OVER 6,000,000 STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD HAVE GRADUATED FROM YAMAHA MUSIC COURSES

Philosophy

The Yamaha Music Education System represents the realization of Yamaha Music Foundation’s goal of promoting music globally and their belief that “music knows no national boundaries.”

Children all around the world learn from the Yamaha method, contributing to the development of a new musical generation. In fact, International Junior Original Concert performers, the most musically advanced YMES-Yamaha Music Education System students, have been described as “ambassadors of music.”

The objective of the Yamaha System is to develop each student’s comprehensive musical ability in an environment that inspires a love of music and a lifetime of active music participation. The courses teach students to express themselves creatively through the language of music. As their education progresses, they build performance, improvisation and composition skills. This approach has produced award-winning professional musicians, successful music teachers and millions of music lovers worldwide.

Age-Appropriate Instruction
All of our students are placed in courses that have been specifically designed with their physical and intellectual capabilities in mind. A 4 year-old learns very differently than an 8 year-old — so why use one method for all? Thanks to thoroughly researched and continuously updated curricula, we’re able to achieve maximum results. From the approach right down to the textbooks and pieces they’ll learn, each course is designed to inspire.

Comprehensive Programs
Would you rather be a “piano player” or a “musician”? While our students learn to master an instrument, they also learn to be well-rounded musicians. Each lesson develops not only the fingers, but the ear, the mind, and the imagination. Course areas include: performance, ear-training, rhythm training, harmony, improvisation & composition, reading & writing, and music theory. These skills help ensure that they’ll be able to enjoy music for life.

Group Lessons
Group lessons are a great source of motivation, particularly for the young beginner. They also allow for a complete musical experience: students learn to play ensemble which deepens their understanding of phrasing, balance, and rhythm. A parent is present at every class, to ensure proper follow-up at home. Older students will have the opportunity to meet from time to time for ensemble “jam” sessions.

Focus on Creativity
It’s important to know how to play others’ music, but even more valuable to play your own. Through activities such as active listening and movement, improvisation and composition, our students not only learn to hear the music, but to feel it! Music is a language, and we hope to help you and your child eventually express your own ideas.

Method

The Yamaha method of music education incorporates weekly group lessons designed to give students the best beginning possible for the development of basic music skills.

Emphasis is placed on ear training and the development of a good rhythmic sense. A variety of activities, including singing words and solfege, keyboard playing, sight singing, sight playing, ensemble work and musical creativity are part of the curriculum. Yamaha Music Foundation has completed much research illustrating that a child’s ear develops most rapidly between the ages of four and six (as shown in the graph below). Since hearing development is so closely related to learning music, this is the ideal time to start developing music skills. Accompanied by the parent, as the parent is the essential link between the class experience and successful practice at the home, both child and parent can share the joy of learning music with one another.

Structured Music Education System for Children designed to meet the unique needs and developmental stages of each age group, Yamaha programs develop each student’s comprehensive musical ability in an environment that inspires a love of music and a lifetime of active music participation.

Yamaha develops musical skills with three fundamental principles:

Introducing the Fundamentals of Music From the Start
In order for children to enjoy music and to absorb and understand the given material easily, we believe it is best to give them appropriate guidance in accordance with the degree of their physical and mental development. Based upon this concept of timely education, the Yamaha method introduces music fundamentals to children at the time when their hearing capabilities are rapidly developing.

We All Learn Better in Groups
Group lessons have many advantages that enable children to enjoy rich musical experiences such as making friends through music, developing cooperativeness and deepening understanding of music through participation in ensembles. For this purpose, Yamaha has adopted a method whereby students can listen and play in a group, learning music while enjoying it.

Learning Through Creating
In order to enable students to develop their creative capabilities, it is important to help them develop the ability to express themselves by thinking freely. We hope to help them acquire and enhance sensitivity and imagination, which are both sources of creativity, through our comprehensive system of music education.

History

The first Yamaha Music School was born in 1954, in Tokyo, Japan, as an experimental class for young children. Unique instruction methods produced excellent results.

The Yamaha Music School quickly gained a high reputation throughout the world. Mr. Kawakami established the non-profit Yamaha Music Foundation (YMF) in 1966 for the purpose of developing and promoting music education and popularization activities internationally.

Yamaha has since grown into an international music education system encompassing 16,000 locations in more than 40 countries across the world. To date, more than six million people have graduated from the Yamaha Music Education System, producing well-rounded musicians who not only play instruments but make real music.

Kanata Music Centre is a locally owned and operated growing music school catering to musicians of all ages in the west end of Ottawa.

For more information about Yamaha’s international and national music education activities, visit the Yamaha Music Foundation and Yamaha Canada Music Ltd.