About instructor

 MIKA YAMAMOTO

Education:

Ms. Yamamoto studied voice with Diane Ketchie and piano with Jacqueline Salas for a Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Northridge. She studied Introduction to Music Therapy with prominent Music Therapists in California, Mr. Ron Borczon, Ms. Judy Nelson, and Ms. Julie Berghofer from 2000 to 2004. She assisted Ms. Lisa McLauren in music therapy sessions at the Music Therapy Clinic at California State University Northridge.

Fields of works related to music and therapy:

She worked as a behavioral therapist at California Psychcare, Inc. (Tarzana, CA) specializing in children with autism spectrum, cerebral palsy, Asperger’s syndrome, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from 2004 to 2005.

Certifications in Parenting Studies and Early Childhood Behavioral Training:

Ms. Mika completed the “Redirecting Children’s Behaviors” course offered by the International Network for Children and Families (https://www.incaf.com) in 2011, “Joy of Parenting” under the guidance of Ms. Suzie Walton (http://www.indigovillage.com) in 2012. She incorporates her skills in positive parenting to better work with young children and their families. Ms. Mika strongly believes in creating positive and encouraging experiences with families that support children’s learning. It is her interest as a music teacher to assist children as well as their parents in creating a musical journey through their lives.

Ms. Mika is certified as a Positive Discipline Parenting Educator, and also certified as a Positive Discipline Early Childhood Educator, by the Positive Discipline Association founded by Dr. Jane Nelson (https://positivediscipline.org/), under training by Ms.Yogi Patel (https://www.yogipateltte.com/) in 2023. As a Positive Discipline Educator, she conducts private consulting, workshops, and training for parents.

As a voice/piano instructor, Ms. Mika conducts her studio, YoursMusically. She enjoys working with children as young as 2 years old through the advanced ages.

Applied methods, and philosophy in music education :

Ms. Mika completed a teacher training by completing “Every Child Can!” from the Suzuki Association of the Americas in 2022 (https://suzukiassociation.org/).

Ms. Mika is a certified ColorSoundation Instructor trained by the founder of ColorSoundation, Ms. Shiho Yamamoto. She teaches ColorSoundation classes in Los Angeles and the L.A. SouthBay area (http://www.colorsoundation.com).

ColorSoundation has been a part of the morning curriculum and after-school program at LAUSD since March 2018, through a collaboration with Harmony Project (https://www.harmony-project.org). Ms. Mika took part in Harmony Projects’ Teaching Artist Team.

Voice certifications:

Somatic Voicework - The Lovetri Method Teachers’ Association, Level I - completion in 2022.

Ms. Mika assists vocalists in the preparation of professional recordings in the studio, specific vocal work with goals and intentions of the production, and vocal care and corrections in response to any happenings that may occur to the vocalists during their recording works.

Children’s Chorus and Adult Chorus:
As an assistant director of SouthBaySingers Junior, Ms. Mika enjoys a creative adventure with Ms. Naoko Suga (https://www.naokosuga.com), the director of the SouthBay Singers and the SouthBay Singers Junior. It is Ms. Mika’s purpose and intention to dedicate herself to children’s learning of music, for them not only to become good musicians who can make and perform music, but also to be human beings who let the music live in their hearts, and be willing to share who they are with others. (https://www.southbaysingers.info)

Affiliations:

Music Teachers Association of California (https://www.mtacsouthbay.org/), the National Association of Teachers of Singing (https://www.nats.org), Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA: https://www.mtna.org), California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT: http://www.capmt.org), Mu Phi Epsilon International Professional Music Fraternity (https://www.muphiepsilon.org/default.aspx), Somatic Voicework - The Lovetri Method Teachers’ Association (https://somaticvoicework.com)

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