Interview: N Fort’s and N Fluke’s Parents

Why did you choose music for your children?
I would like them to have a good development for their attention and calmness. I also want them to be able to play an instrument.

Do they play music as a hobby?
Yes, they do actually and they also take it seriously because they want to be able to do their best in whatever they set out to do.

What do you have plan for their music education in the future?
We are quite casual about it. Although I do want them to do their best, not just give up whenever they feel like. It would be a shame.

So the children are happy with their classes?
They are, very much. They enjoy the class and they are determined to do well.

How do you hear about Aime’ Musique?
The institute is near where we live. I drove pass it one day. Then, I discussed with their father about enrolling them here. Though the institute is quite new, but we figured that it would be convenient. So we stopped by and asked for more information for our decision. Then we thought we would let them try out some classes to see if they enjoy it.

What was your first impression?
I was very impressed especially with the teachers here. They have good teaching techniques. Not only they teach music but they teach them what is good and not good for the children as well.

What was their development after attending classes here?
I noticed that they have better attention. They are calmer and more careful when doing things. They used to be loud and hot-headed but it all changed now.

How do you manage their time and how do you show them support?
They must love what they do first. Once they do, they would give it a hundred percent. I always tell them how important music will be for them in the future. I am a grown up; I need to reassure them. If they get to spend time with music often, they will just absorb it in. Float started out not caring about piano at all, but after awhile it kind of became a part of him. He would practice during weekends, play games, or read comics. It is like we gave him one other thing he can enjoy, other than games and cartoons.

Does this mean he is starting to enjoy playing music?
Yes, he does and he got his brother familiar with his piano’s sound. Now his brother wants to learn piano too. Fluke kept asking me when I would bring him in to a class too. Eventually I did and he is now a student here too.

Do the practice hours tire them? How do you support them?
I usually tell them that their effort means a lot, as long as they keep trying. They only need to be patient. They already have gone through it, so I am sure they can overcome any obstacle they are facing.

Do you or your husband have knowledge in music?
No, not at all because we never had the opportunity. Honestly, this is why I keep telling them that such an opportunity does not happen to everyone. Our kids see other kids here are taking class too but they don’t know that other people outside of this school do not have this chance. I always remind them that this is a good opportunity and they should do their best.

Interview: N Poon’s Parents

Why do you choose music for your children?
I think music is very important. It really elevated the mind. It makes my son calmer and allows him to be more creative.

How did you hear about us?
We saw the school when we moved to this village. I chose Aime Musique because firstly it is close and convenient. Secondly, I feel that the teachers and staffs here are very sincere and the place feels very homely.

What is your impression with Aime Musique?
Since the first time that I came in to ask for course information, the teachers suggested that I should let my kid explore to find out what they like to learn. I was impressed with the approach. The second time was during the period that my son got to try various instruments. These past 3 years has been a good experience for him.

How has Aime Musique been able to respond to your expectation?
I think my son has lots of fun coming to class here. He doesn’t feel forced except the practice part *laugh. He is very active when he knows he is going to music class. I think there must be something fun in the class, which is why the kids look forward to it so much. Now, my son is 12 years old. He is preparing for a Mathayom 1 entrance examination, so I cut down many tutoring classes. However, he wants to keep the violin lesson and he also wants to add electric guitar class. Well, I think this all answer your question very well.

How do you plan to support him musically?
I think we will just let it all takes its own course. If he has all this skills and it is his happiness, it will stay with him forever.

Has there been any apparent development after he had class with us?
Firstly, he is quite disciplined now. He knows that he needs to practice after class. I think he likes his teachers, too; so he obediently follows his teacher’s instruction. Secondly, he has grown musically. Now he can read notes and play other music instruments as well. I think it is really beyond my expectation.

Interview: N Perth’s and N Palmy’s Parents

What do you think is important about learning music?
It is important to children’s emotional development, and I wanted them to be able to play one instrument. I think music can soften their minds.

What kind of instruments are they playing?
They both are taking piano lessons.

Why do you choose music for them instead of academic tutor?
They are doing ok at school already. There is nothing to be worried academically. I feel that that they should spend their weekends with something they enjoy, which is actually piano.

How did you hear about Aime’ Musique?
I heard about it from my sister because her kid is a student here too. Nong Mink (a friend) recommended this school as well. So there were these two pieces of information recommending the same place, so I came here.

