I was chatting to one of the new moms at my daughter’s preschool last week while we watched our little ones chasing their teachers around during gym class. She and her family recently moved to the area, and she asked me if I could make any recommendations on some extracurricular activities she could do with her kids.
Now, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that my daughter and I have done a TON of different mom-and-me classes together, and I felt like one of those annoying know-it-alls while I started rhyming off all of the different things we’ve tried over the years.
Funny enough, our conversation sparked an interest in some of the other moms in the room, and before I knew what was happening, 12+ women were talking over each other AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS as they debated the best and worst mom-and-me classes Toronto has to offer.
It was pretty hysterical.
When my daughter and I finally made it to our car 20 minutes later, the poor lady who had initiated the conversation approached me at my car and asked if I could recommend JUST ONE class her kids would enjoy, and without batting an eyelash, I told her to check out Yamaha Music School.
Here’s why.
1. THEY OFFER A VARIETY OF CLASSES FOR ALL AGES
For as long as I can remember, my daughter has loved music, and while we’ve really enjoyed all of the mom-and-me classes we’ve done together over the last couple of years (even though I’m always forced to dance and sing like an idiot), she has always been intrigued with any instruments that are incorporated into the program. The only trouble is, she is still too young to really know which instrument interests her the most, so I love that we can try out a bunch of different classes over the next couple of years before committing to one (or more!) that she is really passionate about. Also? I have always wanted to take guitar lessons, and I love love love that I can sign the 2 of us up for lessons TOGETHER one day.
(Don’t worry – I’ll do this WAY BEFORE she hits her teenage years.)
2. THE SPACE IS CLEAN AND FRIENDLY
If you know anything about me, chances are you know I’m a bit of a germaphobe. And while I would much prefer to have a busy schedule filled with fun activities with my daughter each day, cold and flu season is particularly difficult for me as it takes all of my willpower not to throw bleach on everyone and everything my daughter comes into contact with on a daily basis. The good news is that Yamaha Music School offers a very clean environment, allowing crazy germaphobes like myself to sit back and ENJOY music lessons with their kids. And the staff area always really friendly and helpful to us, too!
3. IT ALLOWS US TIME TOGETHER AS A FAMILY
My husband’s work schedule is really hectic and busy, which makes it next to impossible for him to take time off to join in on all of the fun activities our 3-year-old and I do on a daily basis. But since Yamaha Music School offers music classes on weekends, and are more than happy to allow BOTH of us to attend classes with our daughter, Saturday mornings have become really special for us.
4. THE CLASSES ARE ENGAGING
When we first started our Music Wonderland classes, I anticipated the kids would be banging on their keyboards the entire 45 minutes, and made a mental note not to have too much wine on Friday nights so I could get through it. And while there are occasions where the kids are given a chance to tickle the ivories, the class is much more focused on building the foundations of music lessons. I also find our teacher does a great job of balancing the time the kids sit at their keyboards and engage with her at the front of the room. It really helps maintain their (very short) attention spans!
5. OUR DAUGHTER LOVES IT
My daughter and I have tried a lot of mom-and-me classes, and the Music Wonderland class at Yamaha Music School has been one of her favorites. The only thing that would make it better is if we’d allow her to take Cookie Monster to class with us.
6. THE YAMAHA EDUCATION GROWTH INITIATIVE (EGI)
Have you heard of this? It’s a rebate that works as a credit towards music lessons with the Yamaha Music Education System, and when you purchase a new Yamaha product between now and February 28, 2014, you qualify for a lesson tuition credit towards the Yamaha Music Education System group lessons. For example, if you were to buy a new Yamaha Grand Piano, you would get $500 towards group lessons with the Yamaha Music Education System.
How cool is that??!
There are a variety of instruments that apply to this initiative, each with their own level of rebate, and with January 2015 looming in the not-so-distant future (how did that happen??), now is a great time to take advantage of this fantastic program.
You can read move about the Yamaha Education Growth Initiative, the rebates it provides, and the courses available RIGHT HERE.
What are YOUR favorite activities to do with your kids?
I am participating in the Yamaha Music Canada Brand Ambassador program on behalf with Mom Central Canada. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog, and my intense love for Yamaha Music School, are my own.
