Instructors

Shannon Harmon

Shannon is the Director of Music for the Young Child. She teaches weekly piano classes for students ages 4 to 8. She also teaches the piano portion of the Instrument Sampler, and provides private piano instruction for all ages. Her high energy and positive style add to her belief in providing a proper foundation in piano to make her a wonderful teacher for young children learning to play the piano.

She is an accomplished pianist, having performed concertos with the Perrysburg and Toledo Symphony Orchestras, having won the Toledo Symphony Orchestra's Women's League Young Artist Competition, and recorded on America's Finest Singing Machine, B.G.S.U. Men's Chorus Twentieth Anniversary recording.

Shannon holds a M.M. in Piano Performance from Indiana University, and has vast teaching experience with all ages. She has over 20 years of accompanying choral groups, vocalists and instrumentalists at the high school, college and professional levels.

Corni Douglas

Corni attributes some of her love of music to growing up in South Africa where it is such an integral part of the culture. Although she had formal training in the piano for many years, played the guitar and sang in many choral groups, it was the spontaneous expressions of different musical forms and styles that brought real joy to her.

She has a background in special education and has worked with children in many different capacities. In every situation she has used music as an avenue to encourage the children's curiosity and to facilitate self expression.

It was after crossing paths with Peggy when they sang in a choir together, that she found an opportunity to combine her love for children and music more formally. She joined Music for the Young Child in 1999 and teaches the Parent and Child classes.

Recently, she has challenged herself by taking some hammered dulcimer lessons. She has four children and a husband who shares her joy of music.

Katie Davis

Katie was lucky enough to learn to play violin in one of the first Suzuki violin programs in the United States. Inspired by her parents' love of music and, more specifically, her mother's violin playing, she started lessons at 5 years old and has not stopped playing since. Since high school, she has maintained a busy performance schedule with various quartettes, community symphonies, baroque chamber orchestras and community theater pit orchestras in Richmond, Atlanta and Baltimore. Though trined as a lawyer and currently working at the University of Baltimore School of Law, she has also received certification as a Suzuki violin instructor and has been teaching privately for almost 20 years. Katie currently offers private and group lessons for children and adults and teaches the violin portion of our Instrument Sampler class.

Katie teaches a modified Suzuki method, which emphasizes learning by ear but also introduces music theory and reading skills at a young age. She brings her love of music and fun to each class and gets great pleasure from working with children to help them foster their love of the same.

Aneta Otreba

Dr. Aneta Otreba received her doctorate degree in cello performance from University of Maryland, College Park, where she worked as an ensemble assistant and studied with Professor Evelyn Elsing and members of the Guarneri String Quartet. Since 2003, she is a member of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Her additional performances include Concert Artists of Baltimore, Annapolis Symphony, New World Symphony (Florida), and Washington Summer Opera. Dr. Otreba was also accepted to the Hyogo Performing Orchestra in Japan. She won first place in Baltimore Music Club Competition, Liberman Competition, and Peggy Friedman Gordon Music Competition. Dr. Otreba is a cello teacher at Baltimore String Orchestra Camp and also cello and chamber music faculty at the Siena Summer Session for Music and Arts in Siena University, Italy. Her students have been selected to perform with the All State Junior and Senior Orchestras, All County Orchestras, and Side by Side with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concerts.

Lizza Irvine

Elizabeth Irvine's passion for teaching music comes from her desire to help everyone, no matter their age, background, or level of experience, to be able to make music. She deeply enjoys making music with everyone, from students, to professional groups, to playing at her church on a regular basis. For her, making music with others is a natural extension of our shared humanity and she loves helping people feel comfortable with it by teaching the skills and techniques to participate.

Elizabeth has been a music educator teaching in public, private, and independent schools for 16 years and has worked with all ages of students, from lower elementary through high school. Teaching instrumental music has been a big part of her teaching responsibilities over the years and she loves working with private students and small groups. Elizabeth has a bachelor's in music education from Hope College and a master's in music education from the Eastman School of Music. Her primary instruments of study were percussion and voice, and she has taken up ukulele in the last ten years and enjoys how fun it is to play.

Sarah Bruns

Sarah Bruns is a Baltimore-based performer and educator. She started studying piano at the age of three and grew up loving piano, singing, and performing. She graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor’s in Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance, and holds an Associate's Degree from the Community College of Baltimore County in Fine and Performing Arts with a concentration in Piano Performance.

As a performer, Sarah sang the role of Hermia in Towson University's production of Michael Ching's A Midsummer Night's Dream (2022), Ralph in Edward Barnes' Mystery on the Docks (2022), and Wilson in Eleanor Everest Freer's The Brownings Go to Italy (2023). She has performed in masterclasses with renowned vocalists Dame Emma Kirkby, James Taylor, Molly Netter, Daniel Taylor, and Ruth Drucker. She is currently the soprano soloist and section leader at Church of the Redeemer in Roland Park. She has sung with many choirs, such as Baltimore Choral Arts Society, The Handel Choir of Baltimore, Towson University Chorale, and Chamber Singers at CCBC.

Location

5407 Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210

Our classrooms are located on the lower level of Grace UM Church.
After entering, turn left and go down the stairs. Look for signs to take you to the "Music for the Young Child" classrooms.
Grace United Methodist Church is located at the corner of Charles Street and Northern Parkway.

