Why Can't Piano Lessons Be Fun? Playtime Piano Instruction's answer is student and parent friendly in-home lessons.

Baltimore, Maryland — For every kid who wants to play piano or keyboard, and every time-starved parent who dreads more chauffering and daily tussles at practice time, Playtime Piano Instruction has a solution that happens right at home. Parents, who may harbor unpleasant childhood memories of their own humorless task master teacher looming with ruler poised to strike, have embraced Playtime's "kinder and gentler' approach.

Playtime Piano's program begins by indexing each student's dominant learning style and respecting their personal musical tastes and goals. Students learn to read and play music and understand the meaning of musical terms and symbols, and are encouraged to express themselves through original composition. Proof it works: Kids stick with it, rockin' recitals with standing room only, and a steady demand for lessons.

Exquisitely qualified instructors are matched with students in personality and temperament. Only teachers who genuinely love playing and interacting with children – and who can infuse the process with fun - need apply. Instructors come from many walks of life. Cincinnati's teachers include a local football star who also happens to be an R&B artist, a former Eagle Scout and highly degreed musician who interestingly is hearing impaired, and even a young woman who had been a children's behavior therapist and camp counselor for gifted kids.
Among the proliferation of child oriented enrichment programs around the U.S. during the last 20 years, franchises for every conceivable product or service for children seem to have sprung up. The statistics underscore that parents are willing to invest money in a well rounded future for their children. Yet, to Playtime founders, husband and wife musicians Scott and Harlene McGowan of Owings Mills, Maryland, one particular program – in-home music lessons — seemed to be missing among all of these offerings. Playtime Piano Instruction had worked so well as a home-based business for the McGowans in Greater Baltimore that it begged to be franchised – at first more from necessity than ambition. Serving more than 1,500 students since 1997 through hired instructors and their personal student rosters, the McGowans' waiting list never quit. By early 2002, Playtime was registered to do business in 37 states.

Playtime's philosophy is child centered, light hearted and nurturing. Creative director and classically trained Harlene McGowan observes, "If someone is taking art lessons, don't they create art? Why can't students create original music if they take music lessons? Children will literally want to stretch to learn a favorite piece of music.'

Scott McGowan, who also has a background in psychology, observes, "The real issue has always been how to hold the interest of a child. What motivates one child might not work for another. Music education needs to reach students on a personal level.' Playtime's "Practice Incentive Program' offers students a catalog of music related prizes they may work toward featuring CDs, T-shirts and posters of favorite artists.

It also helps to have the experts behind you. Studies prove that learning to read and play music – particularly piano or keyboard – is one of the best ways to enhance neurological development and function in children. In fact, music is beating computers at enhancing early childhood development.

Playtime has franchised units throughout the State of Maryland and in Greater Cincinnati. Cleveland is scheduled to be up and running in the near future.

For more information visit www.playtimepiano.com.
——————-
Backgrounder:
Children and learning music

Studies have proven that learning music, specifically piano or keyboard, may be one of the very best ways to enhance neurological development and function. The 1997 study by Rauscher-Shaw (University of California, Irvine) declared:

"Music is beating computers at enhancing early childhood development. Music training, specifically piano instruction, dramatically enhances children's abstract reasoning skills necessary for learning math and science. Learning music at an early age causes long-term enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning.'

In September 1997, The College Board, a national, nonprofit membership association dedicated to preparing, inspiring, and connecting students to college and opportunity, reported:

"Music Students are Scoring. Music students are outperforming non-music students on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). College bound seniors with coursework or experience in music performance scored 52 points higher on the verbal portion and 37 points higher on the math portion of the SAT than students with no coursework or experience."

Founded in 1900, The College Board is composed of more than 3,900 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations.

——————————
Playtime Piano Instruction
TIPS FOR PARENTS


1. Say "I love hearing you play" instead of "it's time to practice".


2. Establish a regular time for playing. Some students prefer getting up early or practicing before homework.


3. Praise noticeable improvements.

4. Expose students to many different music styles by playing a mix of radio stations, tapes or CDs, watching musicals or music videos together, going to concerts.

5. Share your opinions of what you each like and why. Use that feedback to find music assignments that tie into their favorites.

6. Share excitement about upcoming recitals.

7. Encourage play dates with other children who also take music lessons. Let them "jam" or compose duets.

8. Teach them through example to be patient and gentle with themselves. Learning to read and play music is a discipline. Honor this process.

9. Allow students to record their playing on tape to increase awareness of their style.

10. Encourage students to listen to more advanced pianists (siblings, friends, professional musicians, others at recitals, etc.) to inspire
them about the payoffs that await.

www.playtimepiano.com

# # #