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14 Washington FAMILY AUGUST 2021
IRAIDA_BEARLALA / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Their



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or the Withers family of Abingdon, Maryland, the house rule is if
you want to live here, you have to learn to play a musical instrument.

“We said, ‘We don’t care which instrument. Just pick one you
like!’” says Cheri Withers, a mother of two school-aged children.

Like many musically inclined families, Cheri and her husband
Jared believe that learning to play an instrument and eventually
performing in an ensemble foster valuable life skills, such as
perseverance, the ability to work with others and self-esteem. But what’s
the Withers’ most important reason? It’s fun!
“I played in my school band and later, as an adult, learned to play the
mandolin. I wish I had a little more training to be able to play at a higher
level,” says Jared, who has performed in a bluegrass band as an adult and
continues to jam with his neighbors. “I’d like my children to get enough
training so that they can feel confident on their instruments and enjoy
making music with others.”
Their eldest daughter, Elliott, dabbled in learning the piano for a few
months before she finally landed on the instrument that seems like a
fit: classical guitar. But like most young musicians, it’s a long road from
the first tentative plucks of the guitar strings to effortless playing with
an ensemble.

“With guitar, kids may have to practice for several days to build the
dexterity to correctly fret a string with their finger,” explains Jared.

“There was a learning curve just to be able to play an easy song.”
LESSONS FOR ALL AGES
THEATER PROGRAMS
Private & Semi-Private Lessons
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Theater Kids (Ages 5-7)
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MAIN STAGE (Ages 10+)
Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar, Flute,
Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Voice
GROUP MUSIC LESSONS
Available for Piano, Guitar & Violin
BABY BEATS
Before your kid embarks down the path of learning to play music, you
can do many things to prepare them for the journey.

Just ask Michelle Urzynicok, a professional musician who plays the
E-flat clarinet as a master sergeant for the U.S. Marine Band. “I’m a huge
proponent for the early childhood music programs,” says Urzynicok.

“For example, I did Music Together with my kids, and it was amazing!
They were exposed to world music. They got to move around. The kids
didn’t have to behave; they just got to have a lot of fun. It was important
to me that their first exposure to and participation in music be fun!”
She also advocates looking for opportunities to expose children to live
music. “Take advantage of anything in your community,” she advises.

“The major orchestra in your city has children’s concerts that are often
free or very inexpensive. It’s very different to experience live music
instead of watching a screen. There’s so much more energy!”
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W IN
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SCHOOL SOUNDS
In elementary school, your child will likely receive
general music classes once or twice per week.

By second or third grade, most school music
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Preschool-8th Grade
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