Musical Intelligence

As the world moves from the Information Age into the Conceptual Age, developing one’s creativity becomes just as important as learning to read and write. For those seeking to enrich their musical lives, Shanghai offers an array of studios that will surely keep you pitch perfect and on beat.

Jitterbugs Music

Playtime is not just for the babies anymore. Jitterbugs Music welcomes mothers, fathers and ayis to join infants and toddlers up to four years old as they experience music for the first time. The group sings, dances and plays with musical toys to teach the little ones how to express themselves. The playgroup began as a fun way for parents to bond with their children while also meeting other expatriates within Shanghai. For those interested, Jitterbugs Music offers 45 minute classes and meets Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with venues in Puxi, Pudong and Hongqiao.

Tel: 135 6454 0084. Web: www.jitterbugsinshanghai.com. Email: [email protected]

Music with Grace

"The goal is to bring fun to students," says Grace Zhou, founder of Music with Grace. In 2008, she created the studio to reach out to expatriates and Chinese who wish to enjoy music lessons rather than bear the immense pressure of passing a musical exam that often comes with the Tiger Mom mentality. In order to achieve this goal, Music with Grace customizes each individual syllabus according to what piques the student's interest. In addition to piano, the studio offers classes for the drum, violin, guzheng, guitar, flute, trumpet, cello and clarinet. Students from age four to adult are welcome.

1199 Fuxing Zhong Lu. Tel: 1361 1987 038. Web: www.musicwithgrace.com. Email: [email protected]

Piano Wizard at Sandiano Music School

For all those parents who wish that their children would love piano lessons as much as they love playing video games, there’s good news. Sandiano Music School is the only school in town to offer the highly addictive video game class ‘Piano Wizard’. Designed for millennially-minded musicians, the video game tutorial is already gaining popularity amongst piano students/gamers throughout Shanghai. In each 50-minute lesson, students work to improve their sight-reading, rhythm, fingering and technique in order to gain passage to the next level. The program features all the technological bells and whistles necessary to convince children of its fun-factor, in addition to the university educated piano teachers who give proper direction and appease the parents. Piano students rejoice!

23F, Lane 600, 2 Tianshan Lu. Tel: 6208 0435. Web: www.sandianoschool.com. Email: [email protected]

Theatre Arts at Kids Elements

Is your child a show-tunes loving, boogie-woogie, melodramatic machine? If so, Kids Elements has just the class to hone your child’s innate talent for the Broadway stage. The primary focus of ‘Theatre Arts’ is to develop children’s confidence through the theatrical elements of speech, drama, music and dance. Kids Elements offers an encouraging and creatively rich environment that prides itself in helping children build their confidence without the pressure to be perfect. “At first, kids cry onstage because they are scared to make a mistake, but after, they grow up and realize there’s no reason to be shy,” says Leanne Liang, administration manager at Kids Elements. Through ‘Theatre Arts’, children will receive months of ample preparation for the big end-of-term production, which is held at a professional theatre to boot. With training this good, your child will be winning that Tony in no time.

Tel: 6295 3281. Web: www.kidselements.net. Email: [email protected]

Young Singers Boot Camp at JZ School

One of the most popular music schools in town, JZ School is offering a new program this fall term to help aspiring pop singers hone their craft by becoming well-rounded musicians. Run by Anthony L Smith, an experienced musician and vocalist who has performed professionally with legendary bands The Beastie Boys and Steel Pulse, the ‘Young Singers Boot Camp’ will cover the basics of technique, stage craft and practical music theory. Students will also develop a Motown and contemporary pop repertoire. Ben Denton, director of JZ School, emphasizes that it is not choir training, but a holistic approach to becoming a performing artist. The boot camp is a 90 minute class offered to students ages 12 – 16.

12 Wukang Lu, near Hunan Lu. Tel: 5403 6475. Web: www.jz-school.com. Email: [email protected]