Crosshaven Music Studio

27/03/2026

What is practice?

“Just go practise that” 🎵
It’s something we say all the time…but what does practice actually mean?
A lot of adults and children have some misconceptions about practice
A common one:
practice = playing the piece from start to finish
And when that doesn’t improve… it feels frustrating. Or pointless.
But in reality, there are three completely different skill sets involved in learning music:

🎶 Playing
This is when you PLAY- improvise, make things, up, play the music any way you want. Make musical stories. Play through your pieces in any way that is fun. There is a natural playful flow as in any type of play. It doesn't have a specific goal and is completely self fulfilling- you don't need to get anywhere, the journey is the fun! It's very important for kids to do this kind of play on their instrument regularly.

🎯 Practising
Practice is slower. Messier. More repetitive.
It might look like:
-stopping after one bar
-doing something 5 times in a row
- fixing just one tiny detail
It's task orientated and involves a lot of executive functioning skills. The fun in practicing comes from seeing improvement, from achieving goals, from getting somewhere!… but it’s where confidence is built.

✨ Performing
This is something else again.
This is about sharing, communicating, and keeping going no matter what. No stopping. No fixing. Just trusting what you’ve built in your play and practice.

—
When children don’t understand the difference, they often:
- rush through everything
- avoid the tricky bits
- may end up feeling like they’re “bad” at music because their "practice"(which they confuse with play) is not working.
But really… they just haven’t been shown how to practise.
This is a huge life skillset: Learning how to break something down, stay with a challenge, and improve it step by step…
That goes far beyond music. Being your child's practice buddy can be a huge investment in their growth and resilience and the skills they learn will apply to all the challenges they face later in life. So worth it!

27/03/2026

🎵You don’t need to be “musical” to raise a musical child 🎵

This is something I say to parents all the time, because I see the helplessness some can feel around supporting their child's home practice.

You don’t need to read music.
You don’t need to have played an instrument.
You don’t even need to sing “well” or in tune.

What your child learns from you has very little to do with your musical skill…and EVERYTHING to do with your relationship to music.

They’re watching things like:
Do you enjoy music?
Are you open to trying?
Do you laugh when things go wrong?
Do you treat mistakes as normal… or something to avoid?

Because here’s the thing—children don’t copy expertise. They copy energy. If music feels relaxed, playful, and part of everyday life at home, they absorb that. If it feels like pressure, or something you have to get “right”, they absorb that too.

One of the most powerful things you can do?
Let them see you try something you’re not good at.
Sing along to the radio. Tap a rhythm. Mess it up. Laugh.
That moment—right there—is where resilience begins.
Not in perfection. Not in "talent"(very overrated). But in playfulness. We learn so much faster through play! Since the beginning of recorded history, music was always a bonding experience! both intra-personally and inter-personally. No perfection needed.

20/03/2026

Musical Creativity! you don't need much to be creative and create music that feels good to you and others around you.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

16/01/2026

Many Ways to Grow Music at Home (That Don’t Feel Like Practice!)

Creating a musical home doesn’t have to mean turning your living room into a practice room. Some of the most meaningful musical moments happen in small, simple, everyday ways.

Here are just a few gentle ways to invite music into family life:
- Play music in the background
Morning routines, cooking dinner, car journeys, bedtime wind-downs — Music can be a great tool in curating a flow in your day!
- Sing together — anywhere
In the car, in the kitchen, in the shower, or during tidy-up time. Silly voices welcome. Play with the songs: How would the cat sing that song? How would the dog sing it?
- Karaoke nights at home
YouTube has endless backing tracks. Great birthday activity/special event.
- Turn household items into instruments
Pots, wooden spoons, shakers made from rice in a jar — instant rhythm section. Or try to create an instrument at home as a craft project. There are lots of tutorials online.
- Let your child DJ sometimes
Give them a turn choosing the music. Ask them why they like a song.
- Musical stories and picture books
Stories about composers, instruments, or characters who love music can spark curiosity.
- Five-minute “sound exploration” at the piano or instrument: create a stormy soundscape, or music to put a baby to sleep.
- Go to live music when you can
Library events, school concerts, local gigs, community choirs — seeing real people make music is incredibly inspiring.
- Move to music together
Dancing in the kitchen absolutely counts as musical development.

