Come for Classes
Leave with Inspiraiton
Wunder Academy serves the greater Houston area, providing professional piano pedagogy using iCap and Pianotopia.
Sherry Liu is an accomplished pianist with extensive experience spanning a number of countries.
Pianotopia is an effective method designed to teach piano to pre-school children ages 3 to 5. Basic music skills such as reading music, counting note values, learning different hand positions are introduced through pianotopia. We train your child's ear and build a great foundation for piano. Your child will expand his/her cognitive and literacy skills as well as individual creativity through early exposure to music.
What's iCap (Interactive Computer-Assisted Piano)
Students learn reading music, rhythm values, finger technique, proper hand position and playing music with varying degrees of difficulty etc. - all in interactive game-like lessons on a high-tech keyboard/computer at a learning station with assistance from an expert teacher.
|iCap is made possible through fun computer software on laptop computers attached to piano keyboards and headphones. In addition to playing numerous pieces of music with varying degrees of difficulty (beginner to advanced) presented on-screen on a grand staff, the students learn note values, finger technique, and proper hand position - all in a game-like environment.|
In addition to the aforementioned technological advantage, learning to play piano can be extremely beneficial to a young child for a number of physiological, mental, and emotional reasons:
- Students experience evaluation and tutoring from both the computer software and teacher in an exhilarating weekly class.
- Because instruction is individualized and conducted in small groups of students, an individual of one skill level can practice at the same time as another individual without having to worry about any distraction or hindrance of progress, allowing the students to concentrate on their own progress while still enjoying the encouragement of peers in the group.
- The history and theory behind each piece of music is taught on the software.
- A bird's-eye-view, live action video of a pair of hands playing the correct notes let's the students study the proper finger technique.
In fact, a study from researches at the University of California at Irvine validates the merits of piano lessons for children. The study, which took place over two years, found that 3- and 4-year-olds who were given weekly piano lessons for a year had improved their puzzle-solving skill by 34% over groups that had not received piano lessons. In addition, after just eight months of keyboard lessons, the children had shown a 46% boost in spatial IQ, a measure of a child's ability to mentally move 3D objects in space. As one scholar stated: "The theory is that exposure to music rewires sections of the brain...it develops parts of the sensory cortex dedicated to physical skills, like riding a bicycle or playing a musical instrument. These connections last a lifetime and are directly related to other skills we learn."
- It improves a young child's coordination skills because it requires both hands to independently maneuver the keys.
- It requires concentration, thus improving reading and enhancing memory skills.
- Learning to play piano raises self-esteem and fosters dedication, commitment, and a sense of pride.
- The program supervises and stresses practicing methods. As a result, students retain the habits of good practicing, enabling them to practice more efficiently outside of class.
What are the benefits students can receive from iCap training?|