What was your first impression with Aime Musique?
It is definitely the school’s environment; it feels very homey. They can get out of the house and learn something they enjoy, and in a good environment too. The best thing is to know that they are happy to be here.

How do they feel after they had some classes?
Perth just told me that he likes it and he will keep working on it.

: What has been an obvious development after taking music lesson?
From what I learned about the effect of music to the mind, I would see Perth turn to his piano every time he gets upset. He would play it for awhile and he would become more relax. I think it helps a lot emotionally. He is calmer and more peaceful. Apart from the emotion development, we can see that he can focus better in whatever he does. Rather than spending all his time on video games, he now spends some of his time with music. Once he plays some music, his sister would want to play too. So they spend less time with video games and more time with music.

Have they ever felt discouraged when they cannot play a song?
They do some times. I would tell them to be patient. Once we pass this, when we look back it would all be very easy. I would tell them to focus and take it easy. If they struggle, they can take a break. Sometimes, he would take a break and teach his sister and he would think “Hey, I am ok actually. I can do this. I can teach her too!”

After having lessons with us, does he enjoy music more now?
I usually ask him how he feels when he plays piano, or how he thinks about his future in playing piano. I feel like he is really doing his best. His current passion is to be a pianist. He wrote an essay at school saying that he dreams of becoming a pianist. He brought the essay home for me to read and I was quite surprised that he is more serious than I thought. He would play an imaginary piano without the actual piano and he would say that he can hear the piano in his head. He is very serious about it, very very serious.

Do you take him to concert or any music events?
Their father usually takes them. There often are concerts at Mahidol (Salaya) or Chulalongkorn Auditorium. He would take them to see and understand what an orchestra band looks like, what it looks like to play piano on stage, and asking them if they want to be like them on the stage. The kids started to understand that music makes you happy. If Perth is in that position, he can give happiness to others too. It is like showing them a dream to see if they are interested. The kids would ask him to take them to concerts again, and again, and again.

Interview: N Ghent’s and N Nin’s Parents

Why do you choose music for your children?
I read an article saying that music helps with emotion and senses. So I’ve got interested and I wanted them to learn about other things and not being too academic.

How did you hear about Aime Musique?
I live in the village so it is a convenient commute. I don’t want to take them to department stores and the teachers here are great. Everything is perfect.

Are you happy with the institute?
I am very impressed. It has been 3 and a half years, and if there are other music school, I wouldn’t want to send my kids to anywhere else.

What is your impression with Aime Musique?
I’m impressed by the way the teachers take care of the children really well. Sometimes, the children can be difficult but the teachers seem to have a way to convince them to classes. Once the class is over, the children would come out with big smiles on their faces.

How has the children developed after a few classes?
Their emotions have had an apparent development. The older one used to be irrational and a bit insensitive to others. After he came to study here, he has improved a lot.

How do you manage time for his piano practice?
I schedule time for him. He would finish homework around 8PM and I would let him practice 10-15 minutes before bedtime. Sometimes he wouldn’t want to practice but I want him to be disciplined, and I manage for him to practice around the same time. We have a star book; one star for one practice. If the book is full, he will get a small present. It works for the both of them. Now we have so many star books in the house.

How do you support them when they struggle
They do struggle sometimes but I would let them know that it is ok to struggle; they can rest and try again. I also applied for a basic piano course so I could understand them. Sometimes he would play left hand and I would play the right hand, so we can play together. They would ask me to play with them sometimes too.

Interview: N Stag’s Parents

Why did you choose music for your kids?
Mother : I read that music is good for a baby during pregnancy, so I put on some music for him. When we went to church, we listened to prayer. When he was born, we put on music for him all the time just like when we first had his sister. Now that Stag has grown a bit, I noticed that he has a short-span attention. When he was in kindergarten, he was quite a mischievous boy. I thought he might have an attention deficit disorder, and I was looking for some way to help him. A friend of mine from church was a teacher, and she recommended a book about ADHD children that has got better because of music. So I decided to enroll him for a piano lesson to help with his attention.

How have the piano classes helped him?
Father : After a few classes, his attention has gotten better. He has more self-controlled and not easily distracted. He has gotten calmer which helped with his attention in listening. Before this, he would be everywhere, doing everything. He could not concentrate in a conversation but after a few classes, we can really see his development.

