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An overview of the skills and concepts covered in our Pre-Notes curriculum
Understanding how essential it is to have an overarching plan, we have laid out exactly how we approach piano learning in the skills and concepts overview.
Classes are held on Thursday from 2:00-2:30 in Ankeny.
Weekly 30 minute lessons - Sessions run in 8-10 week terms
When?
$75 per month or $225 for the term plus an annual $25 registration fee.
How Much?
Ideal for ages 3-4.5 years old who are potty trained and ready to learn with friends.
Ages?
In Pre-Notes we use a variety of creative arts and manipulatives to develop our fine motor skills.
What we Do...
We move to music and develop our sense of pulse, using engaging props.
What we Do...
We use call-and-response songs to develop rhythm and pitch awareness and we listen to a wide variety of genres and styles of music.
What we Do...
We improvise on various non-pitched and pitched instruments like the piano, and talk about musical elements.
What we Do...
We explore patterns and puzzles which help prepare us for future theory skills.
What we Do...
Exploratory Piano
In Pre-Notes we use a variety of creative arts and manipulatives to develop our fine motor skills. We move to music and develp our sense of pulse, using engaging props. We use call-and-response songs to develop rhythm and pitch awareness and we listen to a wide variety of genres and styles of music. We improvise on various non-pitched and pitched instruments like the piano, and talk about musical elements. We explore patterns and puzzles which help prepare us for future theory skills.
We become mini musicians!
Dynamics: loud/soft
Tempo: fast/slow
Pitch: high/low
Many young children are simply not ready for the intensity of individual, one to one music lessons which traditionally follow a linear method. Learning in groups allows young children to explore and experiment with music in a low intensive format.
Our lessons are jam-packed with a variety of fun musical activities designed to cater for all learning styles, and our innovative cyclical curriculum allows young learners the opportunity to learn at their own pace.
Why Group Piano?
The best way to be engaged in any activity is to share it with others. By learning in a group, you are joining a community of musicians. You make friends, share the joy of making music together, and peer teach each other. Within a group, students make friends with like-minded musicians and forge deep, long lasting relationships.
Start Younger
Games are a fun, engaging and interactive way of learning about music. In lessons we use a variety of games and activities away from the piano to reinforce learning and introduce new concepts. This ensures all learning styles are provided for and makes learning more secure for all.
Learn through Games
Ensemble playing is inherently integral to collaborative group learning. The benefits of playing and performing in an ensemble are huge, with the most important being that it is fun.
Playing together helps develop the whole musician with benefits including: Social and emotional well-being by sharing our activity with others; teamwork; attention to detail; maintaining an individual part; reinforcing the learning through playing; following a leader; sometimes being the leader; increased sense of pulse; the ability to keep going; and many more!
Ensemble Playing
Group piano means a lot than more than one student learning at a time. At KeyNotes Music we believe in collaborative learning - learning together! Learning together is both fun and beneficial to young learners and peer motivation is a huge factor in the success of collaborative learning.
In a group setting students can be inspired by listening and watching the achievements of their friends and trying to emulate their success, they are able to help each other if they get stuck and students are able to provide and learn from the feedback of their classmates.
Differentiation is built into all workbooks, with four challenge levels available for each piece so that children are able to access the music at a level they feel comfortable. We find that this approach encourages students to try the next challenge, because they have seen one of their friends having a go.
Peer Motivation
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"We are so grateful to have discovered Mrs Shelia and Selah Music Studio!!
We appreciate how she encourages her students to use their talents to glorify the Lord. She clearly loves her students, and loves teaching! She makes learning fun, and my 6 year old looks forward to her weekly lesson! What a blessing Shelia has been in our lives!"
So Grateful
- Jennifer
"We started at Selah when Ingrid was 5 and have loved seeing her grow in her skills. Mrs. Shelia has made the lesson pace personal to her needs and has made the atmosphere so welcoming for her. We really love piano lesson days, and have been thankful for how learning piano has become a joy for our daughter."
-Molly
Growing in her skills
"As a mom of three girls who have taken private and group lessons with Selah Music Ankeny, I've been able to see how each of them has blossomed into musicians in their own right over the years. My girls still sing fun warm up songs that they learned from Mrs. Shelia over 10 years ago. Shelia has invested into the heart of our children both spiritually and musically. We can't imagine what it would have been like to have music in our lives without her."
- Jenn
Inspiring
"I heard back from the music department at Dordt. I received two vocal music scholarships! Thank you so much for helping me prepare for my audtion. It helped me so much!"
