Meet Yenson, Fabienne, and their daughters Eva age 7 and Matilda age 3. They are from a lovely village in Cheshire not too far from Manchester in England. Eva is student in the Busy Kids Program while her mom, Fabienne is part of the Busy Moms program and just recently Matilda has tried out the preschooler program!
What’s your musical background?
I [Fabienne] actually have no musical background and I am pretty tone deaf! I didn’t consider I would be at all musical and didn’t have any further lessons than those that were mandatory at school. My husband introduced a piano to the house a year or so ago (his family are very musical and have a fantastic ear) so I looked for piano lessons for Eva. I thought the lessons provided by her school were too much of a commitment for someone just starting out who may not enjoy playing.
Anything fun or unique you’d like to share about your family?
We have just this evening returned from a very busy weekend in London having taken a trip down to meet our gorgeous new niece/cousin. Lots of sightseeing including trips on the river and a climb up Monument as Eva is about to study the great fire of London in school.
How do you structure piano lessons/practice for your family? Any tips to share?
We are currently following two courses through Busy Kids. Eva is loving her busy kids lessons and we try to have one lesson per week with her practicing the songs through the week. I also take the lessons with her to help her and also to learn myself. After about a year of lessons I am so amazed at how far we have progressed both with playing and reading music. My youngest Matilda has just had vouchers for Christmas for the preschoolers lessons. She has only had 1 lesson so far but it is pitched at just the right level and Eva is enjoying helping her play!
How did you learn about Busy Moms/Kids Do Piano?
When I found out about the cost of the school lessons I had a search online for lessons we could do from home. Busy Kids is the perfect solution for us. We can fit it in around our busy family life and I am amazed at how much we have been able to learn without having a teacher in the room.
Do you have any stories you’d like to share about your musical journey with piano lessons?
We all love the Busy Kids piano program. Eva is really progressing but the thing that has impressed me most is the resilience it has taught her. Early on when we started learning a new piece Eva would easily get frustrated and upset at how hard the piece was and would struggle to continue so we often had to take a break. Recently Eva has been learning a piece on her own (Hedgwig’s Theme). Although it is more difficult than any she has played previously she has been persevering and trying to learn it on her own (with Mrs Carly!). She has not been upset at all and has been coming back time and again to learn more. I am so proud!
What is your goal with having your child learn to play the piano?
We hope for Eva and, in time, Matilda to have another creative outlet through the piano. We can already see the confidence in her ability coming through and hope for her to be able to enjoy her new skill.
