Owner Rosalie Baxter Interviewed
Rosalie Baxter (B.Music/B.Education UNSW) is the Owner/Manager of The Music Lounge retail store and education centre in Mona Vale, established in 2005.
A flute player, conductor, instrumental teacher and Kindermusik Educator, she has performed with City of Sydney Wind Ensemble for many years and is currently a member of the Northern Beaches Symphonic Wind Ensemble.
Rosalie taught at Pittwater College of Music in Mona Vale for several years and was Principal of the College in 2004. She loves working with children and was a Kindermusik Educator with two other studios before establishing her own program in 2005.
O M: What is your impression of the music scene on the Northern Beaches for children and adults?
R B: It really impresses me how many school programs there are in the Northern Beaches compared to other areas in Sydney. Most schools have an established music program, a school band, a string program. There is high saturation of musicians in the local area. It’s a creative area generally. There is a focus on the local community. People have called it the “Insular Penisula”.
Often people stop playing music when they finish school. Luckily, here on the Northern Beaches, there are many opportunities for adults to continue their musical education.
O M: The Music Lounge offers quite diverse resources to the Northern Beaches.
R B: I see The Music Lounge primarily as an education centre. That education covers the pre-school program Kindermusik to adult lessons and ensembles.
Our Manly: How does The Music Lounge cater to the adult musician?
Rosalie Baxter: We are a great networking resource. Lots of people come in looking for information, local music teachers, other people to play music with. Because I am in touch with local organizations, musicians and teachers I can make referrals.
Because we specialize in print music, people often come in looking for books to help them get back into playing or start from scratch. There are lots of ways people can learn to play music these days. There are books with CD’s and DVD’s. It’s not necessary to have a teacher anymore.
O M: Are older students ever hesitant or embarrassed about learning as adults?
R B: Yes, they are sometimes. They feel like it is something that they are doing for themselves. While they see musical education for kids as important, adults see it as a bit of a luxury for themselves.
People understand that if they have had a stressful day at work they can come home and play or listen to music and it relaxes them. Musical therapy is rewarding, especially for disabled people or the elderly. Music is therapeutic for everybody. Watch a video on the Sydney Symphony»
O M:
Kindermusik is just an awesome program for introducing musicality to children. Tell me about it.
R B: Kindermusik is a worldwide program based in the US that has been around a very long time. I’ve never found anything that compares to it. It gives children a head start before they learn to play a musical instrument. For children who learn an instrument in school at age 7, they may have never been encouraged to sing, they may have never heard music at home, and their parents may have no confidence in trying to teach them anything about music. Kindermusik teaches them appreciation of music, they learn basic musical concepts. By the time they pick up an instrument in class, they are not starting from scratch.
O M: Kindermusik also encourages cognitive and emotional development?
R B: Definitely. Kindermusik's aim is to develop the complete child. They have full-time researchers developing the program for children all over the world. Although Kindermusik uses music and movement as a tool to give children a musical experience and the opportunity to bond with their parents, it’s designed to develop children in all areas. There are activities that help with language, cognitive, social and emotional development. We find children with special needs, or who may be slower than other children to start talking, are greatly benefitted. A core philosophy of Kindermusik is that every child is inherently musical.
O M: What is the most common mistake of beginner musicians or their parents?
R B: Children need to enjoy the instrument they are playing. They are much more likely to be successful if they like the instrument before they start to learn to play it. Some children like harmony, others respond to rhythm. There are quite successful tests used to determine which sounds a child relates to best and what the most suitable instrument is.
There are heaps of cheap instruments out there that spend most of the time in the repair shop being fixed. The child may struggle to learn on a cheap instrument. It is better to buy a good brand secondhand than a cheap instrument new.
O M: What is a hidden gem, an underappreciated program on the Northern Beaches people should know more about?
R B: The Northern Beaches Youth Orchestra is a community orchestra for local kids conducted by Steven Williams, who is very well regarded in the education community. They will perform with the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra as part of Manly Council’s 2008 ‘Christmas Choral Concert’ spectacular at Manly Oval.
the music lounge is located at:
shop 5
1751 pittwater rd (cnr waratah st)
mona vale
the music lounge can be contacted on:
- ph +61 (0)2 9999 0748
- fax +61 (0)2 9999 0724
google map
This Interview
was conducted by
Paul Oscar Hamilton