Category: Announcements

Supporting Our Community This Winter

As we enter the final months of the year, Michelle Tuesday Music School is proud to announce our Season of Giving! It’s a three-month celebration of generosity, music, and community involvement. From November through January, MTMS will host events and promotions that reflect our commitment to our core values:

Collaboration ♪ Learning ♪ Creativity ♪ Community

This season, we’re putting special emphasis on Community, with a series of initiatives designed to give back and make music meaningful beyond the classroom.

November: Supporting GRIN and Welcoming the Community

Throughout November, 50% of all Music Sampler proceeds will be donated to GRIN (Gahanna Residents in Need), our local food pantry serving individuals and families in our community.

We’re also hosting our second annual Instrument Petting Zoo. It’s a two-hour open house that invites guests to explore a variety of instruments — from piano and rock band instruments to orchestral, band, and preschool instruments. MTMS instructors will be on hand to guide participants through brief, engaging mini-lessons designed to spark musical curiosity and connection.

December: Buy One, Give One

In December, we invite you to share the gift of music with someone you care about. Because for every 4-week Music Lessons Sampler purchased, customers will receive a free gift certificate for a second sampler. This Buy One, Give One offer makes it easy to introduce friends and family to music education while supporting the school’s mission of community enrichment.

January: Winter Benefit Concert for GRIN

Our Winter Benefit Concert will take place on Saturday, January 24, at St. Luke Lutheran Church. The concert will feature MTMS students performing selections they’ve been preparing throughout the season.

Admission is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food donation to support GRIN. This annual event highlights the generosity, talent, and spirit of our MTMS students and families while providing meaningful aid to those in need.

Music with Purpose

At Michelle Tuesday Music School, we believe that music is more than notes and rhythms. It’s a bridge that connects people. Our Season of Giving is an opportunity to strengthen those connections and celebrate what makes our community extraordinary.

For more information about these events or to purchase a 4-week Music Lessons Sampler, visit michelletuesday.com.

🧩 Kids on Kids’ Music: What Our Students Thought About the Children’s Music Theme

Last month in the Music Lab, our theme was Children’s Music — and our students had plenty to say!Last month in the Music Lab, our theme was Children’s Music.
Students listened to songs from TV shows and movies, learned about well-known artists like Ella Jenkins and The Wiggles, and explored what makes children’s music both fun and educational.

Here’s what they noticed and enjoyed most!

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🎧 What Students Heard

Olly C. recognized the popular song Baby Shark.

Wynn F. liked the instruments — pianos, guitars, and drums. He also liked the lyrics about TV shows and the fun dances.

Iris C. heard songs from TV shows and even a few that sounded like they came from the 1990s. She said Baby Shark reminded her of music for 3-year-olds.

Priya P. thought the songs were upbeat and fun.

Penelope H. noticed a mix of pop, rock, and calm songs. She thought they were funny and mostly from movies for younger kids.

Sebastian V. said that in the “Cows” song, the bridge was sung high, and the chorus sounded smooth.

Hayden C. said the songs sounded basic.

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🧠 What They Learned About Children’s Music

Noah G. discovered that The Wiggles have replaced many members over the years.

Kristofer S. learned that The Wiggles changed their logo in 1996. He also noted that music helps children with coordination and rhythm.

He added that Sandra Boynton has helped kids learn to count through music.

Aleksander S. observed that children’s music often includes audience participation, like easy actions or short phrases to repeat.

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🎶 The Sounds and Styles

Ava E. said most songs were fast, loud, and interactive. She liked the catchy rhythms.

Noelle C. remembered watching many of the shows featured. She said they were cartoons and that the singers sometimes used unusual voices.

Kalen liked the dancing, drums, acoustic guitars, and strings.

Ekam noticed that children’s music can be soft or very upbeat. He said it helps develop cognitive skills and creativity.

Marissa L. found Sesame Street songs nostalgic.

Sebastian V. (History) said kids’ music shouldn’t be overly simple, but should be easy to repeat.

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📚 Famous Figures and Fun Facts

Ava Eblin said children’s music supports math and reading skills. She learned that The Wiggles released a major children’s album and that Ella Jenkins was an influential artist.

