Vol. 2 Issue 4 | A PUBLICATION OF THE YOUNG MUSICIAN'S UNIVERSITY
THEO BLUE YMU STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
KINDNESS COUNTS
WITH LEDAVIAH TERRY
A P R I L
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The Young Musician's University
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IN THIS ISSUE
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
The Young Musician's University celebrates 19 years of Giving the Gift of Music to thousands of students through music education, after-school programming, summer camps, and community events! Thank you for reading The YMU Collective as we highlight YMU Students, Staff, and other subjects of interest. If you are a YMU student interested in contributing and being a part of the YMU Collective Team, please send me a message through the YMU Portal. I would love to speak with you and get your insight. Please know that you do not have to be a local student to participate, we will have virtual connect meetings to discuss upcoming events and content. I hope that you enjoy this publication of the YMU Collective!
Mrs. Gray Director, The Young Musician's University
4 YMU Student Spotlight Theo Blue
8 Twin Brother Making Musical Strides 11 YMU Instructor Releases a New Song A New Chapter
12 Kindness Counts Confessions of a Music Mom
14 YMU Alum Spotlight with LeDaviah Terry 3
THE YOUNG MUSICIAN'S UNIVERSITY
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Theo Blue CONGRATS!!
Our student spotlights recognize students who are exceptionally demonstrating growth and musically excelling. We are so grateful to be associated with these fantastic students and their supportive parents! Again, congratulations Theo! Keep up the great work!
ABOUT THEO "My name is Theo and I am 4 years old. I like candy - because every kid likes candy. I like to make up games and play them with my sister. What I like most about my piano class is the "Hello Song" and the "Goodbye Song". I like quarter rests and I like to play the bells in my piano class. I like storytime and I love my mommy and daddy and they love me!"
For this month’s Student Spotlight, I nominate Theo Blue. Theo is only 4 years old and he’s already a great pianist! He’s so energetic when he comes to class and he does a great job of retaining the information. Super inquisitive and intelligent, he’s always ready to ask a million questions! He’s also a great dancer and loves to bust out his moves when we sing the “Hello Song”.
~ Kierra Gray, YMU Instructor 4
My guitar IN ONE HAND
Confidence IN THE OTHER
YMU
CHRISTOPHER DAVIS - YMU INTRO TO PIANO 1B EMMELINE KRAMER - YMU GUITAR ESSENTIALS 1A LIAM WALLACE - YMU PIANO ESSENTIALS 2B KYLEE OTTO - YMU PIANO ESSENTILS 2C KYLIE GRACE - LITTLE MUSIC ESSENTIALS 2A TAMAR BLUE - YMU PIANO ESSENTIALS 2C 6
Mr. Jenkins - April 1st Joshua Adams - April 8th Tylin White - April 15th Emmeline Kramer - April 19th Israel Winns - April 29th *If your child's birthday is not listed, please contact the office so that we can add their DOB to their student profile.
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attending Ridge View High School. They have been students at The Young Musician's University since they were 4-yearsold and continue to make musical strides. Jaden and Joshua are the only freshmen on the Ridge View Wind Ensemble, which requires an audition to be selected and is the highest level concert band at their school. Jaden plays piano and percussion and Joshua is a percussionist in the ensemble. 8
TWIN BROTHER MAKING MUSICAL STRIDES
Twin brothers Jaden and Joshua Campbell are freshmen
The ensemble recently had an outstanding performance at their South Carolina Concert Performance Assessment, earning a Superior with Distinction rating, which is a perfect score! The Ridge View Wind Ensemble is one of a few bands to accomplish this in the 2A Classification and the only band to do this at the Lexington Site. Congratulations to the Ridge View Wind Ensemble! Their father, Mr. Campbell, said, "The advice I would give to any parent would be to support YMU staff in developing your child's musical interests. Treat it as a collaboration. Make sure that you listen to your child if they become frustrated and try to identify the source. Then work with your child and their instructor to find a way to work through it. Everyone will appreciate it. Also, spend time with your child as they practice and make it fun by providing some incentives if they reach their goals." He went on to say, "YMU has given our boys the opportunity to grow as musicians and pursue various musical opportunities. They have developed confidence in their ability to perform in front of various audiences. They've been able to branch out and learn to play multiple percussion instruments because of the firm musical foundation that has been developed at The Young Musician's University. At YMU, students have to audition to be in performances, and because of this, they are comfortable going to and preparing for auditions." Jaden and Joshua are doing a great job here at YMU in addition to their other musical endeavors, and we are so honored to be a part of their musical journey!
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"MUSICAL ABILITY IS NOT AN INBORN TALENT, BUT AN ABILITY WHICH CAN BE DEVELOPED. ANY CHILD WHO IS PROPERLY TRAINED CAN DEVELOP MUSICAL ABILITY JUST AS ALL CHILDREN DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO SPEAK THEIR MOTHER TONGUE. T HE POTENTIAL OF EVERY CHILD IS UNLIMITED."
