherent drive or circumstances, that happen to also opt into music.
Common-sense reasons why music students do better in academics
While there is already much evidence to suggest the former, please consider these more common-sense observation from a music teacher (yours truly):
Kids who take music lessons, just plain get more time with an adult mentor.
And that mentorship matters! Just think about it. Even if your kids are just enrolled one day per week in a music class or lesson, if they start when they are five years old, then by the time they are fifteen they will have received five-hundred more hours of direct instruction under an adult mentor than they would otherwise. This means that those kids who are taking music are talking to a skilled, professional, caring adult for five-hundred more hours that their peers who are not taking music.
Some academic concepts are learned first in the music class.
This may seem counter-intuitive, so let me explain. For example, it’s often in music where kids first learn how to read a graph. Think about it: what is musical notation other than “pitch over time?” In order to read musical notation, students must become proficient at reading graphs. And they don’t just read these graphs once, they read them again and again until they master the skill. It’s no wonder that when students who study music get to their algebra class they’re ready—it’s because they’ve already mastered a certain level of literacy that will transfer to reading graphs in other subjects.
Of course, that’s just one example. Students who study music are exposed to other mathematical concepts, such as fractions (e.g. quarter notes, half notes, and the like). Students are also exposed to higher-level linguistics, such as poetry in the form of lyrics. For my youngest students, I am often teaching them what a syllable is in order to teach basic rhythms via words like “Zoo,” “Mon-key,” and “Al-li-ga-tor.” The list goes on and on.
Music students are required to work in teams, which helps them build professional skills
Kids who take group music classes, such as band, choir, or ensemble, need to work together to accomplish their goals. They need to communicate with one another, they need to listen to each other to get the pitch and timing just right, and they need to be on time. In fact, to emphasize the last point, I’ll share that my high school jazz band teacher would always share with us this strict guidance: “Fifteen minutes early, on time. On time, late. Fifteen minutes late, fired.”
I will never forget this life lesson.
And the amazing thing is this: in music, kids want to build these professional skills. They want to communicate with one another because they want to solve the various challenges that good music presents them with. They want to listen to each other for rhythm and timing because that’s what makes the music sound better. And they want to be on time to rehearsals and to performances because they know that others are depending on them. All of these habits, of course, benefit them in their academics as well.
Kai plays bellsets. Kids can start music early.
Conclusion
So these are some of my thoughts on some of the more common-sense, non-scientific reasons that I believe that every child benefits from musical instructions. Of course, if you need more scientific proof, I do invite you follow some of the links below and do some research on your own. However, if you’re persuaded, I encourage you to enroll your kids in music today—whether that be here at MAP Family Learning Center or elsewhere. Music education is a worthwhile investment, and one whose positive impact lasts a lifetime.
Student at piano with bellsets and simplified musical notation. Music can be taught in an integrative way, together with other subjects.
More Music Education in the News
Here are some more resources on the efficacy of a quality, sustained music education:
