Music for children

Individual tuition
Musical Bumps
Mini-Music
Suzuki Violin
Orchestras
Opera and Choir
Saturday Clubs
Concerts
Harp Groups

Hindhead has tutors who specialise in teaching the young and the very young, including the Suzuki violin system for those who choose it. All tuition is one-to-one, although group playing is encouraged, we find that no two people will learn at exactly the same rate or have exactly the same problems, so even though it is more expensive to have private tuition, the pupil will in fact move at his own pace and therefore it is cheaper in the long run and infinitely more successful.

Normally pupils will arrange to have one lesson a week of half an hour, during term time. Sometimes longer lessons may be arranged, especially for advanced players, but one needs to remember that the practice time at home is paramount and two or three lessons a week are pointless if the home practice is not done between lessons.

Fees: £222 per term for 10 lessons.

Click here for our guide on when to start learning, and how to choose and buy an instrument.

Musical Bumps is a weekly class for toddlers (with a parent). The age range is roughly 18 months to 3 years. It introduces small children not only to singing nursery rhymes, also to Beethoven and Mozart; rhythm and movement. They also 'play' the harp and the violin or cello each week, thus they see how we make music by playing instruments - it's not something which happens when you turn the knob on a TV set! Classes are on Friday mornings, for forty minutes.

Fees: £50 per term for 8 sessions.

Mini-Music for 3 to 7 year olds. This is a general introduction to music, in which the children are introduced to a different instrument of the orchestra each week. They hear it played, see how it works, have a go themselves and draw a picture of it to take home. They learn about composers and their music, they learn the beginnings of playing the recorder and reading and writing music, and much more. It is an invaluable course for children to discover that music is fun, and it gives them the opportunity to choose which instrument they might like to learn to play. Most children seem to have a special akinship to one instrument, which more than often is one towards which they seem to have a natural ability.

Fees: £50 per term for 8 sessions.

We have specialist Suzuki trained violin teachers who offers tuition to the very young. Remembering that Dr. Suzuki's philosophy was that children learn to speak the mother tongue by listening to their parents, (Chinese children speak perfect Chinese, French children speak perfect French! etc.) thus equally they can learn to play the violin by listening, long before they are able to read music. - just as we learn to pronounce language before we read it. So very young children learn to play be ear, and then follow up with sight-reading when they make a beautiful sound and play in tune. 'Suzuki' has a bad reputation as some say they can never sight-read, but nobody learns to read a language until they can pronounce the words, ditto in music. Regular group playing is an important part of the system, when all the young violinists meet to play together, and play musical learning games, and hear each other perform the pieces they will be learning. There is great value in these groups and at Hindhead they are more or less an essential part of learning to play the violin at an early age. The groups at Hindhead are on Saturday mornings, as advertised in our termly calendar.

Mini-Strings is for children aged about 5 to 9 years, who are preparing towards Grade 1. It is a delightful group of violinists and cellists, who meet every Saturday at 11.15 am. They learn not only to sight-read, but to listen to each other, follow a beat, become part of a complete 'sound' and have the fun, pride and joy of playing together.

Surrey Strings is for children aged from 7 to 13 and grade 4 to 7. They are a really proficient little orchestra of about 25 string players. their conductor, Jo Hughes-Chamberlain (who also conducts the Mini-Strings) has an infectious way of passing on her great enthusiasm and passion for music to her young players. The present repertoire includes music by Verdi, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Vaughan-Williams etc. This group meets on Saturdays, from 1.30 - 2.30 pm.

Fees: Free to all!

About 45 children aged 6 to 14 make up this wonderful group who love to sing. They cover a wide variety of music, from African tribal songs to Mozart and Schubert, and to modern opera. They have performed children's operas on stage, and sing traditional and folk music. They meet on Saturdays at 12.00 noon. Edward Reeves is the inspiring Choir master. Anyone may join who loves singing and of course can sing in tune. There is no charge. It is one way that the Hindhead Music Centre feels it can encourage a love of music in the young without any expense for parents.

Fees: Free to all!

Hindhead Hill is alive with the sound of music on Saturdays. Besides the normal individual tuition, there are theory classes for all grades, Violin Groups, Harp Groups, Orchestras, Choir, Concerts and much more.

Fee: Free to all!

We hold regular concerts for children to perform to their peers, their parents and friends. Many of the teachers hold their own pupils' concerts, and there is a "Beginners' Concert", a "9's and Under Concert", and various other events which encourage children to share their music, and in the art of performance. Click here for more details.

Groups of children are often asked to give concerts at local venues such as old peoples' homes, etc. which we consider a valuable experience for all concerned.

Fees: we ask for a voluntary contribution to cover costs.

There are two groups of young harpists who meet at regular intervals to play together. They play music arranged for massed harps, and the Advanced Group perform at concerts and receptions all over the Home Counties, and also visit Care Homes and hospitals at fairly regular intervals. They have played to royalty and at the Proms in the Park. The ages range from 6 to 18 years, and altogether total over 20 players, some have small folk harps and other have large concert harps.

Fee: Free to all!