The perfect music class is Jon's school of music. His classes are fun, dynamic, engaging, and chock full of real music application and knowledge. I took all three of my children to Jon over the course of 8 years and loved every minute of it. My kids LOVE Jon! They have learned so much from him, including the basics of reading music, rhythm, techniques for using the different instruments of which they get to play all kinds, and even training their ears to hearing notes and the timing of beats. Even I, as a parent, came out of his classes smiling. I can't recommend Jon enough. He's incredible! https://jonsschoolofmusic.business.site
Yes! Jon's School of Music, which is located at Totland in Berkeley. My 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son have done multiple sessions with Jon, and they both love him. Jon provides group classes with separate time slots for various age / skill groups, led by Jon and his various toys and puppets. Jon's classes vary a little each time, but for the last few sessions in which my kids were enrolled, each class started with the kids participating in a lesson as a group, singing and playing the drums, and playing different games that emphasize important musical skills, like following the leader and counting. Jon is super enthusiastic, makes up stories, does voices with the toys and puppets, and always keeps the kids very engaged. We wonder how he does it day after day! Then, during the latter part of the class, the kids get to do a sort of round robin with different (real) musical instruments, which are appropriately child-sized. In addition to the always-popular drum set, my kids have played the xylophone, marimba, keyboard, trumpet, guitar, violin, and cello, in addition to egg shakers, triangles, etc., and singing on the microphone. In light of the real instruments, and to set an example for the kids, parent / caregiver participation is necessary for the classes to work. Here is the website: http://www.jsom.com/ The fall classes start in a couple of weeks, and we highly recommend that you check it out; we have signed up for another session ourselves!
My girls love Jon's School of Music, http://www.jsom.com. We started when my youngest was 1 and my oldest attended until she was almost 6. Class meets in the building at Totland, which is great because we'd make a whole afternoon of it. We did Music Together before but switched to Jon's class because 1) my kids had more fun there; 2) they actually learned some music concepts, which helped my older daughter when she started taking piano lessons; 3) we had some negative experiences with a Music Together teacher not respecting a friend's desire not to be touched in the course of class, whereas Jon was always very attuned to different kids' boundaries and needs.
We aren't taking the class this session because both kids are starting new schools so we're figuring out our new schedule. My kids are not happy about it, and keep asking when they can see Jon. I've taken lots of classes with my kids over the last 6 years, and it's a rare and special thing to find a teacher they bond with the way they did with Jon.
We are also happy going to Jon's music class. The class is very engaging, hands on and moves quickly. Parent engagement is required and makes the class more fun. My kid would go daily if it were possible. Now that Jon is located at Totland it's easy to make a morning of play out of the class. Email him to try a class free. Here's the info: Jon Merker / jon765432 [at] gmail.com
I have been a stay-at-home mom for three years now, and have tried 3 different music classes in the area from the time my oldest was a tiny baby. For a two-year old, I would recommend Jon's School of Music, http://www.jsom.com/jon-s-school-of-music-1, I have been taking my 3-year old there from the time he was one. My LO sings to himself, makes up songs, dances, pretends he is Jon and leads me in class at home, and loves being around musical instruments. This to me is the biggest gain from attending Jon's class, a love of music that my LO expresses every day.
The kids get to participate in class because Jon makes it interactive, so it has given me the opportunity to coach my LO to approach the teacher, walk up to the front, which adds to his self-confidence. My youngest (a baby) will be attending Jon's class once he is old enough.
The location has lots of parking, and I schedule my park outings to match the day he is teaching, so it is super convenient to go to class and have some play afterwards .
Jon's School of Music in Berkeley is great -- I have been taking my son there since he just turned 2 and he looks forward to it every Sunday morning (there are classes at all different times, for different ages). It's structured so that each child has one adult accompanying them and participating with them, so it's a special weekly joint activity for the two of us. For the really young kids like mine, the focus is on interval training (5ths), games that emphasize rhythm, dynamics (crescendos and decrescendos) as well as pitch change, by combining all of those things with body movements. All very entertaining for little ones. Lots of percussion. We also rotate around and the children get to try many different cool instruments, including marimba, electric guitar and bass, accordion, keyboard, a full drum set, sometimes even a cello. Pretty cool. The children love Jon and run to hug him. As a bonus, when you walk out the door, you're in the middle of the best kid's park in Berkeley -- Totland -- and it can be time for running around playing.
Jon's School of Music Jon's School of Music Jon's School of Music YEAH!!!!
My son, who will be three in a couple of days, and I have been attending classes with Jon for almost six months now, and we both love it. He talks about music class all week between classes.
