Classes are forming now in South Pasadena for KinderPiano for Little Fingers ®. The program launches preschoolers through first graders into musical instrument studies. Susan Pascale, director of the Pascale Music Institute (formerly the South Pasadena Strings Program), discovered through years of experience that the perfect age to start youngsters on piano is 3 ½ or older.

The five-week class session, Pascale explains, is just enough time to assess a child’s readiness to begin musical studies and lay the groundwork for success. “After five weeks, most children are ready to take higher levels of KinderPiano, or private lessons. Some children, however, might take 3 to 6 months off before resuming lessons again.

KinderPiano classes are small. Each child sits at a keyboard, with a parent alongside them. They learn basic piano skills, including listening, rhythm, form, and simple note-reading.

At the conclusion of the series, there is a recital “There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the looks on the parents’ faces when their child is going in front of an audience for the first time,” says Pascale. “My daughter bowed backwards at her first recital to an audience of seniors “. These are priceless moments.”

At her institute, Pascale adds, “KinderPiano is a prerequisite for youngsters who want to play strings. Many of our KinderPiano graduates will then start on violin.” Pascale has developed a Galamian –based violin method for children as young as 4 ½. Her books are distributed by Alfred Music Publishing.

“What I’ve found is the kids who studied piano before strings were more successful at a string instrument than those who didn’t. They have developed the brain pathways for learning music, and then are ready to tackle the more difficult physical challenges of the violin.”

Pascale is also the director and conductor of the award-winning Los Angeles Children’s Orchestra, which has 60 children ages 6 through 12 as well as a Chamber Orchestra for advanced older kids. The high-level orchestras routinely win top honors at competitions and festivals and have been featured on regional and national television. They set a world record as the youngest orchestra ever to perform at Carnegie Hall. “One of the reasons for the success of our orchestra program is starting kids young with KinderPiano,” says Pascale.

Each KinderPiano session includes 5 Saturday morning classes followed by a recital. The next session will begin on October 18th. The cost is $175 per class (including all books and materials). Keyboards for home use are available for rent or rent to buy. Call (626) 403-4611 for more information or go to http://stringsprogram.com/product-category/music-classes/.