musical.schule – Knowledge portal for musical theatre education

Anyone wishing to explore the academic background of musical theatre training in greater depth will find in-depth articles on topics relating to singing, dance, drama and musical education for students on the independent knowledge portal musical.schule a wealth of in-depth articles on topics relating to singing, dance, acting and musical education for children and young people.

What is musical.schule?

musical.schule is an independent knowledge portal dedicated to musical theatre education. The editorial team — Jacqui Dunnley-Wendt and Hauke Wendt — regularly publish articles there that combine the latest research findings from neuroscience, developmental psychology and music education with the practical aspects of musical theatre teaching.

The portal is aimed at parents, educators and anyone who wants to understand why musical theatre training is far more than just a creative hobby. All articles are scientifically sound, written in an accessible style and practical in nature — always with reference to the work at the Musicalschule Ahrensburg.

Neuroscience: What happens in the brain when we make music?

One of the key focuses on musical.schule is the question of how musical theatre training changes a child’s brain. Over the last two decades, neuroscience has made some fascinating discoveries: children who actively play music, sing and dance show measurably stronger neural connections than their non-musical peers. In the article Music and Brain Plasticity, we explain the current state of research in detail — from MRI studies at Northwestern University’s Brainvolts Laboratory to long-term studies at Harvard Medical School.

Particularly fascinating: the much-cited Mozart effect — the idea that passively listening to music makes children smarter — has turned out to be a myth. Our article The Mozart Effect Debunked. The short answer: the brain needs to do, not just consume. And that is precisely what musical theatre training offers, with its multidisciplinary combination of singing, dancing and acting.

Developmental psychology: How musical theatre lessons strengthen personality

Another focus on musical.schule is on how musical theatre lessons promote children’s emotional and social development. In How musical theatre lessons strengthen emotional intelligence, we describe how role-play fosters empathy, how ensemble work develops social skills, and why the safe environment of a musical theatre school is the ideal place to acquire emotional tools for life.

For parents whose children get nervous before performances, we have written the article Stage fright or social anxiety disorder?In it, we explain the difference between normal stage fright and clinical anxiety, and how a gradual introduction to stage situations — as we practise at Musical Kids and Musical Teens courses — builds self-confidence in the long term.

Vocal training and body awareness

Parents often ask us how they can protect their child’s voice if they sing regularly. Our website offers several in-depth articles on this topic: Breathing Technique for Young Singers explains the basics of diaphragmatic breathing and how breath control not only improves the sound of the voice but also helps with stage fright. In Vocal care for children, we provide practical tips — from proper warm-ups and hydration to warning signs that indicate when to consult an ENT specialist.

Physical development is not neglected either: In Proprioception and Dance, we explain how the ‘sixth sense’ — proprioception — is trained through dance and why this brings benefits far beyond the stage: from better coordination in sport to fewer accidents in everyday life. And for parents of teenagers going through their voice change, Voice Change and Singing Lessons offers guidance on how to safely organise singing lessons during this sensitive phase.

Why every child benefits from musicals

One of the most-read articles is Why every child benefits from musical theatre experience — even without ambitions to perform on stage. The message: musical theatre lessons are not a preparation for a stage career, but one of the most versatile forms of holistic child development. It trains both body and mind simultaneously, strengthens working memory and executive functions, and promotes linguistic competence and social skills — all within a motivating, creative context that states of flow.

For families with a multilingual background, our article Multilingualism and Musicality is particularly relevant: Music and language share neural networks in the brain, and musical training can measurably support the acquisition of a second language.

From theory to practice: the MSA

Many of the educational approaches described on musical.schule are reflected in the day-to-day work of the Musicalschule Ahrensburg. Whether in the Musical Mini Movers for children aged 3 and over, the Musical Kids, the Musical Teens or the Musical Adults — the combination of academic rigour and practical stage experience is what makes the MSA unique.

Jacqui Dunnley-Wendt, a trained musical theatre performer with engagements in London’s West End, brings over 20 years of international stage experience to her teaching work. Together with Hauke Wendt, she has built up the MSA into one of the most renowned musical theatre training centres in northern Germany — recognised as a vocational training institution for acting, dance and singing.

Curious? Have a browse at musical.schule for in-depth background articles. If you’d like to experience musical theatre training in practice, you can join the Musicalschule Ahrensburg — or book a trial lesson directly and see how theory and practice come together at the Musicalschule Ahrensburg.

New articles published regularly

The editorial team at musical.schule regularly publishes new articles on the topics of voice science, dance pedagogy, developmental psychology and the performing arts. Whether you’re interested in the latest findings on age-appropriate methodology in dance lessons, or in the question of how music supports language acquisition, or for practical tips on voice care for your children — you’ll find what you’re looking for on musical.schule. Bookmark the site and pop in regularly, as new articles are added all the time.