Devin Ulibarri, known by his many students as “Mr. Devin”, has over a decade and a half of experience teaching children the basics of music. He started his career at the Preparatory School at the University of New Mexico, and continued to teach at the Preparatory School at the New England Conservatory until very recently.
He has written his own method book for beginners, and has co-authored an article called “Thinking Beyond the Myths and Misconceptions of Talent” which argues the point that musical skills are, like language and math skills, important skills that everyone is, with normal effort, capable of learning and of which learning will benefit a person’s overall well-being and understanding of the world around them.
Mr. Devin works with every child to help them achieve their short-term and long-term goals in music, balancing “hard work” with “fun” with his own compassionate and creative approach to teaching and learning.
2024-09-28 update: Currently, we do not have transportation from Cheverus.
We started offering afterschool services in Malden five years ago. We are located directly across from the Beebe school, but we’ve always had a lot of interest from parents of students going to Forestdale or Cheverus.
This year, finally, we were able to secure a company with the proper credentials that can transport the kids from Forestdale or Cheverus to our location.
Here are the “high notes” based on the most common questions we’ve received so far:
We offer care, but we also have daily enrichment activities for the kids in music, art, and programming, as well as STEM. All the activities are led by specialists in those respective fields.
The main options are M-W, M-Thurs, and M-F; options outside that incur a surcharge of 5-15% (5% for three days or fewer), and an interested family will need to send us an email to info@maldenlearning.com with the request.
We offer services on Malden Public School (MPS) early dismissal days. We follow the Malden Public Schools calendar. Unfortunately, we do not offer early services on Cheverus early dismissal days at this time.
Services are from 2:30-5:30 on normal days and 11:00-5:30 on early dismissal days.
Transportation is in partnership with Aquerela Transportation Inc. This company has been serving Malden for a few years now.
The first day of service from Forestdale and Cheverus to MAP Family Learning Center will be Monday, 9/9.
The cost of transportation is currently $15 per day. We’ve done our best to find the best rate.
We approaching our fifth and final week of MAP summer workshops, and we wanted to spend a few minutes highlighting some of the fun things that the kids were able to experience, as well as begin to think about what this means for the upcoming semesters of afterschool at MAP. This post will go over some of the highlights of the summer.
Multicultural
This summer, we followed a global theme for the second year in a row. This year, we explored the culture of Kyoto, Mumbai, Cairo, Barcelona, and New York, and we did this through the lenses of music, art, and programming. This was both challenging and fun, and we teachers, along with the students, learned a lot!
We even programmed multiculturally! These students are creating a virtual tabla with Music Blocks and Makey Makey.Warren Senders, who studied music in India for a number of years, introduced the kids to the music of India.
The kids were able to experience so many engaging activities centered around each week’s culture theme — everything from improvising on drums and instruments over an Egyptian groove to creating a miniature Sagrada Família as an art project to coding a virtual tabla with Music Blocks and Makey Makey.
Multidisciplinary
The “MAP” in “MAP Family Learning Center” stands for “music, art, and programming”. We, of course, explored these topics, but we did much more. For example, one thread that has been continuing through the summer is aperiodic monotiles, which are a mathematical curiosity discovered just last year. We were given a box of these blocks to play with, and the kids enjoyed playing with them during some of the choice times, as well as learning about some of the math that makes them so special.
In addition to this, the kids did various science projects, explored geometry and math through programming, and even had time set aside each Friday to cook together. All of these little moments, we believe, added up to a deeply enriching and memorable summer.
Students explored geometry with coding.We cooked on Fridays.Kids created art with the 3Doodler.Kids created art with the 3Doodler.Students explored newly found mathematical discoveries.
Fall afterschool is right around the corner!
Although I could add much more about all the wonderful things the kids did over the summer, I’ll need to stop here. I do want to point out that at MAP afterschool, our afterschool program during the school year has similar activities. Kids, of course, get an opportunity to wind down, read, and do their homework, but each day of the week we lead the group in one enriching activity. We work hard to create an atmosphere where kids can have fun learning new things, have the room they need to explore powerful concepts, and, we hope, learn to love learning.
