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Mums, dads, toddlers, music aficionados and students ... anyone who wants to immerse themselves in learning and creating music will soon have a new place to tickle the ivories or sing out a tune.
Janabiya Music Centre is a new educational centre which will offer all kinds of musical activities from African drumming, singing and general musicianship to instrumental and vocal tuition and performance opportunities.
It will be run by Lydia Auld, St Christopher's School's well known music teacher, who is moving on from the classroom to start this venture in Al Janabiyah in partnership with Mubarak Najem of the Bahrain Music Institute.
Although a formal opening is only scheduled after Ramadan, a five-day course is being offered in July, for seven to 10-year-olds, along with a further five-day course in August for 11 to 14-year-olds.
Lydia, 34, who has been teaching music in private schools in the UK and Bahrain for the last 13 years, said the facility will offer something for anyone aged two and above. She said: "Not all schools have such a wide variety of musical opportunities and our centre will be catering to students of all nationalities.
"As well as offering individual and group instrumental music lessons, we will be running lots of choirs, orchestras, ensembles and drumming groups.
"We are pushing cello, voice, violin, piano and percussion. Eventually we will begin lessons in woodwind and brass. We have two guitar teachers at the Manama branch (Bahrain Music Institute) and they will also be giving lessons here."
As well as choirs for all age groups, she added: "We will also be running a piano circle, which is basically for any pianist of Grade 4 or above where they will learn to improvise on their pianos and play together as an ensemble.
"The centre has a small concert room for mainly solo performances. We also have huge grounds that we plan to use for outside concerts during winter."
The centre is also planning an ongoing series of concerts called 'Music of the Masters'; the first of which is planned for June 26 at the Shaikh Isa bin Salman Cultural Hall in Adliya.
Alistair Auld and Mrs Auld will be teaching alongside three other specialist teachers from the UK who will give lessons in cello, drums, piano, blues, double bass and violin. Violins of different sizes, cellos and African djembe drums are also being imported for use by the students. Mrs Auld said: "We want to push cello as it is a beautiful instrument and we don't have many cello players in Bahrain.
"Mr Auld will be in-charge of the orchestra and for selecting the pieces and we will together be running the choirs. He will also be teaching music theory and piano.
"I will be giving singing lessons and running the African drumming courses. There will be five teachers helping and the children should get a really good experience."
Morning will be a time for offering music lessons for mums, toddlers and pre-schoolers. 'Crashes and Bangs' will be an introduction to using all sorts of percussion instruments and learning rhythms.
Mrs Auld added: "Children will be getting a sound world experience rather than actually creating an intricate piece of music. I have all sorts of delightful instruments that I have collected over the years that make all kinds of bizarre sounds which are fascinating for young kids.
"You have heard babies screaming ... they have very high pitched voices. You just have to learn how to use your voice from as early a stage as possible. Mornings are flexible and we can offer lessons according to demand."
For more information contact Lydia Auld at janabiyamusiccentre@gmail.com or call 39047734.