How long did it take until you really notice that he’s gotten better?
Mother : Not long really. The first year was really obvious. Once he started the piano class, we could really see some changes. He communicated better. Listening is really important, and he has been able to listen and concentrate more, and he could enjoy people’s company. Stag ran around a lot when he was younger. It has been over 10 years. His friends always talk about he has changed.

At church, we usually see children with ADHD or special needs. Many parents who know us would come to us and talk about how Stag has changed so much. We recommended them to take their children to piano class. So there are many kids at church who take piano or saxophone classes now.

Stag was studying music at other school, what made you choose Aime Musique?
Mother : We were not financially ready at the beginning, and piano lesson can cost quite a lot. So we went to this school that was less costly, but in reality you only get what you pay for. After awhile, we noticed that our son grew quite serious about it. When we discussed with the school, they were not exactly confident in our son. They didn’t think that Stag could develop more than he already was at that stage. Aime Musique just opened then. We had a chance to discuss with your instructor here, and also brought Stag in. We felt that the connection was different compare to the previous school. We have more confident in Aime Musique and the instructors. So we chose to enroll him here. After awhile, we could really see the changes. It was really different. It was better. We also saved money on gas and used that money at a better school. The quality is really different.

What do you think is different?

Mother : The instructors here can understand their student, while the instructors at the previous school did not. At the last school, they saw Stag’s naughtiness as obstacle. But here, you saw it differently and that gave us hope. They made us believe that our son could be better. After he had class here, we started to see changes. He enjoys playing piano more and it seems so right for him.

Father : You seem to have a good system here. The instructor could explain the course to us clearly and we can see how it will develop the children. If a school has a good system, its students will keep improving continuously. After talking with some of the instructor, they show how much they really care about the children. They can speak for the children about what needs to be improved and what can be improved and children’s progress. When we follow their advice, we can see an obvious development. This gives us confidence in the school and the instructor as well.

How does the experience at Aime Musique respond to your expectation?
We first got him into music because we are Christian, and we thought our children should be involved in the church’s activities such as playing piano for the church. But when he started, he looked very happy. Music also helps him in classroom which he used to do poorly; music helped with his learning. I think better concentration creates better understanding and also a better result in class. Our first goal was for him to play piano for the church, but to do better in classroom is definitely a happy accident. He plays piano at home because it relaxes him, and it became his favorite hobby. He is very happy with it now and his goal has all changed. He now aims beyond playing the piano itself to composing melody, lyrics, and writing his own music. He decided to continue his education in music which is something we, as parents, never thought about. We only brought him to Aime Musique because we wanted him to play music along with the academic side. Now it became his passion. He just got accepted into music school. We would really like to thank the school for the support too.

How do you mange his practice schedule?
When he was little, he would practice 15 minutes a day. After he grew a bit, it turned into half an hour, then to an hour. Now he practices 2-3 hours a day. If he has an access to a piano, it is impossible for him to leave.

Have you been arranging practice hours for him since the beginning?

Mother : Yes, I did and I tried to get him to practice every day. I would sit with him and listen to him practice which was my way to show him support. He felt like he was playing for us, so he knows that people would want to listen to him. When he’s got older, he learned to practice on his own. Whenever he sees a piano, anywhere, he would run to it and play.

How do you manage time during level exam?
Stag is not very keen on competition, so I would tell him that it is to compete with himself. It doesn’t matter if he couldn’t pass. It is only to learn about himself and his capability. It can open up his world, not just stuck in his own little room, not knowing anything.

During level exam, he practices 6 hours a day. We would break it into 3 times a day; 2 hours after each meal. I would sit with him and listen to him as well *laugh. I think the examination is really important because we can see that he rapidly improved. Examination really can influence and motivate a student.

Interview: N Khaofang’s Parents

Why do you choose music for your kid?
I want her to be able to have a good emotional development. I learned that music is important for the emotional development. My daughter has been taking classes since she was 6 years old, and from what I remembered she has developed so much. She is apparently calmer comparing to her friends, which is my main expectation.

What is your impression with Aime Musique?
I appreciate teachers’ attention. They set a direction for the students, plan a good curriculum, and look after the student’s progress whether the students are ready to adjust or move forward. The teachers definitely are attentive to their students.

