What Makes Us Different?
What Makes Us Different?
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A child is most ready to learn music at an early age, but their fingers and letter skills are not developed enough to allow for success on the piano. We take full advantage of the brain's ability to absorb musical concepts and teach skills in an age appropriate way. We teach children the way that children learn best: through play, full body movement, peer involvement and experiencing before labeling. In class you'll find solfege hand signs, folk songs, games, imagination and creativity.
The magical aspect of Let’s Play Music is its power to teach, through childish play, complex skills and concepts normally thought to be above young children’s grasp--the 5 year old that can read and perform an eight count rhythm correctly, the preschooler reading notes from a staff and playing correctly on bells, the young child translating abstract symbols into harmonious chords on the autoharp and accompanying a group to a steady beat, the amazement parents feel as they see their very young children perform these tasks: this is the essence of Let’s Play Music.
The Let's Play Music curriculum is centered on the teachings of the music masters Kodaly, Orff and Dalcroze. When a child finishes our 3 year piano and music theory course they speak the language of music. That enables them to pursue private piano lessons or other instrumental instruction and to continue to demonstrate high musical ability throughout their lives.
We Solve the "Piano Playing Dilemma"
We Solve the "Piano Playing Dilemma"
The brain is wired for musical aptitude between the ages of 0 and 9, but fingers and letter skills are not ready until around age 8. A young child's brain is not yet hard-wired and is actively developing circuits. We take advantage of this early exposure.
In Let's Play Music, not only do we teach piano, we develop sight reading, harmony, melody and rhythm skills in such a way that children internalize these skills, and become talented! (read more here)
Let's Play Music Course Overview
Let's Play Music Course Overview
1st Year: Preparation for Keyboard - Red Balloons & Blue Bugs
1st Year: Preparation for Keyboard - Red Balloons & Blue Bugs
In the first year, classes are 45 minutes long. A parent or caregiver attends every other week with their student. This year, we use engaging games and songs and incorporate tone bells to teach staff awareness, ear training, advanced theory concepts, and rhythm skills. We also focus on developing the inner ear, vocalizing, and singing on pitch. This year sets the theory foundation.
Students are introduced to:
the 5 lines and spaces of the staff
the major scale by singing and signing solfeggio syllables (DO, RE, MI)
rhythm and beat
pitch matching
the primary chords and their function
major and minor tonalities
beginning to read music through interval note relationships (steps, skips, leaps) with tone bells
and more...
2nd Year: Introduction to the Keyboard - Green Turtle Shells & Yellow Arrows
2nd Year: Introduction to the Keyboard - Green Turtle Shells & Yellow Arrows
In the second year, classes are 50 minutes long and a caregiver attends once a month with their student. This year, we transfer our skills to the piano where we learn chord notation, intervals, and harmonic improvisation. We also begin singing in harmony using rounds and canons.
Students use keyboards to learn about:
names of the white keys
intervals of seconds through fifths
playing a primary cadence and major scale
playing in contrary motion
singing in harmony
accompanying themselves and their classmates
and more...
3rd Year: Piano Skills - Purple Magic & Orange Roots
3rd Year: Piano Skills - Purple Magic & Orange Roots
In the third and final year, classes are 55 minutes long and caregivers attend once a month with their student. By the end of this year, students are playing piano at a level 1-2, transposing music, composing their own music, sight-reading and sight-singing, have developed relative pitch, understand classical form, and are prepared to excel in further private piano instruction or any other instrument of their choice.
Students will learn:
all the names of the notes on the grand staff
sharps and flats
key signatures
playing the primary chords in 5 keys
transposition
building triads, inverting triads and identifying the root of triads
time signatures
adding chords to a melody
taking rhythmic, melodic and harmonic dictation
traditional counting and note names (quarter note, half note, eighth notes, sixteenth notes)
musical form and expression through classical music
composition of their own piece of music
and more...
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