Maria Poletaeva

Music teacher

Maria was born in Moscow, where she graduated from the Gnesin School for Musically Gifted Children and Moscow State University with a major in Physics. She worked at Moscow University for 15 years. During this time, she raised three sons, who kept her well versed in various children’s groups, clubs and activities.

During her five-year hiatus from her regular profession, Maria was an accompanist with the English language group of the Moscow Young Pioneer’s Theater. The group was directed by O.S. Fomichev, a specialist in early childhood intellectual development. During this time, Maria performed with the group ten times. Her eldest son was also a member of the group to which he credits his English skills upon immigrating to the United States. Maria also had the pleasure of working with a group of younger children, in which her middle son participated.

It was at the Young Pioneer’s Theater that Maria witnessed the brilliance and creative potential of children as a “by-product” of the creative process, developing before our very eyes. It was there that Maria truly discovered the fascinating adventure that learning can become for children.

Maria’s family moved to California in 2002. When she received the offer to join the staff of the Berkeley Russian School, Maria was very excited at the prospect of teaching the youngest students at the school and utilizing her experience.

Maria’s philosophy is simple. Lessons should bring a child joy. Children perceive emotionally colored information. For this information to be accessible and desirable later in life, it should be associated with positive emotions. Therefore, Maria makes every effort to ensure that the lessons are enjoyable to all children, instilling a love of music that can last a lifetime.

During the class, students have the opportunity to become a fairy tale hero, ride on a horse, dance with Barbie, descend to the bottom of the ocean, explore the cave of the King of the Mountain, become a flower, sway in the breeze under a soft sun, become the conductor of a symphony, escape from a wolf or bear, rock a teddy bear to sleep… All of this while singing 6-8-10 different songs accompanied by the guitar or piano and playing different instruments in the ensemble. These are the activities that appeal to the children; the draw for the parents is that Maria’s music class develops both hemispheres of the brain. Hearing, rhythm, articulation, memory, attention, fine motor skills, coordination, communication skills, and the ability to work in a group are all skills that are developed in her lessons.

Back