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Chord Theory

Certified Teachers

Solfege Ear Training

Age Appropriate Methods

In Sound Beginnings, we introduce our youngest Des Moines students to musical concepts. We prepare them to continue their Let’s Play Music journey by teaching nursery rhymes, ear training, movement, instrument play, singing, games, and stories.

Education through musical play

Take a Peek

Look Inside

Sound Beginnings

Pink Piggies Student Materials - $35

(plus sales tax for AZ residents)

Student Materials

Crafted to

Educate & Engage

All children are musical, they just need to be given the right tools!

We've Struck a Chord!

What Parents Are Saying about Sound Beginnings!

Sound Beginnings has exceeded my expectations. It packs so much into each half hour class with an understanding of what it takes to keep preschoolers engaged and interested in musical activities. I am convinced that Sound Beginnings and Let’s Play Music will lead my two young children to musical success.

Kristin C.

I love the Sound Beginnings class for toddlers because it provides a fun, structured environment for my children to discover and learn music. The lessons are active and playful and involve singing, movement/dancing, musical stories, listening, puppet play, and much more. We have so much fun at the lessons, but best of all, we can continue having fun making music at home because we attend together.

Lisa S.

We designed our introductory music classes for babies and toddlers. Des Moines children ages 0-4 enroll with a parent or caregiver. We introduce students to foundational music skills using songs and games. Sound Beginnings has 6 four-month-long semesters. Every semester, students engage in new lessons that integrate games, stories, movements, singing, and activities into their learning and ear training in Des Moines. Each semester also features a new percussion instrument. We use Foundation Elements to guide learning and introduce three preschool topics.

Preschool Concepts

Taught Through Music

Why Sound Beginnings?

Real Face Time

Kids learn best when they feel nurtured and loved. That is why we provide parents with the necessary tools to connect with their children. We encourage playtime at home and in class to help families build a solid learning framework so kids can thrive.

The Let's Play Music curriculum is centered in the teachings of the music masters Kodaly, Orff and Dalcroze.  These men were revolutionist who changed the attitudes of teaching music to children.  Their philosophies are at the heart of our curriculum and you will see their methodologies in each detailed lesson plan.

Zoltán Kodály

In the Kodály Method children are first introduced to musical concepts through playful, natural experience. He emphasized the use of the folk song in all early music education, stating that they are the ‘mother tongue’ for teaching music.   Melodic patterning, the repetition of certain notes in a row, trains both the ear and the eye to read the patterns on the staff.  Adding solfeg handsigns and syllables further enhanced the learning experience. He used both folk music and songs that are based on the pentatonic scale to help teach the art of singing in tune.

Émile Jaques-Dalcroze

The Dalcroze method, taught in his Eurhythmics schools, is another approach music educators use to foster music appreciation, ear-training and improvisation while improving musical skills. In this method, the body is the main instrument.  Students learn rhythm and structure by listening to music and expressing what they hear through spontaneous bodily movement. (I.e. walking to quarter notes, skipping to dotted notes.)

Carl Orff

In the Carl Orff approach, children are taught concepts through improvisation, composition and a natural sense of play.  He taught using folk music and music composed by the children themselves.  All musical concepts were taught through singing, chanting, dance, movement, drama and the playing of percussion instruments. He believed the order of instruments should be: 1. Body Percussion  2. Voice  3. Simple Percussion Instruments  4. Barred Instruments

(For example, our tone bell set is an Orff instrument!)

Let's Play Music was founded in great educational philosophies

Learning From the Masters

Program Costs

Sound Beginnings music classes for babies and toddlers in Des Moines has two separate costs.

A student materials fee is paid directly to Let's Play Music during annual enrollment.

The tuition is paid in monthly installments directly to your local Des Moines instructor. Please email them for information about cost. You can expect each monthly installment to be approximately the same investment as introductory piano lessons. The tuition fee includes classroom instruments, parent training and communication, classes, and teaching tools.
 

Ready to Begin?

Out teachers are ready and wating. (clever muscial pun?)

FPO

Find a teacher today!

We train and mentor all our teachers for three years. Find a certified Des Moines instructor today. 

Foundational Elements

In class we read stories, practice our ABCs and letter sounds. we also are going to learn about weather, seasons, and words that rhyme!

We use our bodies as instruments to feel and perform a steady beat. Steady beat is crucial to developing rhythm skills and supports math skills. 

We are surrounded by correct signing on the semester CDs and in class. Students are encouraged to participate in appealing vocal play, make high and low sounds and use the minor third to learn to match pitch and sing in tune.

Fingerplay to nursery rhymes helps students focus on and enjoy fine motor movements. We also practice making the ABCs in sign language.  Younger students enjoy the observation and will attempt the skills which is great practice too! 

Full body movement builds muscle strength, hand/eye coordination and develops balance. Gross motor also connects the two hemispheres of the brain, promoting improved cognition.

We expose students to the finest music literature. Our "Smart Moves" dances involve the whole body in an enjoyable classical music experience. Each semester, we study the specific timber of different instruments and group them by family.

This class is for children and their "grown up" to enjoy together. We will focus on building and strengthing these relationships in class. We provide partner activities with intentional eye contact, trust elements, and physical touch to nurture the highly significant relationship. 

Sound beginnings includes research-based elements that stimulate growth in the areas particularly crucial to the development of the young child. These elements make up the foundation of the Sound Beginnings curriculum.

Explore our classes!

Read more about our other programs below.

Ages 4-6

We teach foundational music lessons and piano to children ages 4-6 in our flagship program. They learn chord theory, note reading, and how to sing and recognize the notes do-re-mi, etc.

Ages 7-12

Older children learn correct piano techniques during our accelerated music program.

Sound Beginnings uses research-based learning techniques in all of our music classes for babies and toddlers in Des Moines to help them grow.

Foundational Elements

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