Junior guildhall kindergarten program

[lovinbeingmum]

Oh wise mums, some advice please. I gave a 5 year old who with his initiative started playing the keyboard last year. He's made decent progress playing and reading music and we've got him a teacher last month.

And now I've just found out that he could have a place at the junior guildhall kindergarten program.

Anyone know about it? Worth joining? It would then become an hour of a teacher on Saturday and then an hour at the guildhall (no instrument just music basics). Bit much, isn't it?

I feel it would be too much but then it is the Guildhall...so confused.....

Hi -

I didn't know about it, but I think it is held in Essex, between Great Dunmow and Braintree, at Felsted, and north of Chelmsford.

www.gsmd.ac.uk/youth_adult_learning/junior_guildhall/string_training/

www.felsted.org/guildhallmusic

www.felsted.org/howtogettofelsted

I'm all for encouraging children's musical activities, but I think this might be a bit ambitious for him just yet (unless you do happen to live near Felsted).

It is also Strings and music theory to some extent I think, rather than Keyboard and Piano.

My DD2 just started the Guildhall kindergarten programme this term. She's 4 and entirely incoherent about what they do in each session. According to her they put up their arm like aeroplanes and run around the room in one of the half hour sessions. She also thinks there's no singing involved. I'm none the wiser but she likes going.
That's not much help, is it?!

I personally would not go for this program if you have a teacher already. It is the Guildhall but then it is 5 yo and any music program, like Kindermusic will do

Follow up: Parents were invited into the Kodaly class this week to see what happens. My DH said that he can see why DD2 appears to have no idea what she's doing as the teacher's making it a lot of fun, very easy atmosphere for the children, but actually DD is learning masses and it's a wonderful, organised, natural introduction to music; he was totally convinced that when she does take an instrument in Yr 2, she'll have all the tools inside her to pick it up easily. He was very impressed.

Hello all, thank you so much for your replies! I had forgotten to 'watch this thread'...didn't realise anyone had replied...oops :)

TRL, that sounds very interesting. Wish I had seen your post earlier :/

My son had a place in the central London one but we were lucky enough to get another place in a similar Kodaly program closer to home. Had he not we would have gone for Guildhall though. Friends kids did it a few years ago (it was at the Barbican, not in Essex, maybe there's more than one) and spoke very highly of it. Their children didn't get through to the higher bit of the junior dept so switched to school music lessons at 11 but they said it was still a great musical grounding and positive experience.