Music for the Young Child - Policies

Weather-Related Closings
We do not follow the closings of any school system. If there is any ice or snow, or other serious weather, please check the website before leaving for class. In the event of a cancellation due to weather, one canceled class will be added to the end of the session. For Parent & Child classes only, if two or more classes are missed due to weather, you may make them up at any time during the remaining weeks of the session, if available. Make-ups do not carry over to subsequent seasons.

Making up Missed Classes
Make-ups are available for the Parent & Child classes only. Each child may have 2 make-ups per semester. To make up a class, use the online Make-Up Scheduler, which may be used to schedule a make-up at any time before a class. Sign up early in the season if possible, as slots for make-ups may fill toward the end of the season, and make-ups do not carry over to subsequent seasons. If we must cancel a class due to illness or other reasons, you will be notified and the class will be made up on the week or weeks following the last class.

Guest Fees (Parent & Child Classes only)
You may not bring a guest for free in exchange for an unused make-up.
Each family is limited to 2 make-ups and 2 guests per semester. Additional days will be charged at prorated tuition basis.
Please email us at least 24 hours in advance if you plan to bring a guest or sibling.
Guest Fee: $17 per child per class.
Guest Fee for prior students and siblings of enrolled children: $13 per child per class.

Registration
For Parent & Child classes, we offer 3 semesters: Fall, Spring and Summer. All registration is first-come-first-served, with the exception of the Spring semester registration. Since most families' schedules are the same during the academic year (September to May), we allow families who are enrolled in the Fall to keep their class day and time in the Spring, as long as they register by the final day of Fall classes. All Fall classes are released after that date to allow new families to enroll.

Wait List
The online registration system does not allow you to sign up online for a wait-listed class, unless you also sign up and pay for a different class. If no other class is possible, please contact us and we will put you on the Wait List manually.

Payment
Full payment is due at the time of registration in order to reserve a space. Any withdrawals after confirmation are subject to the Refund Policy, below.

Refunds
There will be a $10 fee for any cancellation after a class is confirmed. In addition, the following refund rates apply:
Withdrawals 48 hours before the first class: 100% refund (less the $10 fee).
After that and up to 48 hours before the second class: 80% refund (less the $10 fee).
After that and up to 48 hours before the third class: 60% refund (less the $10 fee).
Thereafter, there are no refunds.
If you switch to another class in the same semester, there is no cancellation fee. Also, if you opt to take the refund as a credit to be used in another semester, there is no fee.

Returned Checks
There is a fee of $20 for any check returned by the bank for insufficient funds.

Group Instrument Class Enrollment
Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, Violin and Cello classes with an enrollment of one student will be permitted to run for one session at the posted class tuition rate. After the initial session, students are encouraged to enroll in private lessons at the private lesson tuition rate (set by individual teachers).

To reiterate, make-ups are available for Parent & Child classes only. However, we are able to to prorate the tuition for 1 missed class per session if the date for the missed class is known prior to registration.

Tuition

Parent & Child Classes
$135 ($95 sibling) - (5-week session)
$160 ($120 sibling) - (6-week session)
Siblings under 7 months on the date the class begins are free.
Note: Sibling discounts only apply to Parent-Child Classes.

Instrument Sampler
$190 - (5-week session)

Piano*
$150 - (5-week session)
$180 - (6-week session)

Ukulele/Guitar
$150 - (5-week session)
$180 - (6-week session)

Violin/Cello
$150 - (5-week session)
$180 - (6-week session)

Drum Circle
$150 - (5-week session)
$180 - (6-week session)

Rock Band Intro**
$260 - Fall (10 weeks)
$338 - Spring (13 weeks)
$156 - Summer (6 weeks)

Advanced Drum Circle**
$260 - Fall (10 weeks)
$338 - Spring (13 weeks)
$156 - Summer (6 weeks)

Jazz Band Intro**
$260 - Fall (10 weeks)
(30 minutes) $338 - Spring (13 weeks)
$156 - Summer (6 weeks)

*Instrument Classes - Add Materials Fee for Beginners: $20
For Guest Fees and Refund Policies, visit our Policies page

**Not offered in Fall 2023

Contact Us

Our general email address is:
shannon@musicfortheyoungchild.com

We encourage you to email us.
We do not have a central office phone line. Instead, you may reach us individually as follows:

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Shannon
Program Director (registration and general questions), Teacher, Piano: 443-904-5814
shannon@musicfortheyoungchild.com

Corni
Teacher, Parent & Child: 410-243-5390
corni@musicfortheyoungchild.com

Katie
Teacher, Violin: 410-262-5489
katie@musicfortheyoungchild.com

Aneta
Teacher, Cello: 443-540-3855
aneta@musicfortheyoungchild.com

Lizza
Teacher, Ukulele and Percussion: 585-820-8960
lizza@musicfortheyoungchild.com

Sarah
Teacher, Parent & Child: 443-374-7452
sarah@musicfortheyoungchild.com

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We are located at Grace United Methodist Church

5407 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21210

*Our classrooms are located downstairs - follow signs.
Press entrance button on keypad and wait to be buzzed in if front door is locked.

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