Berkshire Music
fall 2013, Issue 1
This newsletter is designed for
parents, who have students
involved in the instrumental
music programs at Berkshire
Elementary School.
Mr. Kevin J Brady
Instrumental Music Educator
Let me be the first to congratulate you
years old. My parents started me in a
playing clarinet. I decided to switch to
and your student(s) for deciding to take
music program through a Suzuki Studio
drums. I got to carry the largest bass
on the challenge of learning to play a
School for piano. I learned the basics of
drum for field shows. I worked really
musical instrument. Here in the
music and how to play piano. I
hard, and moved to snare drum my
Panama Buena-Vista Union School
continued piano lessons with private
Junior year. It was there that I
District, we have one of the most
teachers in the community and in third
discovered drum and bugle corps, and
highly rated music programs in the
grade started on my first wind
solidified my future as a music
United States. I am honored to have
instrument, clarinet. I played in the
educator. I graduated from Fresno
been selected to become part of the
school band and continued piano
Pacific University in 2001 and
Music Team and work with your
through middle school, junior high.
completed my teaching credential at
students. I want to take a moment to
My first year of high school I made the
CSUB in 2012. I began teaching in
tell you a little bit about me in an effort
Advanced Band at Golden West High
1998, and have taught at Redwood HS,
to help you get to know me.
School, Visalia, CA. I fell in love with
Bullard HS, Hoover HS, McFarland
Marching Band, but was one of many
HS/MS, and Arvin HS
I started music when I was about 5
Inside This Issue
2. Where do I get the instrument?
3. How do I support my student at home?
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Where do I get the
instrument?
The following companies are
recommended for rental or
purchase.
California Keyboards
100 Oak Street
Bakersfield, CA
661-327-5397
Why is music important to
my student?
Nick Rail Music
5127 Ming Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93309
661-412-4942
Guitar Center
3428 Ming Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93309
661-396-3838
I always recommend
shopping around for prices.
Renting is the best option in
that you get the best quality
instrument.
Some of the companies offer
to put your rental fee
towards a future purchase of
a brand new instrument.
This is a great way to go!
Music helps develop
children's language
skills: When young
children listen to familiar
words in songs, the neural
transmitters in their brains
are firing away, and their
brains are building
connections to the sounds
they are hearing and the
words they are singing.
Singing songs and reciting
poems and rhymes with
children helps them
develop early literacy skills.
Keeping a steady beat
develops language.
Clapping hands, stamping
feet, and using rhythm
instruments in time to
music develops important
pre-reading skills. Young
children recognize words,
sounds, rhythms, tones,
and pitches long before
they talk, sing, or dance.
So, the more music your
children have in their lives,
the better they will speak
and read.
Music helps develop
children's self-esteem:
Music is a wonderful way to
address the many needs of
children because music is
nonjudgmental. There is no
right or wrong, it just is
what it is. Listening to
different types of music
nurtures self-esteem and
encourages creativity, selfconfidence, and curiosity.
Music helps develop
children's listening
skills: Music encourages
the ability to listen and
thus to concentrate. Songs
encourage speech and
auditory discrimination.
Through music, children
learn to hear tempos,
dynamics, and melodies.
Listening for loud and soft,
up and down, fast and slow
encourages auditory
development in the brain.
3
Music helps develop
children's math skills: A
simple song can include
basic math skills such as
counting, repeating
patterns, and sequencing.
Music helps stimulate
children's brain
connections: A recent
study from the University
of California found that
music trains the brain for
higher forms of thinking.
For example, researchers
believe that music affects
spatial-temporal reasoning
(the ability to see partwhole relationships).
Music and movement go
together: Children
naturally respond to music
by moving and being
active. Music helps children
learn about rhythm and
develop motor
coordination.
Music relieves stress:
Stress can be relieved with
songs, chants, finger plays,
and moving to music.
Singing together creates a
feeling of safety and makes
learning in a classroom
much easier.
Composer of the
Month
J.S. Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (March
21, 1685-July 28, 1750) was a
German Baroque composer. He
was one of the greatest
composers of all time, but
during his lifetime, he was littleknown and was mostly
recognized for performing on
the organ. Bach composed in
many established musical forms,
including, for example, the
cantata and fugue, and
developed them into complex
and sublime pieces. He
composed over 1,100 works in
almost every musical genre
(except opera).
Bach was born and died in
Germany, and spent his entire
life there, working as an
organist, teacher, and composer.
He had over 20 children,
including four who became
famous musicians in their own
right, including Carl Philipp
Emanuel, Wilhelm Friedemann,
Johann Christoph Friedrich, and
Johann Christian.
Lorem Ipsum
Fall 2013, issue 1
Thank you for all you do for your students!
If you ever have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact
me at Berkshire Elementary, Monday/Wednesday/Friday. I
look forward to a great year and will really enjoy working with
your students!
Musically,
Kevin J. Brady
kbrady@pbvusd.net
Berkshire Instrumental music
3900 Berkshire Road
Bakersfield, CA 93313
Phone: 661-834-9472