I'm not a musician, but my father is, and I grew up around a lot of musicians and have a tiny bit of musical training myself. The way Jon teaches is incredible, with fun, fast-paced activities with elementary music theory, rhythm, and scale.
Kind of hard to explain, but I like to compare it to the way Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel-San karate in the sense that the students do activities that ingrain this information through repetition. Only instead of doing chores, the kids at JSoM are playing games and having fun.
I highly recommend Jon's School of Music. My nearly three-year-old son and I greatly look forward to our weekly class. The instruction is both innovative and fun. It teaches pitch, rhythm, timing, melody, and instrument mechanics in a very creative manner that demonstrates the concepts visually using physical gestures. Various characters, collectively known as "The Superfriends", are associated with the notes of the diatonic scale to aid in retention. The class is exposed, hands-on, to an extremely wide variety of real musical instruments to explore. I find this exposure at such young ages to be critical but unfortunately rare in other settings. Above all, the classes expose and encourage children to approach music freely and creatively. This is great teaching for parents and children alike. Enjoy!
we (me and my son Jeremiah, he was 24 months old when we first started and now he is 3.4 years old) felt so amazed by Jon's professional music talents and passion of teaching music to young kids.
Jon uses drums to warm up all children and grown-ups in the classroom, to get everyone excited about the music lesson. With different music games and a variety of musical instruments, children and grown-ups got experienced with a touch of REAL MUSIC. Plus tons of vocal exercise, movement, dancing, music notes, magic games, even combine with literature, he reads/sings a book with different songs to get children to have a full experience of music in many aspects and fully open up all sense of children. Therefore, Jon music got 4 developmental domains cover perfectly: Physical- movement, dancing, eye hand coordination, etc.,; Language/Literature- singing, taking lead, giving instructions, express oneself need and ideas, communication with peers and adults; Cognitive- remember stories, rythmns, songs; Social Emotional- tons of laughers and everyone got excited about the music class, etc.,
Therefore, we are highly recommended Jonas school of Music to every parants, especially for those are music lovers!!
I thought I would speak up just because I did NOT have a great experience with Jon's school. It was okay, but not like every one else is saying here. I had 2 toddlers a year apart, and I found it too much to bring 2 kids to the class. There was no support. Probably it's better if you only have one. I felt a bit judged because I couldn't always keep 2 kids under control. Also, for medical reasons, it was painful for me to sit on the floor, and there was no alternative.
Parent Replies
Music Together is a great intro class and lots of locations.
The perfect music class is Jon's school of music. His classes are fun, dynamic, engaging, and chock full of real music application and knowledge. I took all three of my children to Jon over the course of 8 years and loved every minute of it. My kids LOVE Jon! They have learned so much from him, including the basics of reading music, rhythm, techniques for using the different instruments of which they get to play all kinds, and even training their ears to hearing notes and the timing of beats. Even I, as a parent, came out of his classes smiling. I can't recommend Jon enough. He's incredible! https://jonsschoolofmusic.business.site
Yes! Jon's School of Music, which is located at Totland in Berkeley. My 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son have done multiple sessions with Jon, and they both love him. Jon provides group classes with separate time slots for various age / skill groups, led by Jon and his various toys and puppets. Jon's classes vary a little each time, but for the last few sessions in which my kids were enrolled, each class started with the kids participating in a lesson as a group, singing and playing the drums, and playing different games that emphasize important musical skills, like following the leader and counting. Jon is super enthusiastic, makes up stories, does voices with the toys and puppets, and always keeps the kids very engaged. We wonder how he does it day after day! Then, during the latter part of the class, the kids get to do a sort of round robin with different (real) musical instruments, which are appropriately child-sized. In addition to the always-popular drum set, my kids have played the xylophone, marimba, keyboard, trumpet, guitar, violin, and cello, in addition to egg shakers, triangles, etc., and singing on the microphone. In light of the real instruments, and to set an example for the kids, parent / caregiver participation is necessary for the classes to work. Here is the website: http://www.jsom.com/ The fall classes start in a couple of weeks, and we highly recommend that you check it out; we have signed up for another session ourselves!
My girls love Jon's School of Music, http://www.jsom.com. We started when my youngest was 1 and my oldest attended until she was almost 6. Class meets in the building at Totland, which is great because we'd make a whole afternoon of it. We did Music Together before but switched to Jon's class because 1) my kids had more fun there; 2) they actually learned some music concepts, which helped my older daughter when she started taking piano lessons; 3) we had some negative experiences with a Music Together teacher not respecting a friend's desire not to be touched in the course of class, whereas Jon was always very attuned to different kids' boundaries and needs.
We aren't taking the class this session because both kids are starting new schools so we're figuring out our new schedule. My kids are not happy about it, and keep asking when they can see Jon. I've taken lots of classes with my kids over the last 6 years, and it's a rare and special thing to find a teacher they bond with the way they did with Jon.
