How Class Concerts can build your child's confidence.
Who would have thought... SELF CONFIDENCE THROUGH MUSIC
From the earliest stages in our Forte courses children have an opportunity to perform solo. It's these early beginnings that we build on from week to week, month to month and year to year that have had astounding impact on our students lives through improving their self confidence.
Whilst private lessons have their place, the impact of regular class concerts on self esteem along with being a positive practice incentive which in turn creates learning momentum are just three more reasons why learning music in a Forte class is superior to private lessons for these age groups.
What we do...
In Jungle Friends and Music is Fun children take turns to sing back a short phrase in reply to their teacher.
In Junior Keys and Piano Keys once your child has achieved performance standard for their latest concert piece a class concert is held where all children perform on the teacher's piano - a mini concert for their classmates. We work on several pieces at once so every few weeks your child will be up in front of their class performing their latest and greatest.
Some children are reluctant at first and our teachers are trained to gently and expertly coach even the most reluctant or shy child up to perform eventually. You'll be thrilled as you see your little one grow in confidence little by little week by week.
Through these early steps with small incremental accomplishments, even the shyest of children come out of their shell and develop into a confident little performer.
"... over the years so many grateful parents have thanked me for the difference we have made in their child's life because of the self confidence they developed from our class concerts" says Gillian Erskine , Director & Co-founder, Forte School of Music.
Case Study
“There are just hundreds of stories over the years. One such story is about a boy in my class... a little boy who was so terrified of performing he just wouldn’t come up to my piano to at all. In fact he wouldn’t perform at all, well for me anyway... Usually over a couple of months this all sorts out and the children start to perform. Not in this case. This gorgeous boy and his patient beautiful Mum and I just worked on it little by little, gently over a number of years before Damien (not his real name) finally came out of his shell. Firstly we got him to agree to perform 4 bars at his piano and then we moved to a whole piece. Finally he dug deep and made it out to my piano. All the while the other kids in his class understood and gave him the space to be as he needed, which is so gorgeous. Same experience in entering for exams... Damien flatly refused to enter for exams like the the rest of his class. Months and years passed and step by step his confidence grew and he started with small performances and finally one day took the step into the exams. Today this beautiful boy is 15 yrs old. He is a beautiful young musicians playing both piano and saxophone at an extraordinary level. Damien plays in a number of school bands, sings in choir and is preparing for diploma level on both instruments. This performance skill and self confidence has seen him play and accompany school assembly and as Middle School Music captain last year I was lucky enough to be in the audience watching him compere concerts and deliver speeches. Wow... this is the same little boy who would turn away and hide his face in his Mums cuddle because he couldn’t face performing.”
– SANDY