December 6, 2024: Friday Medley!
Happy Friday
We look forward to seeing many of you at our second session of “Christmas & The Holiday Season” Recitals, this Sunday, December 8th!
In January, we are hosting our first Theme Recital (“Sets of Music”). Please see below for more information.
To request to sign up for this recital, which includes an audition (but not a scary one!), please complete this form online here:
https://www.dennisfraynemusicstudio.com/studio-recital-sign-up-request
Theme Recital (“Sets of Music”)
Friday, January 10, 2025, 4:30 pm & 5:45 pm
Chamber Music OC, Lake Forest
Remember, recitals are one of the best ways to enjoy the music students are learning. Making music with other musicians and for a friendly audience offers many personal rewards and satisfactions, and encourages students to prepare, plan, and practice!
A Few Thoughts on Practicing
One of the benefits of 60-minute lessons involves the ability for teachers to teach students how to practice, in their lessons. We strive to teach students how to practice so that when they are on their own, they know what to do and how to do it. Over time, students will become better and better at practicing effectively.
Practicing music, and musical instruments, will help us get better and better at our musical skills. Often, the more we practice, the better we will get. But sometimes lots of practice is not the key to long-term success in learning music. When practicing becomes a grind, when practicing makes us dislike making music, when practice is stressful and anxiety-laden or makes us want to quit, then perhaps less practice is better! (At least for a while!) When students are taught properly, and when students practice in their lessons, they will make progress even if they practice very little on their own, especially in the early years.
We encourage practice, but we do not demand it. One way we encourage students to practice is by always preparing for upcoming recitals! When students are enthusiastic about performing in recitals, and other musical opportunities, they practice because they want to be prepared! We have many fun and easy-going recitals and performance opportunities throughout the year, not just one big scary one at the end. We also encourage students to put on mini-recitals and solo or small-group concerts in their homes for their families and friends. Preparing for in-home recitals offers many benefits and creates fond memories for everyone! Here’s a link with more ideas about this:
https://www.lagunaniguelschoolofmusic.com/preparing-producing-performing-solo-recital
When a student comes to their lesson, we do not ask, “Did you practice?” We do not intentionally place guilt or cause discomfort for our students. We simply start working and playing and making music and learning! Students learn to work hard and to practice and to constantly improve because that’s what we do in lessons… in the most fun, rewarding, and creative way possible, unique to each student.
We help students develop a repertoire of music that they can play at any time. We don’t “pass pieces” in the typical fashion. When teachers pass pieces, students never have anything they can play at will. Why? Because they are always working on the next piece. When that piece is finally learned, they stop playing it and start working on the next piece. It can feel like endless work with no rewards. We encourage students to keep playing pieces for a long time, and to memorize as many as possible, so they will always have several pieces to play, if not more! So they will be active musicians, not just passive music students.
Some of our students can sit down and play an entire book of songs from memory, or perhaps by reading some of them and playing others from memory. Other students have several pieces they can play from memory, while learning new ones. This is the goal - to always have some music to play. Then, they are always ready for recitals, too! They can select which pieces they want to perform, of the many they know how to play or sing! (This is what professional musicians do!) Always learning new songs, but playing the older ones, too.
This strategy also helps students develop dexterity. Confidence and agility come from playing music that feels easy, that can be played proficiently, and that one plays many times over long periods of time.
I’ll write more on this topic from time to time! And there’s more information and ideas about recitals below.
Christmas and Holiday Wrapping Paper
We have some Christmas and other types of wrapping paper and various supplies in the arts and crafts section waiting area in Suite 108. Feel free to use the wrapping paper, tape, etc. to wrap some presents while you are hanging out between or during lessons!
Recognizing Student Accomplishment
Learning music and making music produce their own personal rewards and satisfactions. And, it is also fun and encouraging to celebrate student achievement in other fun and meaningful ways. Here are several things we are already doing and will soon start doing.
Stickers - everyone loves stickers! Even many of our older students and adults enjoy stickers to celebrate little accomplishments.
Prize Tickets - students earn a prize ticket when they perform a new song or piece of music from memory for the first time. Prize tickets can be redeemed for actual prizes or or sometimes for games at our recitals.
Recital certificates and awards - in addition to the rewards that come from musical performance and music-making with other musicians, students receive certificates and potentially other awards and goodies when they perform in recitals.
