Piano Classes

Piano: Prep

Piano Prep draws the children gently into the group. Teacher and partners work together to provide a positive setting in which the child can grow both musically and socially.  We are process oriented, not product oriented.  We realize that the most important information the young children are receiving is the joy of music, the inner hearing and inner feeling. These are not “products” that you can immediately see.  We also model how to share music at home with your family and give you specific ideas on what musical activities to enjoy at home.

Tracking pitches on the keyboard while singing:

Tracking pitches on the keyboard is done with the pointer finger or whatever finger is easiest for the child.  Touching, singing, hearing and feeling the pitch move is most important.  This gives the child a strong awareness of the sequence of the notes and their sounds.  Using correct fingering will take away the benefits of the ear development.  Remember – process, not product.  

Finger Preparation for keyboard playing:

Finger games are used to prepare students to use individual fingers in Harmony Road 1.  We use any finger or cluster fingering in Music in Me. Students learn to use individual fingers properly away from the keyboard before being asked to play the keys with individual fingers. We begin with finger names and then add finger numbers. Correct hand and sitting position is taught. 

Musical Terms:

Piano Prep introduces children to musical terms through activities and songs.  Examples are the Clef Song and terms such as “forte” and “piano,” loud and soft.

Developing ensemble concepts: 

Students learn exceptional listening skills by experiencing ensemble, including combinations of body rhythms, percussion activities and keyboard playing.  Students love being part of an “orchestra.”

Feeling rhythm is followed by reading rhythm:

Feeling rhythm is experienced before rhythm reading. Students will feel rhythm in 2, in 3, and in 4.  We use creative and large muscle motions to develop a feeling for pulse and meter.
Students will then learn to read the rhythms that they feel, including quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes, dotted half notes, and whole notes.

Staff and Music Reading: 

Children will recognize the grand staff, bass and treble clefs, line and space notes, notes that are stepping up and down and skipping up and down.  Children are exposed to reading Do – Do and recognize the concept of notes alternating between line, space, line, space, etc.

Listening to all genres of music:

Students are exposed to a wide variety of music including classical.  We include “Carnival of the Animals” by Saint Saens throughout the entire course, through Harmony Road.   Later, in Harmony Road Course, the students will actually play some of the selections that they hear in Music in Me. 

Ages	Partner	Siblings	Length	Tuition	Materials	Day/Time	ENROLL
K in 2011	YES	NO	45 min	$192	$115	Tue 1:30p
K in 2011	YES	NO	45 min	$192	$115	Tue 6:15p
K in 2011	YES	NO	45 min	$192	$115	Thu 4:15p
K in 2011	YES	NO	45 min	$192	$115	Sat 11:00a