Music to Your Ears: Santa Monica Conservatory of Music

Looking for something to do with your kids this summer? You know how you like to find an activity that's unique and fun for the kids, that has a bonus of being educationally and culturally rewarding? Have I got the answer for you!

Summertime can be brutal on a parent who is getting "MOMMY! MOMMY MOMMY!"d to death... You know the drill. So every time my daughter's school has a break, we make a run to the Santa Monica Conservatory of Music (SMCM). Their music camps offer the perfect answer for nearby families who only want the best for their kids. At the end of the week, on Fridays they have recitals where each kid gets up on stage, introduce themselves and announce to the audience the name of their piece. They get so serious. It is honestly the cutest thing ever.

The price is unbeatable. Camp runs from 9am to 3pm, and at just $350 for the week, that's less than $12/hour! And if you use their after-care option, it's only $10 for each additional hour. You can't even get a babysitter for that price anymore.

We have already attended three camps. The first two, my daughter chose the Piano. This last time, she chose the Violin, which astonished me because that has always intimidated me, personally. On the very first day of class when I picked her up, she legitimately taught me how to play. I had never held a Violin in my life, so that was super uplifting and pleasurable for me. It has instilled in her a whole new level of fascination and respect for music. She told me next time she wants to learn how to play the Cello, and then after that, she wants to take Voice and then after that, the Flute! This is literally "music to a mother's ears."

She enjoys learning about music because they make it fun. They also do some little crafty art projects and take them to lunch at the nearby park. The people who run the school are so lovely, warm and inspiring. So, we decided to try private classes there.

I sat in on one of their FREE TRIAL classes and was quite impressed by the teaching process and how quickly and easily she learned. Her piano teacher's name was Meowcet. She is a very pretty, prim and proper woman with long straight hair like my 5-year-old daughter, Deja. I asked Deja if she wanted to be like Meowcet, and she said, "No. I want to BE Meowcet."

For the first time ever, for the older kids ages 10-17, SMCM hosted a sleep-away camp at Temescal Canyon from June 27-July 1, that was very successful. Mark your calendar for next year's sleep-away camp in the Santa Monica mountains in the summer of 2017. There are 5 more weeks of fantastic music camp left in the summer. No experience is necessary. They take kids ages 5-12.

As far as I'm concerned, you are in great hands. But don't take my word for it... Attend a Friday recital and see for yourself, watch some videos on their Facebook page or just pop in for a tour! For more information, visit their website SantaMonicaConservatory.com.

Follow Liz Angeles, Mompreneur|Wellness Director|Healing Artist|Author at facebook.com/liz.angeles.