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Looking for a program for your toddler or preschooler? Check out Sound Beginnings!
Let’s Play Music is a three-year musicianship course designed for children to start between the ages of 4-6. In year one, kids learn foundational music concepts with the aim of preparing them for keyboard in year two. In year two, kids begin playing piano. In year three, kids start playing from songbooks using left hand chords and right hand melodies. Best of all, the classes are FUN and age and developmentally appropriate!
Check out the concepts we address in the first year to prep for keyboard playing (Click here for a detailed description):
• Audiation - hearing music ‘in our heads’
• Staff reading - we teach the children to understand the function of a music staff and identify the relationships between two notes before we start labeling the notes.
• Rhythm - steady beat, subdivision, imitation, notation
• Chords and Harmony - we introduce the I, IV and V chords, which are the three chords that make up 90% of the music we hear.
• Classical Music Appreciation - we use engaging puppet shows to introduce instruments, repeating sections, themes, motives and variations!
Let's Play Music is designed to make a complete musician and prepares children for success in private lessons on any instrument. Or, for those who may not pursue private lessons later on, provides a strong musical foundation that will enable your child to continue playing and enjoying music on their own terms for the rest of their lives. See the entire Scope and Sequence here.
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$80
Per month (8 mo)
$640/yr
$85
Per month (8 mo)
$680/yr
$90
Per month (8 mo)
$720/yr
Please read the following instructions before enrolling. When ready, click the button below to be taken to the enrollment site.
1st Year materials include an 8 Tone Bell Set with carrying case and mallets, student binder with weekly Lesson Guides and Theory Assignments, Flashcards, Home Study CDs, and a Tote Bag. 2nd and 3rd Year materials include Piano Songbooks, Home Study CDs, Flashcards and new weekly Lesson Guides and Theory Assignments. 3rd Year set also includes a Connections Student Book designed to transition the graduating student smoothly into private piano lessons. Visit the Student Materials page for complete information including cost
Ideal starting age is 4 or 5 in September. However, since the skills and concepts taught are quite advanced, many children have begun classes at ages 6 and finished successfully.
The curriculum is organized into 6 sequential semesters spanning 3 years. It follows the regular school year (September-May). Visit the Curriculum page for complete information
Classes are taught weekly. 1st year: 45 minutes, 2nd year: 50 minutes, 3rd year: 55 minutes. Visit the Registration Info page for complete information.
Optimum class size is 6-7 children, though there may be anywhere from 4-8
It has been well documented that children in group settings learn and perform better. They are more comfortable and stimulated in this environment. They thrive on the synergy and playful interaction of the Let’s Play Music class. Visit the Philosophy page for complete information.
Parent involvement in music training is crucial. Parents are involved at home and in class. The 1st Year, parent/caregiver attends with the child every other week. The 2nd and 3rd Years, parent attendance is only once a month, though at home involvement remains high.
Let’s Play Music adheres to the philosophy that the voice is the first musical instrument. Most of class time is spent singing. The voice is trained to sing in tune, to sing naturally and openly, to sing in harmony, and to sing accompanied. At ages 4-8, specific tone, placement or support instruction is not completely beneficial. Let’s Play Music is not a performing group.
There is a beautiful balance of ear training and note reading in Let’s Play Music. Note reading is not delayed and the traditional letter names are taught so that graduates make a smooth transition to traditional private piano lessons.
Research has proven that age 4-5 is an ideal age for music instruction. The ears are at prime listening capacity and the brain is busy connecting a network of neurons. Let’s Play Music captures this opportunity window by training the ears without requiring the finger strength or dexterity that a piano does.
In the 1st Year, lines and spaces of the staff take on meaning as children are taught to read steps and skips; ups and downs. An awareness for how the staff works is internalized before children are required to memorize the letter name of specific lines or spaces. In the 2nd Year, intervals and chords are added to staff reading skills as well as select note names such as middle B, C and D. The 3rd Year adds the letter names of all the lines and spaces of treble and bass clef. Most children are 6 or 7 at this point and are ready for this letter labeling of staff position.
Three main instruments are utilized in the 1st Year. The first is the singing voice. We sing, teach to sing in tune, sing in harmony and sing accompanied. The melody instrument is the Tone Bell set, which is arranged step-wise like a piano but does not require individual finger control or strength. For harmony training, children learn chord quality and accompanying skills by playing the autoharp.
No. Let’s Play Music is highly sequential, meaning that concepts are introduced and then built upon. Completion of the 1st Year is a pre-requisite to registration for the 2nd Year.
The piano becomes the instrument for instruction and practice in the 2nd and 3rd Years. Each child plays on his/her own full size keyboard in class and needs one for practice at home. Because of the intensive training in staff reading during the first year, this transition to piano is smooth and natural.
After graduation, students are prepared to excel in private piano instruction. They enter private lessons with knowledge of note names, rhythmic values, chord structure, etc, and with skills of playing scales and cadences in five keys, transposing, and composing.
Let’s Play Music is the only program that contains over 25 original songs, games and activities that teach precise musical concepts. It incorporates the philosophies of Kodaly, Orff and Dalcroze and adapts them specifically to the piano. Classical music is introduced in “puppet shows” that will forever endear children to this genre. There are numerous innovative, creative ideas for internalizing music. In addition to these items, Let’s Play Music differs from traditional piano methods in that musical concepts are taught through games and full body involvement, it is in a class setting, and ear training is emphasized from the start. Let’s Play Music also differs from other “ear-training” based methods in that note reading is emphasized from the onset and that the traditional letter names are used.
Your child will LOVE it! You will love it because you will see him/her demonstrate advanced musical concepts and skills. Your relationship with your child will grow as you enjoy class time and practice time together, in a playful, nurturing environment. Your child’s talent will become evident as he/she develops into a musician with an in-depth understanding of music theory, classical form, harmony and composition. Your outlook on teaching children music will never be the same!