Cello Lessons |
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- Why Music Lessons?
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With so many activities to fit in, so many demands on childrens' time, this is a question asked by many parents. What exactly is to be gained for the average child who is unlikely to become a professional musician or follow a career in music? The answer is that music lessons can play a very important role in your child's general development. Playing an instrument, right from the earliest stages, involves many skills - visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic. Unlike many specialized activities, playing an instrument helps develop both sides of the brain at the same time, increasing both intellectual functions and physical coordination, patience and confidence. They aid the child's emotional development by providing an outlet for self-expression. So, music lessons are an enormously valuable educational influence as well as an introduction to the wonderful world of music, and Yes, they are fun! At Music in Chappaqua, we believe the rewards are priceless - and they are for life.
- Who We Are
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Music in Chappaqua began in 1993, with students taking piano lessons in Janet Angier's basement apartment on King Street. With Janet's dedicated approach, patience and enthusiasm, the number of her students grew. She then found other talented, wonderful teachers, and by word of mouth, Music in Chappaqua grew even more. Today, the school boasts over 250 students and teaches a variety of different instruments to all age groups. In June 2002, Music in Chappaqua opened a beautiful new school in downtown Chappaqua. Each studio in the school is equipped with the best Steinway & Sons grand piano and the latest computer hardware and software, all designed to enhance the learning process. Music in Chappaqua designed a school where children will want to come, to work hard, to play and to surround themselves with other talented and hardworking students and teachers. The studios are cutting edge, exciting, a piece of modern culture, art, architecture and design. What better forum could there be for the development of a budding artist? Finally, music lessons have been brought into the new millennium.
- What We Believe
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A music education is an essential element in a child's development and not just the ability to play an instrument. While not many children are destined to become professional musicians, it is a great asset to be able to sit down with an instrument and amuse oneself, and maybe others - a pleasure that lasts a lifetime. Moreover, there is the cultural value and the civilizing influence of growing up with music - a return to social values, beauty, the good in life. This is what we teach at Music in Chappaqua, not simply the notes!
Janet Angier-Director Music in Chappaqua
Best known in Westchester as the founder and director of Music in Chappaqua, the very successful and multi-faceted school of music, Janet has an enterprising background beginning with her graduation in performance with honors from the New England Conservatory of Music, continuing with engagements with the Taiwan National Symphony and the Vienna Symphonietta, among others. But she has perhaps found her real niche as an organizer and inspirer of the many musical activities of young people, typified by her innovative and ambitious approach to programming.
Born in Chicago to a musical family, cellist Amali Premawardhana began piano lessons with her mother at age five, and cello lessons a few years later at the Merit School of Music. She completed her studies at the Manhattan School of Music in 2007. Her primary teachers have included Julia Lichten and Margo Tatgenhorst-Drakos. Recent performance experience include the New England Symphonic Ensemble, Zero Gravity Contemporary Music Ensemble, and in master classes with cellists Yo-Yo Ma and Ron Leonard. Amali has taken part in festivals such as the Mannes Beethoven Institute and the Tanglewood Institute and has taught at summer programs such as the Kinhaven Music School. She currently plays in Tiger Lilies, a duo project that seeks to blend folk music with creative improvisations and arrangements, and that works with various other artistic disciplines. She also co-directs the New York chapter of Classical Revolution, a thriving music series that brings classical chamber music performance to unusual venues and audiences all across the city. Amali enjoys an exciting performance and teaching schedule in the New York City area, and believes that one of the most rewarding benefits of playing music comes from being able to teach it to others.