How it all started...
The Music Box was established in 2001 by me Miriam Duncan.
I was brought up in a large, slightly quirky and very musical family. Both my parents are musical so music was a huge part of our daily lives. I started taking piano lessons at around 5 years old then took up violin and viola in junior school, then woodwind later on. I have 4 siblings and we all played different instruments in various youth orchestras, bands and sung in choirs. I have struggled with Dyslexia throughout my life but found that music was an area I could be totally free, able to create and perform without prejudice and where I excelled so it was a natural choice to use this as my career. With the added love of being around children and strong belief in the value of music in education, I set about creating The Music Box.
Whilst at university I taught piano lessons from home, at uni and in local schools to help pay my way through my studies. I also looked after a friends son one day per week, he suffered with a range of learning disabilities and struggled with what a lot of children would find easy, but he was very interested by music and loved it when I played the piano and sung with him. I tried a few different pre-school music classes but I wasn't particularly inspired by any of them for various reasons. They all had some good ideas but I felt there was something missing...so I decided to write my own curriculum. The classes have gone from strength to strength, after the birth of my daughter in 2009, I decided to complete further study on the effects of music on young children's academic, social, physiological and psychological development. This led me to create a curriculum specifically for babies and toddlers. This is how it all started...
I can now use my experience as a parent of 4 children to better understand how children think, learn and function in different ways. This has had a profound and positive effect on my approach to teaching, adapting a more holistic curriculum for our pupils. Music is not a destination, it is tool to teach so many other skills and develop a child's confidence and understanding of themselves.
The Music Box now has a comprehensive program of musicianship classes for children from birth to 18 years. We work with schools, pre-schools and nurseries offering everything from workshops and teacher training to full class curriculum music teaching. We run singing groups, choirs, orchestras and bands both in secondary and primary schools and in the community. Our policy it that music should be available for all children to access and benefit from.
The Music Box has grown from just myself teaching alone with a handful of children, to a team of 7 teachers working together, sharing experience and expertise to provide our pupils with the best possible musical education.
What we offer...
Baby, Toddler and Pre-school Music Classes
Our unique program of themed weekly classes for children ages 3 months to 5 years includes; singing, dancing, real instruments, music reading, puppetry, stories and sensory time with bubbles, feathers and lights and lot of fun!! Both parents and children alike will enjoy special creative time to explore music and will provide the perfect foundations to go on to learn any instrument.
Key Stage 1 Musicianship Classes
This range of classes is specifically designed for children age 4-8years (Foundation - Year 2). The curriculum is written to introduce the children to tuned and untuned percussion, orchestral instruments and written music. The children learn to sing, experiment with sounds, compose and perform music through fun games and activities.
Schools Classroom Teaching
Our team of qualified and experienced teachers works with primary and secondary schools across Hull and East Riding to improve music education. From teacher training, music workshops to instrumental tuition, classroom music teaching or running a choir or orchestra we work with a school to solve help meet the individual schools music needs.
Community Choirs
Leven Young Voices is a small friendly community choir currently for 7-11 year olds. We meet once a week and the children learn to sing everything from Disney arrangements and Pop to Musical Theatre, Gospel and Jazz a in a fun but safe environment. Due to its success in Leven we intend in 2015 to start similar choirs in Beverley and Driffield.
Instrumental Tuition
We are engaged with a multitude of schools across Hull and East Riding from Foundation level to KS4. We offer high quality group and individual instrumental tuition in Vocals, Piano, Keyboard, Strings, Woodwind and Percussion. More...
Music Parties
If your looking for something a little bit different for your childs birthday why not have a music party? We offer 'Music and Sensory' parties for babies and toddlers, 'Themed Music' parties for children ages 3-7 and 'Pop Star' parties for older children. We can come to your own home or a venue of your choice and provide a structured and entertaining party.
Shop
Puppets, bubbles, lights, scarves and percussion instruments are all available to purchase through our on-line store.
More...