Discover the Best Kids' Music Classes Online
Any person you ask can name at least one of their favorite bands or musical artists. And some of those artists likely have names you might recognize too, like Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, or Katy Perry. But did you know that those same artists started recording and releasing music in their teenage years? The truth is that many of the world’s best musicians start at a young age. If you have children who are interested in music, the good news is that there are tons of kids’ music classes available, covering instruments from guitar to piano to your child’s voice.
Why You Should Learn Kids' Music Online
There are plenty of reasons for kids to learn music. Research shows that playing music can lead to better communication skills, decreased agitation, and heightened cognitive function among other benefits. Getting kids started early with music means setting them up with solid coping strategies for any mental or emotional difficulties they might encounter down the line.
Knowing how to sing or play an instrument also opens up opportunities for your child to make many new connections with peer musicians. Finding a jam session is often as easy as doing a quick internet search or attending a musical open mic night. Such an experience could lead to new friendships or even the formation of a new band. Regardless of whether that happens or not, your child will certainly benefit from the camaraderie that can be found in an online music class or with other local kids interested in music.
Virtual Kids' Music Classes
Perhaps your circumstances make it difficult to take your child to an in-person kids’ music class. But regardless of whether you live far away from such classes or your schedule simply doesn’t line up with nearby class schedules, the availability of online kids’ music classes makes it possible for just about anyone’s children to learn music.
Not only will you save lots of time commuting with an online course, but you’ll also likely have more options available to you with classes from all over the country (or even the world). Many such courses are easy to find on CourseHorse. And while you’ll certainly have to purchase instruments and some other supplies, this is the case with many in-person music classes as well. So one usual advantage to in-person classes becomes null in this case.
The Vocal Lab and Music School has a great Youth Vocal Performance Class for kids between the ages of 11 and 14 who want to practice singing. Every class will start with either a conversation about performance or warm-up exercises. This will be followed by individual students practicing for roughly ten minutes each with their instructor and in front of their peers, meaning your child will not only get individualized attention but also be able to learn and benefit from other students while they work too. This individual rotation approach to the class also eliminates any worries you might have about delayed audio on digital conferencing software.
Los Angeles City College offers an online, beginning Piano/Keyboarding Class for Young People, which in this case means children between the ages of 8 and 17. The course covers fundamentals from basic music note reading to finger coordination to critical listening skills and music theory. Kids will need their own pianos or keyboards for this course. Completing this course will ensure your child will be ready to move on to Los Angeles City College’s intermediate piano course if desired.
For children ages 8-11 who are drawn to guitar, New York Guitar Academy has a Kids Absolute Beginner Guitar Class that will teach all the fundamentals of the instrument. Students will practice both rhythm guitar and lead guitar, learning a variety of strumming patterns, proper posture for playing, and both left and right-handed playing techniques depending on your child’s preference. By the end of the course, your child will be able to read through sheet music and understand musical notation, strum chords and single-note melodies from memory, and even play through a few entire songs.
New York Guitar Academy also offers an Absolute Beginner to Guitar: Classical & Flamenco Class for students ages 12-17. Every student will end the class with knowledge of multiple styles of playing under both the flamenco and classical umbrellas. Also, students will be able to play full solo guitar songs by utilizing five right-handed playing techniques: arpeggio, picado, pulgar, rasgueo, and tremolo. Students who complete the class will have the opportunity to perform at one of New York Guitar Academy’s biannual student shows to showcase their skills.
Children interested in songwriting or beatmaking could benefit from this Los Angeles City College class, Songcrafting: Drop the Beat! Whether you already play an instrument or not, any child from the ages of 11-17 is welcome in this five-week course. Throughout the five weeks, students will learn the basics of song structure, song arrangement, and working with music software. Once the class ends, students will have a complete song or beat that they can share with family and friends. Note that participation in this class requires a Soundtrap subscription, though one-month free trials are available.
Private Online Group Kids' Music Classes
CourseHorse can deliver live, kids’ music classes for private groups online. For team members of a business or organization with children, a kids’ music class could prove a fun way to come together outside of work.
CourseHorse will accommodate your team’s unique circumstances, so whether you and your team would rather sit back and observe your children at work or you’d rather be participating alongside them, you don’t need to worry. Simply reach out through this private event request form, and CourseHorse will get back to you within 24 business hours.
Booking with CourseHorse is convenient for multiple reasons. For example, there are no booking fees whatsoever, and group sizes can even be changed after booking. You’ll also receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of registration. And while Zoom is listed as the recommended platform of delivery, other platforms like Microsoft Teams or Google Meets can be accommodated if that’s more familiar to your workplace.
Online vs. In-Person Kids' Music Classes
Both online and in-person kids’ music classes have distinct advantages, though these might be a bit different than you may think. As with most online classes, one huge advantage that’s still the same is the convenience of being able to take a class from any location and save lots of time not needing to commute.
It may be trickier to get immediate feedback from an instructor in an online class, however. In-person classes offer the benefit of true hands-on instruction where you can see exactly how an instructor or fellow student is playing an instrument. Also, being able to play or sing in sync with an instructor or fellow students can be difficult, especially for participants with high audio latency.
In most cases, in-person classes offer the advantage of providing supplies for students. However, whether your child takes a music class online or in person, you’ll likely need to purchase your own instruments and other supplies so they can practice at home. Some exceptions may exist with the occasional piano or guitar class, for example, but expect to spend money on an instrument whether your child attends class in person or virtually.
Can I Learn Kids' Music for Free Online?
Your child can absolutely get started learning music online. There are thousands, if not millions of videos and tutorials on the internet that are free to use. However, you’ll still need your own instrument to take full advantage of online video instruction and content, and formal training or instruction from an expert musician still offers a way to improve faster and better than online, asynchronous content. If such online content is used to learn basic music theory initially, it could ease the transition into formal instruction and give your child a solid head start.