Raising money takes a ton of time and energy and students at Cora Melanson’s Music for Young Children (MYC) program in Moose Jaw know this well. They practiced their music 1,100 times, raising a dime each time they played, raising over a hundred dollars in dimes.

The students, 55 in total, wanted to give back to Creative Kids. They practiced for over a month and raised $110, in dimes, hoping that the funds raised will help other children access arts and cultural activities such as music.

Cora Melanson, music teacher at MYC, worked with the students to plan many practice incentives. She says small motivations, such as this, can give young students a boost in the development of their practice habits. “Practicing for a treat is fun, but practicing to give to others is also
rewarding.”

In the past years, the students have collected dimes for other charity organizations. Melanson has been a service provider with Creative Kids since 2014, helping many kids learn the gift of music, so when it was time to choose a charity that will benefit from its Practice for Dimes last year, they thought it was a great idea to give their dimes to other kids. They chose Creative Kids.

“These kids love learning music, so for them to imagine being a part of another kid’s experience is amazing,” she says. “MYC is a group program and these kids love learning together. I think they would love to have all their friends in music class with them!”

Melanson has an extensive experience teaching young students. She says it is important for kids to learn music at a young age. It impacts them in so many positive ways in the future. “Also, learning music is so much fun! I see kids enjoying music and feeling proud as they achieve their learning goals after their hard work,” she adds.

Like many other teachers, Melanson is offering online music lessons through Zoom, and in some cases, in person in the studio.

“I have arranged the music classroom with six-foot spaces that include a piano or keyboard (for students), bench and chair for mom or dad. We stay in our square and we are careful not to share instruments etc.,” she says. “Everything is sanitized in-between classes and masks are worn. The computer screen and mic are part of the room and we all learn together!”

Melanson says that communities invest in children’s future when they support kids who wish to engage with arts, music, dance, and other arts and cultural activities. The impact, she says, is positive for the child’s development, as well as, the society and community as a whole.

“We are growing stronger, healthier children, families and communities! And happy music teachers!” she says. “I think we may see an increased need for this type of funding as the impact of COVID-19 becomes more apparent.” She notes that she sees Creative Kids as “a part of our future!”