In This Month’s Newsletter

Mommy & Me Music Lessons: Wonder, Joy, & Early Beginnings
Fun and Important Dates
Upcoming Recitals and Forum
Welcome Our New Students
Student of the Month: Lea Ocampo
Teacher Spotlight: Joy Frayne
Did You Know? Babies can start learning music in the womb
Inspirations
Music Playdates in the Parks
Did You Read Your Newsletter Contest?
Referral Program

Mommy & Me Music Lessons:
Wonder, Joy, & Early Beginnings

Mommy & Me and Parent & Me music lessons are a wonderful way for very young children, ages 0–2, to begin their musical journey alongside a parent.

In these lessons, the mother or father does not simply watch the lesson. The parent actually learns the instrument, most often piano, while the child sits nearby, listens, watches, and participates in simple musical activities.

The child may sit on the parent’s lap, touch the keys, hear the sounds of the piano, and experience music as a natural and joyful part of family life.

This idea has deep roots in the work of great music educators. Shinichi Suzuki famously described music learning as a “mother tongue” process. Just as children learn language by hearing it constantly in a loving environment, Suzuki believed they can learn music in the same way. In the earliest stages, the parent plays a central role. The parent learns, listens, and participates, creating a musical home where the child naturally absorbs rhythm, tone, and musical expression.

Other influential pedagogues also emphasized beginning music early in life. Zoltán Kodály encouraged families to sing with children from infancy, believing that musical hearing begins long before formal instruction.

Carl Orff emphasized musical play, movement, and exploration with simple instruments. Émile Jaques-Dalcroze demonstrated how children internalize rhythm through movement and physical experience. All of these approaches recognize that young children learn music best through immersion, imitation, and joyful participation.

Mommy & Me piano lessons follow these same principles. The parent begins learning the piano while the child grows up hearing music regularly in the home. The sound of the piano becomes familiar and comforting. The child sees the parent learning, practicing, and enjoying music. Over time, the child naturally develops curiosity about the instrument and often wants to participate.

At *Dennis Frayne Music Studios* and the *Laguna Niguel School of Music*, Mommy & Me and Parent & Me piano lessons provide families with a warm and welcoming introduction to music.

Parents begin learning the piano while their young child experiences the beauty of music from the very beginning of life. These lessons strengthen the bond between parent and child while establishing a musical foundation that can last a lifetime.

FUN and IMPORTANT DATES

**April Fool’s Day**
Wednesday, April 1
Lessons are OFF (Closed)

**Good Friday**
Friday, April 3
During Off-Days (4/1 to 4/9, Closed)

**Easter Sunday**
Sunday, April 5
During Off-Days (4/1 to 4/9, Closed)

**Earth’s Day**
Wednesday, April 22
Lessons are ON (Open)

Upcoming Recitals and Forum

Recitals

Forum

**Please welcome**
**our NEW Students who enrolled**
**in February**

Francesca A.
Odin C.
Draven D.
Logan K.
Roya M.
Milan O.
Giovanna P.
Olivia Q.
Milan S.
Giselle S.

Student of the Month

Lea Ocampo

Lea started playing the cello when she joined the orchestra in 6th grade. Her cello lessons started during the summer of 2025, before starting 8th grade. "The cello is an amazing instrument to play because of its rich tone. Playing the cello has connected me with so many people.

I’ve been a part of some amazing experiences, and have been able to express myself through playing. If I could go back in time to learn another instrument, I would learn the viola because it sounds so beautiful."

Lea feels her regular educational school is rough, but has fun when she gets to meet new people with the same interests as her. She likes new opportunities and getting the chance to participate in fun events. Lea loves music, classical and modern, and enjoys shopping and getting fashion ideas, and "spending time with friends and the people I love."

Teacher Mr. Yue says, "Lea is a conscientious and hardworking student. She consistently comes to her lessons well prepared and responds thoughtfully to instruction." Last month, Lea participated in the CUSD Middle School Honor Orchestra audition. Out of hundreds of applicants, she was selected as a member of the cello section and will perform with the orchestra at the Segerstrom Center later this month. We all congratulate her on this wonderful achievement and wish her continued success in the future.

Teacher Spotlight

Joy Frayne

Accompanying herself on piano, she learned to blend technical skill with emotional storytelling — something that continues to shape her musical approach today.

As a teen, Joy attended the Orange County School of the Arts, where she developed her skills in performance and collaboration. She went on to study music in college, majoring in the field that had long captured her heart. There, she deepened her understanding of music theory, ear training, and composition, and began tutoring fellow students — an experience that sparked her passion for teaching. Throughout high school and college, she remained an active performer, appearing in musicals, choirs, and community events. From the grandeur of Carnegie Hall to the warmth of local churches and nursing homes, Joy treasures every opportunity to share her voice with others.

Today, Miss Joy continues to nurture a lifelong love of music both as an educator and performer. Outside of teaching, she serves as a section leader at Long Beach United Methodist Church, where she helps guide and inspire fellow singers. When she’s not making music, Joy is a proud and devoted bonus-parent to an amazing little boy, f inding harmony between her musical life and her family life.

Did You Know?
Babies can start learning music in the womb!

Research shows that babies begin developing their sense of hearing long before birth. By about 20–24 weeks of pregnancy, a baby can begin responding to sounds, including the mother’s voice and music heard outside the womb.

Studies have even shown that babies can remember music they heard before they were born.

In one well-known study, infants whose mothers repeatedly played a specific melody during pregnancy showed stronger brain responses to that same melody after birth, suggesting that the brain had already formed a memory of the music.

Other research suggests that musical exposure during the final months of pregnancy may help strengthen how a newborn’s brain processes sound and speech patterns, an important foundation for later language development. This research reminds us that a child’s musical journey can begin very early in life. Singing, listening to music, and making music during pregnancy can be a joyful way for families to begin building a lifelong relationship with music, a philosophy that we celebrate every day.

Inspirations

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

— Galatians 6:9

“April is a reminder that life is a beautiful, ever-renewing cycle.”

— e.e. cummings

Music Playdates in the Parks

Weekly on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings
from 10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Meet friends, dance a little, sing along, play with some musical instruments, and other fun toys!

Find us near the playground.
See park schedule on our website.

Did You Read Your Newsletter Contest?

April 2026

To encourage everyone to read the Dennis Frayne Music Studio Newsletter, each month we’ll feature a new contest winner or a new contest. Be sure to read your newsletter each month to see if your name has been drawn or you might miss out!

This month’s winner is Driden Duffy