A tip of the hat to our faculty, staff, and interns
In order to achieve some of these classroom feats, the teachers at MAP met for hours over the course of two weeks to brainstorm and workshop activities that were fun and meaningful. Through this preparation, MAP teachers all learned a lot about these different cultures and deepen their own mastery of music, art, and computer programming. This was a lot of fun for us, and we think it helped ensure a more enriching experience for all the kids who attended this summer.
In addition to curriculum development, MAP staff and interns met for a training led by Darryl Bullock of Kids LAHF. This training helped staff and interns better prepare for the summer in a nuts and bolts way.
Lastly, we’d like to thank the City of Malden, which helped us receive the assistance of some wonderful interns through their Mayor’s Youth Employment Program (MYSEP). These interns helped with various tasks — from cleaning to playing with the kids and assisting in the classroom. And, perhaps most importantly, we enjoy mentoring these youth and giving them an opportunity to get hands-on training to help prepare them for their future.
We are happy to announce two new music instructors at MAP Family Learning Center, “Mina” Mingyeong Son and “Rafa” Rafael Moreno. Mina teaches piano and general music, and Rafa teaches voice and composition.
We’re excited to have these two new instructors with us. They’ve been doing great work with the kids so far, and their students are already making great progress. Read on to learn a little bit more about their background as well as how to book private lessons with one of these two instructors.
About Mina
Mingyeong Son
Mina is a versatile musician, educator, and scholar residing in the Boston area. Born and raised in South Korea, she embarked on her musical journey at the age of five, immersing herself in classical piano and music studies.
Throughout her academic pursuits, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in music composition and music theory from Seoul National University, followed by a Master’s degree from Northwestern University in IL, and finally achieved her Ph.D. in Musicology from the College of Music at Seoul National University. She has worked as a piano faculty member at the Musical Offering at Evanston School of Music in Illinois over the past five years, Mina has honed her teaching skills, effectively blending music theory with practical techniques.
Her teaching expertise is further enriched by her post-doctoral work as a Musicology Researcher at Harvard University. Currently, she holds the esteemed positions of piano/organ accompanist at Boston-West Korean Presbyterian Church. This has allowed her to build strong connections with students of diverse ages and proficiency levels, ranging from beginners to advanced learners.
Her primary goal is to foster a genuine love for music among her students. Mina’s passion for music and her dedication to nurturing the talents of her students make her a remarkable presence in the musical community.
About Rafa
Rafa Moreno is a Panamanian Singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and educator. He started his professional career in 2000 and has recorded 3 studio albums.
In 2009, while in Panamá, Rafa participated in the reality show Vive La Música, ending up in second place and since then he became a public figure in Panama, not only as a musician, but as an actor, and TV host.
Having studied Marketing and Advertising, a master’s in management and a master’s in education, in 2018, Rafa decided to study music formally and entered the University of Panamá to study an Undergrad in Music, and in 2020, he started his career as a student at Berklee College of Music obtaining an Undergrad in Contemporary and Production in May 2023. As a Berklee student, Rafa had the honor of sharing the stage with Grammy winners like Gilberto Santa Rosa and Tony Succar. In November 2023 Rafa released “Album 1”, his first album as a producer, arranger, and Singer-Songwriter, and is currently working as a music teacher. Who also works as a singer and arranger for many bands in Massachusetts.
Interested in booking a lesson?
We will be putting their information on the website soon, but in the meantime, feel free to send us an email at info@mapflc.com with some of your preferences for days and time. We can schedule your thirty-minute trial lesson for a discounted $13.75 on your behalf.
As always, students get both care and mentorship in music, art, and programming throughout the year.
We have both a Monday thru Friday and a Monday thru Wednesday option for the school year; other options may be requested, but are not guaranteed, and require a surcharge (see page for details).
Currently available to students ages 5-11.
Free pickup from the Beebe school.
Pickup time is between 5:00-5:30pm.
Private music lessons in piano, guitar, and/or voice are available for those who request it, for an additional fee, discounted below the normal rate.
Registration is complete with a $100 non-refundable deposit. The deposit goes toward tuition.
Registration
First, select the date on the calendar.
Choose either the five day (M-F) option or the three day (M-W) option.
If you are registering siblings who will be attending together, change the number of participants to “2” (next to “book”).
Complete the requested information about your child.
Click book and pay the deposit.
Select either M-W or M-F
Questions
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@mapflc.com or drop a comment below.
I just wanted to give a quick update for some concerts I recommend MAP students to attend.