How has Aime Musique been able to respond to your expectation?
My daughter became more interested in music. Her piano skill also transfers to other musical instruments. Once she has a basic in reading notes, she can quickly learn new instrument and even Thai classical instrument as well.

How do you manage her practice hours?
She manages her own time actually. On weekdays, she usually has more homework so she will have less practice. She mostly practices on weekends and increases the hours when it is near her piano examination.

Has she ever felt discouraged, how do you support her?
She does sometimes, especially near the examination time. She is very determined though and I would tell her to take it easy. I would tell her that it is not beyond her capability.

Do you take her to concert or any music event?
I usually take her to a concert whenever we have a chance. I think it is important because she would get to see various type of performance. Recently, I took her to a concert of her favorite artist who is practically her idol. During a song that the artist was playing, there were people who left their seat to the toilet. She got very upset and said why couldn’t they wait until the piece was over. This is true story. She got really upset about it.

Interview: N Arm’s Parents

How important is music in your opinion?
I think music is very important. It improves creativity and attention span. I want my son to have a kind-heart as well. I figure music can help with all these aspects. He started out with piano class and now he wants to learn electric guitar as well.

How do you hear about Aime Musique?
I saw an advertisement sign. So I discussed with my friend and wanted to give it a try.

Why do you choose music instead of an academic tutor school?
I think he learns enough academic at school, so I think learning music would be good for him. I don’t want him to stress out too much with school.

Why did you choose Aime Musique?
Firstly, it is because of its location. The school is near our house so it is convenient. After a few classes, I found that the teachers are really good here. They take good care of my son. I also like the environment. I talked to other parents and everyone seems to agree. We are all very impressed with the teachers. We also see an apparent development in our kids.

How has Aime Musique been able to respond to your expectation?
Everything is exactly as I expected. I brought my son here so he can learn some music skills. I figure it will be for his own benefit. When he had his first examination, I was really proud of him that he tried his best. When he had long hours practice, he would be very tired and I would support him as best as I could.

How do you plan to support your son musically?
I would like him to continue his classes. I want music to be a part of him. For my younger kid, I plan for her to take music class too, once he starts kindergarten.

Interview: N Sunsun’s Parents

How important is music in your opinion?
Music helps improve his attention in class and his creativity as well.

How did you hear about us?
Sunsun’s cousin had a class here and I saw his development. He used to be quite disorderly but after having the class here, his attention improved a lot. So I thought I should bring my son here too.

Why did you choose Aime Musique?
Partly it is because of his cousin, and also the nice and friendly environment here. That’s why I chose this place.

What is your impression with Aime Musique?
The teacher here takes good care of my son. They are very calm when teaching him. Sunsun was very small when he started which probably required more attention than an older kid.

How old was Sunsun when he started a class here?
He was about 3 years old which considered very young to learn music.

How has Aime Musique been able to respond to your expectation?
Well, he has better attention. He can spend quite a long time with an instrument. I’m very proud that he enjoys the music he loves.

How do you plan to support him musically?
I will keep supporting him to the highest level.

How has he developed after having class here?
From what I noticed, he seems to be able to differentiate sound and rhythm. His attention is also better and he is able to focus on one activity for quite a long time.

How do you manage his practice session?
First, he needs to finish his homework and then a practice session. If he wants to play game or anything, he would need to practice for half an hour then he can play game.

How do you support him when he struggles?
I would encourage him that he can do it. It might take a little bit of time but if he sticks to it, he can achieve anything.

Interview: N Mew’s Parents

How important is music in your opinion?
I think it helps with emotional development. It builds the sensitivity side in children. Music helps them to relax.

How did you hear about Aime Musique?
I saw your sign about a piano class. I thought it could be interesting for my kid. The school is also near our house and I won’t need to hustle my kid through traffic to get to a music school in a department store.

How is your daughter after coming to our class?
I think she enjoys coming to class now and I am very impressed with all the teachers here. Everyone is very friendly.

Have you noticed any development after having had class with us?
Her emotional has been an apparent development. She does not get upset often and she is more optimistic. She also has better attention in school.

How does she manage her time for practicing?
She manages her own practicing time actually. She’s a big girl now. I think she is responsible.

How do you support her?
I often ask her to play me some music and I also find some music for her to play. I would tell her I want to hear this song I find to motivate her. So she knows she always have my support.