We are also happy going to Jon's music class. The class is very engaging, hands on and moves quickly. Parent engagement is required and makes the class more fun. My kid would go daily if it were possible. Now that Jon is located at Totland it's easy to make a morning of play out of the class. Email him to try a class free. Here's the info: Jon Merker / jon765432 [at] gmail.com
I have been a stay-at-home mom for three years now, and have tried 3 different music classes in the area from the time my oldest was a tiny baby. For a two-year old, I would recommend Jon's School of Music, http://www.jsom.com/jon-s-school-of-music-1, I have been taking my 3-year old there from the time he was one. My LO sings to himself, makes up songs, dances, pretends he is Jon and leads me in class at home, and loves being around musical instruments. This to me is the biggest gain from attending Jon's class, a love of music that my LO expresses every day.
The kids get to participate in class because Jon makes it interactive, so it has given me the opportunity to coach my LO to approach the teacher, walk up to the front, which adds to his self-confidence. My youngest (a baby) will be attending Jon's class once he is old enough.
The location has lots of parking, and I schedule my park outings to match the day he is teaching, so it is super convenient to go to class and have some play afterwards .
Jon's School of Music in Berkeley is great -- I have been taking my son there since he just turned 2 and he looks forward to it every Sunday morning (there are classes at all different times, for different ages). It's structured so that each child has one adult accompanying them and participating with them, so it's a special weekly joint activity for the two of us. For the really young kids like mine, the focus is on interval training (5ths), games that emphasize rhythm, dynamics (crescendos and decrescendos) as well as pitch change, by combining all of those things with body movements. All very entertaining for little ones. Lots of percussion. We also rotate around and the children get to try many different cool instruments, including marimba, electric guitar and bass, accordion, keyboard, a full drum set, sometimes even a cello. Pretty cool. The children love Jon and run to hug him. As a bonus, when you walk out the door, you're in the middle of the best kid's park in Berkeley -- Totland -- and it can be time for running around playing.
Jon's School of Music Jon's School of Music Jon's School of Music YEAH!!!!
My son, who will be three in a couple of days, and I have been attending classes with Jon for almost six months now, and we both love it. He talks about music class all week between classes.
I'm not a musician, but my father is, and I grew up around a lot of musicians and have a tiny bit of musical training myself. The way Jon teaches is incredible, with fun, fast-paced activities with elementary music theory, rhythm, and scale.
Kind of hard to explain, but I like to compare it to the way Mr. Miyagi teaches Daniel-San karate in the sense that the students do activities that ingrain this information through repetition. Only instead of doing chores, the kids at JSoM are playing games and having fun.
I highly recommend Jon's School of Music. My nearly three-year-old son and I greatly look forward to our weekly class. The instruction is both innovative and fun. It teaches pitch, rhythm, timing, melody, and instrument mechanics in a very creative manner that demonstrates the concepts visually using physical gestures. Various characters, collectively known as "The Superfriends", are associated with the notes of the diatonic scale to aid in retention. The class is exposed, hands-on, to an extremely wide variety of real musical instruments to explore. I find this exposure at such young ages to be critical but unfortunately rare in other settings. Above all, the classes expose and encourage children to approach music freely and creatively. This is great teaching for parents and children alike. Enjoy!
we (me and my son Jeremiah, he was 24 months old when we first started and now he is 3.4 years old) felt so amazed by Jon's professional music talents and passion of teaching music to young kids.
Jon uses drums to warm up all children and grown-ups in the classroom, to get everyone excited about the music lesson. With different music games and a variety of musical instruments, children and grown-ups got experienced with a touch of REAL MUSIC. Plus tons of vocal exercise, movement, dancing, music notes, magic games, even combine with literature, he reads/sings a book with different songs to get children to have a full experience of music in many aspects and fully open up all sense of children. Therefore, Jon music got 4 developmental domains cover perfectly: Physical- movement, dancing, eye hand coordination, etc.,; Language/Literature- singing, taking lead, giving instructions, express oneself need and ideas, communication with peers and adults; Cognitive- remember stories, rythmns, songs; Social Emotional- tons of laughers and everyone got excited about the music class, etc.,
Therefore, we are highly recommended Jonas school of Music to every parants, especially for those are music lovers!!
I thought I would speak up just because I did NOT have a great experience with Jon's school. It was okay, but not like every one else is saying here. I had 2 toddlers a year apart, and I found it too much to bring 2 kids to the class. There was no support. Probably it's better if you only have one. I felt a bit judged because I couldn't always keep 2 kids under control. Also, for medical reasons, it was painful for me to sit on the floor, and there was no alternative.