• View the Assessment Schedule & Request Form
• What does an assessment look like?
• Frequently asked questions about assessments

OK!  But what's so unique about an assessment?

For children music is simply fun. Yet your child has her own special way of discovering and acquiring knowledge. How significant would it be for you to know, as early as three years of age, how your child learns, what her musical sensitivity is, and how her personality affects her learning?

One of the ground-breaking benefits you'll receive when you simply consider The Music Place for your child is a free, personalized assessment of her natural musical aptitude and her learning style. We value your child's uniqueness and are committed to honoring it. 

To make an appointment for this free, 45-50 minute assessment, view the Assessment Schedule & Request Form to select your appointment time preferences. Currently, all assessments are being conducted at our Main Office in San Jose or online. 

An assessment is a fun, informal time with parents and children ages 3 and up (or any child with special needs.) During this innovative time together, trained Educational Specialists play simple games that help identify each child's unique learning preferences, innate musical aptitudes and developmental readiness for various types of instruction. Then, they share their findings and help you choose the best next steps for your child. 

What if my child has special needs?

We ask all families whose children have special needs to take advantage of this wonderful service because we want to find the best way to serve each one.  We understand that most children with special needs do not interact in a typical fashion, so we will engage to the extent that we can, and never worry about atypical behaviors as long as the student remains safe.  Often we may just end up chatting with the parents and peripherally observe the students.  This will be a great value as well. To help us prepare, we will also send you some prelimnary questions through which you can communicate issues and concerns before the meeting. 

What if my child is shy? Even parents of the shyest children are usually surprised to observe how responsive their children are to this fun, positive learning experience.  Kids discover "Music learning is fun!" and parents learn more about their kids as our music education specialists share their valuable insights. Together, parents and Educational Specialist can then custom-design the most suitable type of program for each child. 

Once a child is sure of the instruments they want to play, we want to make sure they are developmentally ready to learn it in a way that is fun. In a free assessment fro neuro-typical children, Educational Specialists check the following areas of readiness:

• Academic: Visual and auditory learning skills are assessed to make sure the information can be processed and retained in a way that will make sure learning is not too difficult or frustrating.  An Educational Specialist will also usually identify the dominant learning style of the child thus informing the type of teaching method that will be most inspiring. 
• Social:  Experts assess the degree to which the child is articulate, interactive, compliant, attentive and any birth order issues that may contribute to the best learning environment.
• Physical: Many children may be academically and socially ready,  but if their hands and fingers are not long enough and strong enough to manage the instrument, then frustration can quickly overpower initial enthusiasm; however, sometimes experts notice that the sheer determination to learn that some children have is enough to overcome weak fingers.

PLEASE NOTE: You will NOT receive pressure to enroll, and will be encouraged to discuss the possibilities with your family. If you are ready to enroll, it can often be done on the spot.

Schedule an Appointment 

To make an appointment for this free assessment, view the Assessment Schedule & Request Form to select your appointment time and location preferences. Then, complete the Online Assessment Request or just give us a call at (408) 445-2787!

What does that mean for you and your child?  We take the extra care and time to be sure she is assigned to the right class, with the right teacher, in the right setting tailored to her individuality. It's this commitment to meeting each child's needs that sets The Music Place apart from other music programs.

To learn even more about assessments, visit Assessments Q & A.