Music at the Brain at GBDS

This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.

The Music and the Brain program started in NYC with the goal of using technology to teach basic piano skills to children in a group setting. Since becoming the first Jewish Day School in New Jersey to implement this program in 2018, Academies at GBDS has built a successful program led by music teacher Eniat Pinkser which has not only survived, but thrived, through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although adjusting to the pandemic was difficult, Mrs. Pinsker believes that the nature of the program and the different training sessions provided by Music and the Brain were what allowed the Academies at GBDS music program to function during a time when most schools not only removed specials from their schedules but were completely remote. The nature of the program makes it easy for students to learn distanced from one another and even from at home; according to Mrs. Pinsker “each student gets their own keyboard, their own headphones, and they practice by themselves, at their own pace and with no pressure.” This program allows for students to play piano, learn music theory, and build a love for music in a fun and engaging way while not being worried about their individual skill level. Music and the Brain has over 5,000 engaging lessons and features for students of all ages; each aspect of the program can be tailored by the teacher to meet the needs of each student.

For this to work effectively, however, the educators teaching with this program must be properly trained. Music in the Brain offers tri-annual seminars and a variety of remote training sessions. Mrs. Pinsker greatly enjoys attending these training sessions to learn new ways in which she can use the program to best help her students succeed, stating: “since the pandemic I’ve had 4 or 5 sessions... they have changed their curriculum into remote learning and the trainings help teachers who don’t use [technology] as well to adjust.” These training sessions, in addition to the individually collaborative nature of the Music and the Brain program reveals a success story about how the program has successfully survived and thrived in a global pandemic.

In addition to teaching young students music through COVID-19, Mrs. Pinsker is particularly inspired by the success of one young student through the Music in the Brain program. Shlomo, who was diagnosed with Childhood apraxia of speech (a rare condition that made it difficult for him to speak and process sounds) when he was younger, reluctantly started the Music in the Brain program when he was in the 4th grade. According to Mrs. Pinkser, “Shlomo was exempt from music classes because to him music was simply a noise.” Before he began the program, Shlomo would cover his ears every time he heard the sound of music. After he began to use Music and the Brain everything changed. Over time, he began to “understand the logic between reading the notes and the sounds that they make, falling in love with the music” Now, in 6th grade, the keyboard is “no longer his enemy, it is now a tool for him to express himself with.” Shlomo, to great surprise of his parents and despite his condition, made huge progress over time and is developing into a talented musician due to the Music and the Brain program and the hard work of Mrs. Pinsker.

By Joshua Shuster

This post is an advertorial piece contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local brand partner. To learn more, click here.