aBOUT us

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 The Bel Canto Center (Bel Canto) is a parent-founded and therapist-operated initiative with that began in 2018 -- with free sessions and lessons to children in urban neighborhoods throughout the South Bronx and North Manhattan. Bel Canto Center  has started with a single student, and from that has built learning tools, worksheets, and has began app development -- all of which are made available for free here.

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oUR pEDAGOGY 

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We are characterized by our search for efficient pedagogy in a fast-paced changing world.

We value Inclusion – because our primary philosophy is inclusion, we integrate methods and principals of Applied Behavior Analysis in our pedagogy. It is through this, that we allow our classrooms to be inclusive and all of our students are able to fully experience how fun and rewarding their music education could be!

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We value innovation, as we develop products and curricula that can be used to teach music and art in new & exciting ways, while remaining faithful and cognizant of the historic origins of the Fine Arts. 

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tECH & Music

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Because learning music requires a combination of procedural & propositional knowledge, we always seek to offer our students an more interactive and immersive way to learn (and retain) music theory & instrument skills. We love exploring new platforms through which we can teach music theory -- some innovative activities include:

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• VR (virtual reality) & AR (Augmented reality) games. These are  simulations that give our students the full experience of instrument playing from anywhere as long as they have a VR headset.

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• Teaching Coding, AI, & Music ? Yes. You that's a thing. 

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OUR music PROGRAM FOR aUTISTIC sTUDENTS

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One core value of the Bel Canto Center's Kid's music classes is that our sessions, instructions, and philosophies be inclusive. We value students of a variety of educational, cultural, and economic backgrounds. In our dedication to inclusion, we are focusing on tailoring our children's classes to neurodiverse students!

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We have tailored our instruction to autistic students, offering an engaging  cross between music therapy &music instruction/ education.  We use principles of music therapy, ABA and individualized learning to optimize new skill acquisition:

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• Our musical instructors will - after assessing the strengths and needs of each person -- music therapists develop a treatment plan with goals and objectives and then provide appropriate treatment. Music therapists work with both individuals and in small groups, using a variety of music and techniques.

• All the skills required for music learning are  carefully deconstructed allowing each student to localize their focus and energy on fixed learning objectives. This approach allows instructors to identify specific learning barriers, then implement strategies for students to surpass them.

• Music has the beauty of being its own motivator. Co-playing instruments allow our instructors to  use music as a "natural reinforcer."Helping sooth sensory aversions & auditory processing difficulties.

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All of these practices allow musical instruction to help autistic students improve skills in areas such as communication, social skills, sensory issues, behavior, cognition, perceptual/motor skills, and self-reliance or self-determination.