On Mother's Day 10 years ago, I was pregnant with my daughter.  I had no idea what was coming next...would I have an easy birth?  Will my baby be OK?  Will I be a good mother?  It was an exciting (and a little bit scary!) time.  I knew there would be lots of learning along the way, and I hoped that I would make more good decisions than bad ones.  I figured I had a good base of knowledge already, since I had been teaching Kindermusik infant music classes for 2-3 years at that time.  Recently, I was asked by a colleague what would be the top advice that I would ..read more

The Hello Song is such an important part of our Kindermusik classes.  We are often told by parents and caregivers that it is a child’s favorite song, and here’s why:  it signals to your child that you are about to spend time together, 100% focused on each other.  Quality one-on-one time of learning and exploring, singing, dancing, playing instruments and making connections together.  We see this same excitement in virtual classes and in-person classes, because the adult-child connection is still present and the most important part of class.  Recently I’ve been observin ..read more

1. Everything that you want to learn about music will come with time. It's always about finding the excitement to want to learn new music and see it through to the end. Whether it's learning all the scales or just chords and tablature , find and maintain that motivation to play.  -Casey 2.  Practice scales by improvising over songs you like and have fun with it!  -Eric 3.  Practice right before bedtime and you'll more easily remember what you worked on the next day! -Mary 4. Practice with purpose! "What am I trying to achieve today" For example you should practice sca ..read more

2020 has been quite the year!  So many hard things going on in our lives, and music shouldn't be one of them!   Here at Bucktown Music, we are just finishing up our winter virtual recitals, and of course there was so much work and effort put into practicing and perfecting the performance pieces.  Now what?!?  Use this time to reflect, play old songs that you've already mastered, and just enjoy making music.  Even better if you can get the whole family involved! KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly...) Find EASY pieces that will give you that instant gratification and a sense ..read more

by Jessica Solares, AFA, BM ​I've been teaching music lessons for 20 years.  I've taught voice, violin, piano and Kindermusik (early childhood music), and have been running our studio along with my husband Luis since 2008.  When COVID-19 turned everything upside down this year, needless to say I was not at all excited about the prospect of moving our entire studio to an online format.  I was concerned about distractions in the home, internet connectivity issues, out of tune instruments, lack of attention and focus, and concerns about one more thing to do on-screen.  Then ..read more

by Rosie Hays, MA, MT-BC (Pictured here from a Kindermusik class in 2018!)  Resilience, or our ability to cope and move through difficult times, is incredibly important to focus on as we continue getting through 2020. Building resilience is like building a muscle: it takes time and intention.  I began to ponder the relationship between music and resilience. More specifically, I began thinking about how the Bucktown Music Kindermusik classes that I have been teaching and engaging in with my daughter are helping families build resilience during this year filled with l ..read more

You're probably asking yourself: What on earth does playing with a ball have to do with music????  Everything, for little ones!  All kids love playing with balls, and it's a great activity to do with baby to boost early learning. Kindermusik chime balls are brightly colored and have a little bell inside, so they make a fun jingly sound when tapped or shaken.  With babies, you can tap the ball on their body so they can feel the steady beat, or you can move the ball across their field of vision so that they can track it with their eyes (an important pre-reading skill, whethe ..read more

One of the most common questions we hear is “when should my child start music lessons”? The best music classes will consider your child, your family, your goals, and the amount of time you have to commit.  There are a lot of music lessons in Chicago, I hope this post helps you find the right one!   Birth to Age 3 ​​This is the optimal time to start those neural connections firing, not only in music, but with early childhood development as well.  Your child will need many skills to be successful at playing an instrument.  A quality early childhood music program, su ..read more

Yes, it's true! Music makes you smarter and it's good for reading and math...BUT... Many parents feel that getting their child started in private lessons as early as possible is the best choice. One of the most common questions we hear at our studio is “when should my child start playing an instrument?”  I’ve had many (yes, MANY) people who insist that their 1, 2, or 3 year old child be enrolled in private music lessons.  What we’ve found is that young children thrive in a research-based group class (such as our Kindermusik program), and the LATER the child starts p ..read more

​Adult Students:  The first step is to have a heart-to-heart with your teacher about your goals, expectations, and time.  Do you want to learn to read music and play Beethoven?  Or are you looking to learn some easy chords so you can play a few songs for your friends at your next party?  Would you like to join a community orchestra or form a band, or are you looking for a creative outlet to relax after work?   ​Make sure you and your teacher are on the same page, and that your teacher is comfortable teaching the kind of music that you want to learn.&n ..read more