Upcoming concerts
Attending music concerts is a critical part of education. Just as we learn language by listening to those around us speaking the language, we learn music by listening to it, and a concert is a presentation of music by people speaking their musical language. Plus, one of these concerts features a MAP music instructor as performer, and one features MAP students.
For the paid events, MAP instructor Devin Ulibarri may be able to get students in for a discount. If you are currently taking lessons and interested in attending, please ask.
Upcoming art event
MAP art instructor Chie Yasuda will be showcasing her work as part of Somerville Open Studios on the weekend of May 4-5. If you are able, we encourage you to check out her work. Her art will be showcased at the Armory in Somerville, MA. More information is available at https://www.somervilleopenstudios.org/web/artists/artist_profile/1406
Keep the learning going!
We hope that families can take advantage of this list of events, which we expect to be entertaining, educational, and inspiring. We’ll also do our best to keep you in the loop of other events.
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:
We are excited to announce a limited-time offer to help families save time and money for their year-end** and 2023 classes!
Booking credits: Back by popular request
This is the third 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.
Special Offer
Total Value of Private Lessons or Group Lessons
Black Friday Pricing (until Nov. 30th)
Total Dollar Savings
Percentage Savings
1000 Booking Credits Option
$5500
$3850
$1650
30%
800 Booking Credits Option
$4400
$3300
$1100
25%
600 Booking Credits Option
$3300
$2640
$660
20%
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 30th. 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. Carrie, and Music+Code classes — both private and group classes. All sharing sessions for the duration of enrollment are included. Classes with 3rd party instructors (e.g. not mentioned above) may be priced differently. For those instructors, participation in this offer is on a case-by-case basis because those instructors set their own prices.
As we did last year, private lessons cost 10 credits, and group classes cost 6.
The discount is different from last year
We recently published new Pricing and Policy Updates. In short, we did not increase any of our base prices, nor do we plan to for 2023. However, the sibling discount for group classes has decreased slightly, and there are differences between last year’s Special Offers and this year’s.
Where are the 2023 Group Class Offerings Published?
Looking for gift ideas that last a lifetime? MAP Guitar and Music+Code instructor reflects upon how sustained music lessons has improved his own life, as well as the lives of his students. The conclusion to a study referenced by the National Association of Music Merchants is included, which suggests music class/lesson participation contributes to a healthier lifestyle in youth.
A Great Education Lasts a Lifetime
When I look at what some of my students have done, I can really see that “a great education lasts a lifetime”. Some of my (older) students have been admitted to top schools for music, such as San Francisco Conservatory, and other (younger) students have been admitted into top, exclusive high schools of their choice.
When I look at my own life, the same is true. The private lessons I took as a youth gave me so much. I was able to attend the colleges of my choice as well, as a direct result of the lessons I consistently took with Jeremy Mayne. I have been able to perform in the world’s best concert halls, and together with the world’s best musicians.
And for those who may be skeptical because you do not expect your son or daughter to concentrate in music in college, I want to share a little bit more about what music has given me.
One thing that music gave me during my formative years is a healthy way to express myself. During high school, I practiced the guitar very intensely. When my friends got together for a social gathering, I would join them, of course, but I would always bring my guitar. This gave me a healthy way to have fun, as well as entertain others, at the social event. There has been research to show that students who participate in (continuous) music study live healthier, happier drug-free lives.
In the past, secondary students who participated in a music group at school reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs).
This makes a lot of sense as music is social, entertaining, mentally stimulating, and more–all at the same time! Playing and making music is a great way to be social, and a very healthy, smart way to express one’s self!
Gift Ideas in Music, Art, and Programming
I know you have a lot of choices for what to get your loved ones for the Holidays this year. Toys and games and movie passes are all great fun, and I agree kids should have those things! However, I want you to consider also including the gift of music, art, and programming.
At MAP, you have a few options this giving season. Please read on for some gift ideas from us to you.
Larger Limited-Offer Gift Passes
These limited offers (announced here) give the gift of months worth of lessons and classes in music, art, and programming at MAP Family Learning Center–both online and in-person.
These offers are at our absolute best prices, and the deals end November 30th.
Thank you for reading how music helps youth during their formative years, including a little bit about how it has helped me and my own students. I hope to share more about the efficacy of a quality education in the months to come. Happy Holidays!