-Shinichi Suzuki
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The Young Musician's University
www.ymunow.com
A New Chapter YMU Instructor, Kierra Gray, releases a new song called A New Chapter exclusively on YMU's Youtube Channel.
I recently wrote “A New Chapter” for a client’s son. Her son was getting married and she wanted me to write a personal wedding song for the Mother-Son dance. Her request was for the mood to be heartfelt and the tempo to be slow. So off to work I went! Before I begin writing a personalized song, I always read through all of the information given to me. Their relationship story, favorite memories, what they mean to them, any advice given/received, etc. This not only builds my understanding of the person gifting the song, but also the person receiving the song. It helps me know what they truly want to be said and reveals the main message. After reading through all of the details, I realized that she wanted to express gratitude to her son for changing her life, that she wanted to honor and celebrate this new chapter of his life, and that she also wanted to remind him that he still holds her heart and that she still wants to be a part of his story. I tried to keep all of that in mind throughout the writing, recording, and mixing process. From the lyrical content to the right tone and emotion when doing my vocal takes, those things were always on my radar. It's crazy to think about how much goes into creating a song before it's ever released. I hope you enjoy the final result! Shoutout to my Mrs. Gray for the accompanying video!!
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CONFESSIONS OF A MUSIC MOM Written by Mrs. Gray It's hard to believe that Kylie, my youngest child, will be starting kindergarten this fall. It seems like yesterday we were holding her as an arm baby, but now she's one year into her musical journey and on the verge of starting school. As you can imagine, I am experiencing all sorts of emotions as she embarks on this new journey. I am thinking, "What can I give her that will equip her?" And one of the things I feel is of importance is making sure that she understands the value and impact of kindness. Considering the rise in bullying, my husband and I want to make sure that we raise a kind child. In the eyes of some, this may be a minute detail, but kindness will always be impactful. However, it is not always Kylie's first response. I was reading an article and according to Kelli Harding, M.D., empathy is hardwired in us from birth through what's known as the mirror-neuron system. This means we intuitively feel what others feel. I can see this in the instances where my daughter has witnessed another child fall on the playground and she immediately shows empathy through her words and body language. Whereas empathy is in us from birth, developing compassion happens over time.
be kind!
It came full circle for me one evening having dinner with our family. Her grandfather knocked over his drink but was able to quickly grab it before making a larger spill. To the right of me, I heard my soon-to-be kindergartener's highpitched voice saying "Hahaha!" It caught me off guard for a moment. I thought to myself, "Is my toddler acting like a bully?" Her father and I quickly corrected her behavior and explained that you always treat others how you would want to be treated. We went on to say, "You wouldn't want someone to tease you, so you shouldn't do that to anyone else, let alone your grandpa. That was not kind." Kylie understood that her behavior was inappropriate and she apologized. I share this story because as a parent, I am not only teaching her to be a great musician. In the end, I want her to be a kind person. I want to be intentional about instilling values that will make her become the best version of herself!
KYLIE PICTURED WITH HER GRANDPA
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LEDAVIAH TERRY LeDaviah Terry was a YMU Student for 6 years and will be going into her senior year of High School this Fall. She joined YMU after her parents moved back to the United States from Korea. She is very artistic and while at YMU she was involved in piano, drums and musical theatre. It was always a joy to work with her!
"My best advice to YMU students is to never stop learning or dreaming, for the sky is the limit."
LEDAVIAH HAS RECENTLY BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES AS A RESIDENTIAL MUSIC STUDENT! LEDAVIAH SAID, "AS A FORMER STUDENT, I HAVE GAINED CONFIDENCE IN MY CRAFT, LEARNED TO NEVER STOP SETTING GOALS, AND STAY[ED] HUMBLE THROUGHOUT [THE] PROCESS."
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PLAY YMU Legacy features past GMG throwback videos of recitals, concerts, workshops and other GMG moments that are now a part of the YMU Legacy! Check out this YMU Legacy moment as students perform Hamilton's "The Schuyler Sisters". Enjoy a piece of YMU history!
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The Young Musician's University
In-Person or Online Instruction
1-844-YMU-NOW-1 803-728-3399 www.ymunow.com 17
Meet one of our LME Piano Students! Her name is Kylie and she's 4 years old. She loves to dance, sing and play the piano. MEET KYLIE
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music Essentials LITTLE
AWARD WINNING CURRICULUM
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
WEEKLY 30-MINUTE PRIVATE PIANO LESSON
INTERACTIVE GAMES
MATERIALS INCLUDE FLASH CARDS, MUSIC BAG AND LESSON BOOKS
IMAGINATIVE LIVE INSTRUCTION
music Essentials LITTLE
Little Music Essentials is a piano program designed for kids ages 4-6. We use an awardwinning curriculum comprised of singing, dancing, and ear training to foster your child's love for music! LEARN MORE
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The Young Musician's University
2003
2022
