Music is an art form, and a deep, important, exciting, and rewarding part of human life, and therefore a worthy endeavor all in itself.

But in addition, music education can have a range of benefits for children, both in terms of their academic performance and their personal development.

What Is Our Teaching Philosophy? Here are a few points of interest related to our teaching philosophy at Dennis Frayne Music Studios.

Goals & Interests. Music is for everyone, but not everyone has the same musical goals and interests. Knowing this, we have developed music programs, curriculum, piano lessons, voice lessons, instrumental lessons, ensembles, camps, classes, and teaching strategies that are tailored to each student’s individual needs, desires, and learning objectives.

A primary goal of making music, whether singing, playing the piano, or playing any other instrument, is to release tension. To the greatest extent possible, we want to strive for tension-free singing and tension-free playing.

I do recommend Dennis Frayne Music Studio. I have a 7-year-old son who’s been taking lessons from Dr. Dennis for one-and-a-half years. We started right when he turned six and it’s been a really good experience. It hasn’t been without challenges, as my son is a very strong spirit and an independent spirit. He started out wanting to take piano lessons, and then I suppose the novelty kind of wears off. But I value him practicing piano. It’s part of our family heritage - my grandmother played piano and passed it down. We have a piano in our home, and it’s like a part of our family culture. So I really really want him to practice. I also think it’s really good for his fine motor skills, which is an area that he needed a little extra special attention.

I have two children here in the studio of Dr. Dennis’ and his Laguna Niguel School of Music. My older son Riyaan is taking private piano lessons with Dr. Dennis, and my younger son Ishaan is participating in a pre-piano group music class with Miss Suzanne. We found Dr. Dennis’ studio through a Google search, and we are glad we did. We’re just really happy here!

One of the most important states of mind that we can help instill in our students is confidence. When a child or adult begins piano or other music lessons, they are often filled with excitement and anticipation, but too frequently also, fear. Fear of making mistakes, fear of looking bad, fear of feeling inadequate, fear of being perceived as having no talent... The worst thing we can do as teachers is to confirm or worsen those fears. We should help to alleviate those fears, to mitigate them, and ultimately to develop and restore confidence.

The root of learning music, of making music, including at the piano, should be joy. Once joy is firmly established, and music learning is, well, enjoyed by the student, then it’s time to layer on challenge and complexity and the rewards that come from struggle and hard work. If we begin with complexity, right and wrong, errors and mistakes, struggle and hard work, or place emphasis on these things too soon, we run the risk of removing the joy from music-making early on, and possibly for life.

Over the holiday season, we opened the Dennis Frayne Music Studio Laguna Niguel location. We have several new teachers, and we are enrolling students in private lessons and small group classes.

In addition to music lessons, the music studio has a small retail area that will sell musical instruments, accessories, supplies, toys, games, and other fun items; a space for the scholarship flea market; and prizes that can be earned by students who accomplish musical goals. The parent and family lounge features a comfortable waiting area with a sofa, chairs, and space with a table, books, and materials for siblings to read, make arts & crafts, and do homework.