Carondelet Music Center
Specializing in early childhood music and movement

"... With an orientation towards excellence tempered by gentleness, peace and joy", the Sisters of St. Joseph proudly sponsor Carondelet Music Center. Founded in 1992, Carondelet Music Center is committed to foster, preserve and improve the state of music education for all people aesthetically, socially and spiritually. For the undeniable resource that music is and for the proven benefits that music brings, we at Carondelet Music Center bring music to all people without distinction by offering quality instruction through private and group lessons, and carefully tailored early childhood music and movement classes for children and birth through seven years.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
The Music Center offers quality instruction to all people (from birth to an unlimited number of years young!) of all levels of ability. The instruction, provided by accredited teachers, is individually tailored to
meet your personal needs; no previous music education is required.

INSTRUCTION:
Instruction is given in piano; woodwinds (including flute, clarinet, oboe, recorder and saxophone); classical, electric and folk guitar; strings (including violin, viola and cello); brass (including French horn, trombone and trumpet); percussion and voice.


As an expert in early childhood music, Sister Patricia St. John, CSJ, the founder of Carondelet Music Center and its Executive Director, brings not only over 25 years of teaching experience to the Center’s programs, but a teaching practice which is informed by dedicated scholarship, current research, and inspiring educational principles. As a result of her leadership, Carondelet Music Center enjoys membership in Kindermusik International’s exclusive Maestro Program — which recognizes the top 5 percent of all Kindermusik programs in the U.S., based on performance and growth. Sister Patricia, a professional musician herself, is dedicated to providing and fostering joyful music-making experiences, particularly for children, as a way to nurture both aesthetic growth and artistic development.

You will find the delightful presence of our Associate Director, Sister Mary Damien Cushing, C.S.J., when you contact our Office at (518) 783-3608. Sister Damien’s gifts in both educational and administrative expertise inform her ministry with us.

INSTRUCTORS:
Carondelet Music Center staff includes Sisters of St. Joseph and laywomen and men, all of whom have degrees in music and/or certification in their area of expertise.

SCHEDULING:
Private lessons are arranged through the Center with individual instructors at a time convenient for all parties involved. Group instruction is offered at set times as indicated on the semester schedule.

TUITION:
Tuition is paid per semester: September through December and mid-January to May. Fees vary for Private Instruction, Group Classes, and Early Childhood Music Classes. Ordinarily, payment is made at the beginning of each semester. The Sister Mary Elise Scholarship Fund is available on a limited basis to piano students in need.

LOCATION:
Carondelet Music Center is located at St. Joseph's Provincial House in Latham. It is on the corner of Route 155 (Watervliet-Shaker Rd.) And Delatour Rd. Going east, it is on the left just past Shaker High School with the Colonie Elks on the right.

WHY EARLY CHILDHOOD MUSIC?
Research findings over the last decade have pointed to the inherent benefits of music-making experiences for young children, especially from birth to seven years of age. These studies illustrate music’s influence in stimulating emotional, cognitive, social, and linguistic, as well as musical, growth. By following the lead of the child and honoring the child’s agency in the learning process, classes are crafted to address developmental, social, and cognitive trajectories appropriate for each age group. In addition, curricular content is informed and crafted around insights based on the most current early childhood development research.

In September, 2002, the Music Center celebrated its 10th Anniversary with an enrollment of almost 500 students, including 50 infants. In the spring of 2003, the Center inaugurated a piano class for senior citizens. Future plans include the initiation of a class which unites both toddlers and senior citizens; recent studies suggest healthy benefits which result from this cross-generational music-making experience.

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