Student of the Month - each month we select a Student of the Month. This honor is awarded to deserving students who accomplish something unique, reach an important milestone, or demonstrate musicianship and learning. Students are featured in our monthly newsletter, and receive a handsome framed certificate with their name and photo.
Musical Ladder - students will earn a step on the ladder, along with a gift or award, as they progress on their musical journey over time.
Certificate of Merit and RCM Exams - these are programs sponsored by other music organizations that we participate in and students can join. Please email for more information if you are interested.
More information about each of these programs will follow in subsequent communications.
More Upcoming Recitals
Special Theme Recital coming in January
Yes! Your student can participate in Friday Theme recitals!
All levels, ages, instruments, and styles are welcome and encouraged!
We will have our first special Theme recital on Friday, January 10, 2025, in the evening, at the beautiful and acoustically brilliant venue, Chamber Music OC, in Lake Forest.
This will be an audition-only recital for students and teachers wishing to participate. But don’t let the audition scare you!
Performers can be at any level, including beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Teachers may also perform at this recital. The recital will be recorded. Here is a photo of the beautiful venue:
The theme for this recital is “Sets of Music”
The requirements for participation are:
a) Play a full set of some music (could be several compositions from the same composer, or the same film, or the same franchise; perhaps the first five songs, or any complete Part, in the Presto! It’s Piano Magic book series; maybe all three movements of a sonatina, or both parts of a two-part published work; or many other options and combinations - please discuss with your teacher or email Dr. Dennis with questions and ideas - we have many!);
b) Play from memory;
c) Complete your audition (and be invited to participate).
Feel free to email Dr. Dennis with any questions.
CPT Represents!
Our third Concert Performance Team recital is on 11/17/2024, 2:00pm, at Palm Terrace Healthcare & Rehab Center in Laguna Hills. CPT proudly represents our music studio!
Destination Recital - SAVE THE DATE!
Our first destination recital will be a day trip to the Los Angeles or San Diego area on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
Save the date for now, and we will be sending more information and an opportunity to sign up soon.
FSP
Our Families Support Performers program is shaping up, and we appreciate the families who have signed up to help out at our studio recitals so far! You can sign up for upcoming recitals here:
https://forms.gle/kiERAk8rmRuqREus8
Additional Lesson Rooms and More Music-Making Opportunities!
The Laguna Niguel School of Music has expanded into Suite 205, on the second floor of our Crown Valley Pkwy location, bringing you even more opportunities for music-making, including our Friday Medley events! We will have additional lesson rooms and a larger ensemble space for choir, string quartets, wind ensembles, and musical theater.
One of our lesson rooms will be specially designed as a sensory-safe “soft” room, while another will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology for music composition and production. Students can learn how to compose, arrange, engrave, record, and mix tracks to produce music and distribute it in electronic formats!
Forum is coming! What is forum?
Forum is a weekly practice-performance opportunity for students. At no additional charge, students can attend forum with a group of other students and families, and practice their performance pieces in front of a small audience.
Benefits of forum include:
1. Regular performance practice.
2. Encouraging students to practice during the week to prepare for forum, in addition to lessons and recitals.
3. Helping students to become more and more comfortable performing in front of others.
4. Providing an opportunity for students to collaborate (for example, playing duets, trios, quartets, accompaniments, combos, and even musical theater numbers, dances, or skits).
5. Keeping music more purposeful and meaningful in students’ lives. Students can make music, perform, and entertain, and experience more frequently the rewards of this real music-making.
6. Providing an additional social aspect to music learning.
7. Offering exceptional value to students and families.
Forums will take place Friday evenings, Saturday mornings, and Sunday afternoons. There will be two 30-minute sets, back-to-back. Participating students must agree to stay for the whole 30 minutes of a set, and they can optionally stay for both sets.
Have a magical Friday, a musical weekend, and a wonderful holiday season!
Thank you,
Dennis Frayne
"Dr. Dennis"
Laguna Niguel School of Music
Dennis Frayne Music Studios
30110 Crown Valley Pkwy, Suites 105/107/108
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
(949) 844-9051 (office cell)
(949) 468-8040 (personal cell)
www.lagunaniguelschoolofmusic.com
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