Maddox noticed that instruments were often higher in pitch. Many songs were performed live instead of being animated.

Deven D. said music helps kids move better, socialize, and improve in math.

Milo M. liked the rhythms and said lots of people enjoy these songs.

Noelle C. also talked about a “cow song” that was slow so kids could hear the words clearly.

Anushka K. described simple melodies, bright colors, and songs that were easy to sing along with.

Nubung R. said the songs had easy rhythms, a good beat, and fun words to engage listeners.

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🌟 Music That Teaches and Connects

Owen S. remembered Ella Jenkins as one of the first famous children’s music artists. He also said music helps with everyday skills like math.

Christopher S. learned that Mr. Rogers was one of the first “neighborhood” show hosts and that kids’ songs can be very informative.

Penelope H. (History) said Ella Jenkins was the first to make a kid’s song and even did a collaboration with the person from Daniel Tiger. She also noted that The Wiggles have changed members several times.

Owen C. connected with songs from Phineas and Ferb and The Duck Song. He called the “Cows” song ridiculous.

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💬 Reflections from the Lab

From Sesame Street to The Wiggles and Baby Shark, our students saw how children’s music continues to evolve.
They noticed how these songs help with movement, learning, and memory—and how they’re still fun for kids of all ages.

That’s the magic of children’s music lessons: they teach, entertain, and inspire—often all at once.

What? Can you believe it’s been fifteen years? It’s a little hard to say, but wow have we come a long way in that time. To celebrate, we’re having an Open House on January 11 from 3-5pm.

MTMS is excited to be opening up the house for everyone. We’ve scheduled a raffle with great prizes, live music from staff and students, as well as activities and tours of our space.

Tickets for the raffle will be handed out to everyone who walks in the door – even babies. Signing up with reception gets more tickets and even more will be available for purchase. Prizes include a grand prize of one year of lessons at 2010 prices as well as free trial lessons, free one-month samplers, MTMS shirts and music books.

Live music from the staff and students will be a lovely background and a tribute to our commitment to music. Enjoy their skills and their passion for their instruments while you peruse our office.

If you enroll and pay during the event, you get $15 off every month for your first year of lessons. It’s a pretty amazing deal. Plus you’d get raffle tickets and the opportunity to play fun games and hear great music. The possibilities are endless. Can’t wait to see you there!

Percussion includes instruments that are struck, scraped, stirred, shaken, or spun. While the first thing that pops into my head is a drum, the above definition covers so many instruments I cannot name them all. Consider a xylophone, tambourine, maraca, as well as any style of drum.

Here is a cute quiz with several different percussion instruments. Plus there are more electronic beats on the opposite axis. Many percussion beats are made electronically these days.

Challenge for your student: look around the house and find your own percussion sounds. Actually, it’s so fun you might want to join in. My son told me tap dance is drumming with his feet – so let those beats come out.

MTMS has been investing in our community since we were established. It’s more than just music, though we do love music! Our charity of choice is GRIN – Gahanna Residents In Need.

We have two upcoming opportunities to help GRIN through MTMS. First, we have Lesson Samplers in November that will benefit GRIN. Second, we 0have our Winter Benefit Concert on February 1 where the entrance fee is one non-perishable food item for GRIN.

November Lesson Samplers are a great gift during the upcoming season. Give your loved ones a sampler and 50% goes to GRIN. Lesson Samplers are focused on a single instrument, a four-week course with one 40-minute lesson and lab session each week. A sampler is a great way to explore lessons for the first time or a new instrument. Bonus, if you continue lessons afterward we will waive the enrollment fee.

Another cool thing about a Lesson Sampler is that you can get it as a gift certificate for your favorite musician-in-training. The gift certificate can be redeemed on any instrument.

The Winter Benefit Concert will be held on 1 February. Students must sign up starting 2 January. All the non-perishable food items donated for attending the concert will be donated to GRIN. Earlier this year we donated 184.5 pounds of food! Plus it’s an amazing concert of our students showing off their skills and love of music.

Join us for both of these events and know we’re supporting our local community as well as our students’ music. We can’t wait to see you.