The School Year Program...

Blast Off or permission of instructor is required for enrollment in the the Year-Long course. Early registration is the only way to insure that you will receive placement in a class. Space is limited, so register soon.

The Year-Long course is a program that starts in September and runs through May and parallels the public school holidays. It consists of thirty, 45 minute lessons and is designed to give students a well rounded piano education. For beginners, the course picks up where Blast Off ended. It introduces the language of staff notes, the first step to reading written pitches. The Mayron Cole method transitions beautifully into staff note reading and takes a graduated approach, providing a firm foundation on which to build new concepts. The lessons will not only deal with playing and using written music, but will also explore ear training. Intervals will be introduced and students will learn how to identify them by their sound and how they are written on the page.

How does your child fit in?

Children are placed into classes with students of the same ability level. Beginning class sizes are generally limited to eight students, with the exception of kinder and first grade classes which are generally limited to five students. Children in kindergarten and first grade are placed in separate classes. Other grade levels may be combined in the following manner: second and third grade, fourth and fifth grade, and sixth through eighth grade.

How are classes structured?

Each student has the use of an electronic keyboard on which they learn new music and review past week's music. Students play together along with the teacher who plays an accompanying part. This process encourages students to count and use a steady tempo while playing in class and at home. Emphasis is placed on rhythm early on and students are encouraged to count aloud together instilling an almost subconscious sense of rhythm. There are plenty of opportunities for solos and reviewing old pieces as the students take turns playing separate lines of the music. Creative music theory games and activities are used actively in class to teach and reinforce musical concepts. Rhythm exercises and ear training are also incorporated into every lesson to help develop a natural sense of rhythm and pitch.

Students are encouraged to practice using a reward system. Regular daily practice and homework completion is rewarded with sticker points. These are also given in class for active participation and good behavior. The stickers awarded are collected on the cover of their piano books and are redeemable for prizes from the prize box. The prize box is stocked with various goodies.

What musical materials are used?

All classes use the Mayron Cole Group Piano Method, the number one group method in the country. This method combines a sound music education with the fun of playing music with your peers! Each book contains everything the student needs to progress easily in class, including original music, rhythm exercises, theory fun sheets, music history and favorite classics. Rhythm Clappers, fun and skill building prerecorded rhythm exercises with corresponding notation, will also be assigned every week to encourage students to focus on counting and playing correct rhythms. This is often a major deficiency in beginning pianists. Mystery Melodies are a fun way to reinforce these concepts. Melodies are created using the intervals they have learned in class and they are asked to play them back after hearing them. This begins to build the "play by ear" ability that is widely known to increase musical enjoyment.

Register now HERE!