Article by Natalia Dagenhart
The Bach Academy of Naperville puts musical education on a higher level – by Natalia Dagenhart
Spirituality, inner growth, development of higher artistic skills and understanding of the beauty of this world – that’s what will keep the Earth moving, and that’s what is the mission of one of the most advanced schools of music in Naperville called The Bach Academy.
The Bach Academy is an extension of Bethany Lutheran Church and School and is committed to excellence in music education. It opened in August 2016 and is directed by Michael Scott Giuliani, the Cantor at Bethany Lutheran Church and School. Mr. Giuliani, a highly educated musician, holds an Undergraduate Degree in Piano Performance and a Master’s Degree in Organ Performance. Every staff member at The Bach Academy is carefully chosen and only highly skilled professionals are hired. Among them, there are musicians and educators that are well known locally and also nationally and internationally.
However, this great educational organization provides not only the best teachers but also tremendous spiritual and moral support to everyone who enters this school, as it is committed to higher ethical standards. The Bach Academy is a place where people of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds can receive quality music education. It also offers scholarships to low income families. This school promotes diversity, inclusion, and both racial and cultural equity in the arts and welcomes students of all ages with no limits – from birth to any possible age. The main condition is the potential student’s love of music and art in general and willingness to work hard to achieve excellent results.
The Bach Academy can satisfy everyone’s educational needs as it offers various programs of study. Particularly, it offers private and group lessons on a variety of instruments, and students are guaranteed to receive a well-rounded experience through a customized course of study depending upon their needs. The goal is to strengthen them as musicians through repertoire from a variety of genres, technical studies, performances opportunities, and the study of music theory and music history. Students are also given an opportunity to interact with students from other studios at The Bach Academy through informal gatherings, regular performance opportunities, and master classes with expert musicians from outside of the school. Voice, piano, organ, violin, viola, double base, cello, viola da gamba, flute, clarinet, percussion, tuba, and trombone – classes that will teach you to become a master handling any of these instruments are available and they are just one phone call away.
Another exciting opportunity provided to students of The Bach Academy is a study program called Early Childhood Music Education. Based on John Feierabend First Steps in Music curriculum, this program is an exciting opportunity for young children from birth to four years old to enter a wonderful world of music and to start developing artistic skills. It is proven that early musical development affects a child’s brain in many different ways and improves various learning skills, particularly speech and language skills. Besides the fact that young students learn to think melodically, be mindful of a steady beat, and appreciate the art of music through folk songs, classical music, and rhymes, they also have a great time with their parents and teachers and enjoy themselves.
The Bach Academy also offers an exciting program called the Naperville Youth Symphony Orchestra (NYSO) that was organized in September 2016. After over one hundred auditions almost ninety students were carefully chosen to become part of this orchestra. They are offered orchestral performance opportunities that gradually grow their musical experience. Naperville Youth Symphony Orchestra consists of fifth to twelfth graders who did their first concert last December. So far, this orchestra rehearses and performs in Naperville, but the horizons are widening with every step made by these talented young musicians under the direction of music directors Kimberlie Richter and Carrie Provost. The concerts are organized at Bethany Lutheran Church and on the grounds of the prestigious Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville. The next concert will be held on May 14 at Wentz Concert Hall.
Another exciting study program offered at The Bach Academy is the Bethany Lutheran Schola Cantorum, Latin for ‘Singing School’. This is a unique tuition-free choir school that is designed for boys and girls ages five to eighteen. “It is built on the tradition of the ancient European choir school, where choristers progress through various ranks after meeting specific target; not unlike boy scout or martial arts,” noted director of music Michael Giuliani. Interestingly, at some point singers start getting payed for their work and performances and receive a Choral Scholarship according to their rank. “It’s structured to develop important life skills in addition to building their skills as musicians,” added Mr. Giuliani. Schola Cantorum consists of three choirs and is modeled after the ancient European choir schools. It teaches music literacy, good vocal habits, knowledge of repertoire, and liturgical formation through a structured framework. However, the main thing that it teaches is love to music.
What can be better than a happy child? Only a happy parent. More than one hundred twenty students from The Bach Academy in Naperville and their parents prove it every day. They found a place that helps children grow not only into wonderful and skillful musicians, but also into spiritually and esthetically developed individuals who turn this world into a better place to live and spread their love, mastership, talent, confidence, knowledge, spirituality and kindness through their music.
If you want to become part of this spectacular world of music and professionalism, please go to http://bethanylcs.org/bachacademy/, call 630-355-2198, ext. 227, or visit The Bach Academy in person at: Bethany Lutheran Church & School, 1550 Modaff Road, Naperville, Illinois 60565. This affordable academy of music will change your life and the life of your child forever and will make it full of joy, happiness and fulfillment!
Natalia Dagenhart