None of this has to be perfect, structured, or scheduled. These little moments build a sense that music belongs in everyday life — not just in lessons or on a stage.
And that’s where a lifelong love of music really begins. 💛

— Alice

16/01/2026

Dear Parents: You Are Your Child’s Most Important Music Teacher 🎶

One of the most powerful influences on a child’s musical journey doesn’t come from their piano teacher, their school, or even their instrument. I only have a student for 20-40mins a week, 36 weeks of the year. That's 12 to 24 hours a year depending on the length of the lesson. Very little!
The real influence comes from you.

And here’s the good news — you don’t need to sing in tune, read music, or play an instrument “properly” to be a wonderful musical role model.
What matters most is something much simpler: that your child sees you trying.

When children see parents hum, tap along to a song, sing in the car, or sit beside them at the piano and explore sounds together, they learn something far more important than notes and rhythms. They learn that music is part of everyday life — not something you have to be “good at” to enjoy.

💛 What children learn when parents make music (imperfectly and bravely):
• It’s safe to try new things
• You don’t have to be perfect to participate
• Learning is something we do for life, not just in school
• Mistakes are part of the fun, not something to avoid
• Music is about connection, not performance

Your presence, curiosity, and willingness to join in — even awkwardly — can be the difference between a child who “does lessons” and a child who feels music as a living, joyful part of their world.
— Alice

04/01/2026

🎶 Spaces Available – Group Piano & Music Initiation Classes

Hello everyone! Just a little update to let you know that I currently have spaces available in some of my group piano classes and music initiation (Music Explorer) classes in Crosshaven.

All classes are play-based, engaging, and carefully structured, supporting musical development, confidence, listening skills, and creativity in a relaxed, joyful way.

🎵 Music Initiation / Music Explorer Classes
📍 Tuesdays – Crosshaven National Boys School
1.30 – 2.00: Junior Infants & Senior Infants
2.00 – 2.30: 4–6 year olds (children attend independently)
2.30 – 3.00: 1st & 2nd Class
3.30 – 4.00: Toddlers with parent/guardian
4.00 – 4.40: Preschoolers with parent/guardian
These classes are based on Music Learning Theory and focus on singing, movement, rhythm, and musical play in a way that supports children’s overall learning and brain development.

🎹 Group Piano Classes – Thursdays
3.40 pm – potential new group forming
5.50 pm – potential new group forming

Group piano classes are a lovely way for children to learn together, build motivation, and develop strong musical foundations in a social setting.

If you’re curious, have questions, or would like to secure a spot, feel free to message me here or get in touch directly:
📧 [email protected]
📱 WhatsApp: 085 250 8656

Thanks so much for your continued support — I absolutely love working with the kids and families in the community and I’m really looking forward to the term ahead 💛🎶
— Alice

10/12/2025

The Science Behind Group Piano Learning for Early Beginners

Why start with group piano? 🎹
Because children thrive when they learn together! Research in music education and child development consistently shows that young children learn best in rich, social, movement-based environments — exactly what group piano provides.
Here are a few evidence-backed benefits:

- Enhanced rhythmic accuracy & timing
Studies in ensemble learning demonstrate that playing with others strengthens a child’s internal pulse and rhythmic coordination far more effectively than solitary practice.

- Improved auditory processing & musical understanding
Gordon's Music Learning Theory and related research highlight that audiation (inner hearing) develops more fully when children engage in call-and-response, echo patterns, and group musical interactions.

- Higher motivation & persistence
Behavioural research shows that peer-supported learning environments increase motivation, confidence, and resilience. Children are more willing to experiment, make mistakes, and take creative risks when learning alongside others.

- More holistic cognitive development
Group music-making supports attention, memory, social-emotional skills, and the integration of movement, listening, and pattern recognition — key foundations for later instrumental technique.

Bottom line: group piano is not “less serious.” It is developmentally aligned, research-supported, and often the best possible start for young beginners.
If you’d like more details about group classes in the studio, feel free to message me. 🎶💛

05/12/2025

How to Practice Effectively

This short video has some great pointers on good practice habits. Learning an instrument involves learning how to learn and this skillset is a huge benefit of musical education. ❤️

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-practice-effectively-for-just-about-anything-annie-bosler-and-don-greeneMastering any physical skill takes...