Music for Moms, Vol. 1

Why do kids almost uniformly hate going to their piano lessons? Could it be because we subconsciously burden them with our latent expectations ("Mozart composed his first symphony at age five and my children are falling behind!") Could it be because many piano teachers (like mine), sit with rulers held over our fingers, waiting to smack us for "wrong" notes and "missed rhythms." Put more simply, could it be because we emphasize rote recitation of the sheet music of "the masters" instead of developing and encouraging a fun attitude towards music which will foster independent creativity and expression? In Music for Moms, Julia S. Lovison, director of the Lakeshore Music Studios, shows parents, teachers and caregivers how to help children aged 2 to 8 explore fun (as opposed to technical) musical concepts. Using various techniques like "playing a story" in which no wrong notes can be played, Ms. Lovison shows us that music is above all, expression and enjoyment, rather than perfection and performance. While the video will never win any awards for dynamic cinematography or exciting presentation, it nevertheless introduces valuable musical concepts and ideas. Recommended, with some reservations. Aud: P. (R. Ray)