About Music for Young Children™

In March of 1980, Frances Balodis sat at her kitchen table in Dartmouth Nova Scotia with a clear goal in mind: To create a program that would fulfill the need for quality music education for young children. 

Taking the experience from her education and 21 years of teaching, Frances along with her husband Gunars, set out to create a comprehensive music education program tailored to the strengths and abilities of young children.

Today, MYC has more than 24,000 students annually, 900 teachers and is taught on 3 continents. Over time the curriculum has been refined, reviewed and mastered to ensure that it is consistent and current with conservatories and the music industry. 

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Through it all, the core principles and dream has remained the same: 
"Music is a gift that lasts a lifetime, and that all children and families deserve quality music education."

Why your child should begin with MYC ?

• Because it's fun!! (In addition to being of superior quality, very comprehensive, confidence building and a wonderful way to begin the study of music.)
  
• Because the child and parent bond as a "music team" during lessons and that carries on at home during daily practice and other family activities.
• Because this program provides so much musicianship training to young children that it's got to be seen and heard to be believed!!
• Because a 66% student return rate and a 90% teacher return rate make a statement about the outstanding quality of the program.
• Because 24,000 happy students a year can't be wrong!

MYC is a parent accompanied program
Parent participation in the studio is integral to the MYC program. By being present, parents become aware of their child’s learning styles, strengths and interests. And they can serve as informed guides in choosing further musical study. Parent participation in the program also allows reinforcement of concepts and skill-building at home. Parents see how the concepts are presented, and learn how to reinforce the ideas at home. Parent help during the classes is critical to the program; young children need guidance to find pages and someone to point during the rhythm ensembles. Also, the presence of a parent provides stability and security for the child, for whom this may be the first structured experience.

Brain Cooperation in Composition
Scientists have devised a technique that reveals the extent to which different regions of the brain cooperate during musical activities such as listening and composing. Patterns of cooperative function have been found and these patterns can be different when the same person uses different listening strategies. When one person is listening to the pattern and structure in Mozart and then listens to the sound patterns in Schoenberg, his brain waves show differences in their pattern of cooperativity. The amount of brain coherence increases greatly during composition, relative to listening.The Composition component of MYC allows children to explore creativity, while being given a foundation on which to build. The students are immersed in musical singing and playing and movement and then guided with suggestions as to the structure that is found in many classical compositions. Children are fulfilled with their own creations – some being very analytical first, followed by creativity, while others create first and then become more cognitive. The composition component of MYC enhances the listening component and the theoretical aspects of MYC, as well as the enhancement of self-esteem as the children are delighted with their accomplishments.