Mike Risko Music School

One of the exciting things about coming to our music school is all the opportunities we offer to perform. We like to encourage kids to play different styles of music. Not only does this open our kid's minds but learning different styles of music teaches different skills. Our next recital is going to be featured at First Thursday-Thursday Night Lights in Briarcliff on June 2nd 2011. The theme of the  night is Jazz in the Village...so on our stage we will be featuring our fabulous students playing jazz or anything that is jazzy! There are some amazing books out there for kids of all ages and levels that introduce kids to jazz so we are going to be able feature the very beginner to the very advanced. If you or your child wants to perform in this recital or perhaps is interested in playing jazz...why not explore some jazz! Check out some local jazz musicians, listen to a jazz radio station, google jazz and see what artists and tunes come up and then listen to them. Think about what they sound like and what they mean. If you like the tune, let us help you find the music and learn to play it. Even if you don't consider yourself a jazz musician--change it up a little and play a tune. It will be a fun thing to try!

Whatever age a child is, parents are "instrumental" in their childs success on whatever instrument he or she is studying! It may seem like you don't need to practice with your child, but just sitting with him or her for a few minutes each day will make all the difference! What if you aren't a musician? Thats ok! Giving them encouragement as they play through whatever songs or exercises they have been assigned will make such a difference. How? Repetition is the key! Playing through a song several different times will help them with their reading and will help build their confidence which will make them happy and want to practice more....so as you can see--with a little help from mom or dad, you will have a very successful musician!