Now that you've started Let's Play Music class, you might be wondering, why haven't we touched the keyboards yet? Why isn't my child diving into drills and building a repertoire of songs already? What's the delay? Is my child falling behind in music?
I always say, "We're not just about piano, voice, or theory—we're a total musicianship program." Our approach is broad by design, offering much more than just technique and songs.
Why Musicianship Matters
Can your child read music but struggle to improvise?
Imagine them playing intricate piano pieces beautifully yet struggling with learning new songs or playing by ear. Perhaps they miss mistakes until pointed out or feel perplexed by the idea of improvisation. Conversely, they might effortlessly play The Itsy-Bitsy Spider by ear but feel overwhelmed by new sheet music. In these scenarios, crucial aspects of musicianship are overlooked.
At Let's Play Music, we prioritize developing all facets of musicianship before transitioning to specialized programs like private lessons, ensuring a solid foundation that yields long-term benefits.
The Big Five Skills of Musicianship
I tried to capture what makes a musician beyond just playing one song. Fortunately, this idea is neatly summarized in an interview on www.easyeartraining.com with Dr. Chad West.
Dr. West, a respected expert and author, outlines five essential skills that define musicianship:
Executive: Mastering technical proficiency.
Notation: Understanding written music and theory.
Rhythmic: Grasping timing and rhythmic patterns.
Tonal: Developing ear training through singing.
Creativity: Fostering the ability to create and innovate with music.
While many focus on technical and theoretical skills, the Let's Play Music approach ensures a balanced development across all these crucial areas, empowering students to truly embody musicianship from an early age.
What We Cover
Note reading
Music theory: playing in multiple keys, transposing, chord inversions, progressions, scales, and more
Ear training: recognizing intervals, chords, progressions, and melodic patterns
Playing by ear: applying ear-training skills to the keyboard
Sight singing: solfege and note reading
Vocal training
Dictation: melodic and harmonic
Sight reading and piano playing: two-handed repertoire in various keys, piano technique
Improvisation: melodic and chord-style improv
Ensemble playing and singing: harmonizing, following a conductor, listening to multiple parts
Analysis of simple and classical music
Exploring music from different styles
Arranging and composing: creating piano compositions
If you're thinking, "My piano lessons didn't cover all that when I was young!" — times have changed! Our carefully crafted programs are designed to nurture a well-rounded musician in every student.
You Can Cultivate Talent
Once these skills are in place, people will say, "They're a talented musician!" not just, "They play piano well!"
To address questions like "Why aren't we playing piano yet?" and "Are we falling behind?" the answer is we are building total musicians.
In our first year of class, we're focusing on training the ear and brain for musical success. We're also developing both large and small muscle groups through activities like autoharp and tone bell performance. We're deeply embedding how music functions through diverse types of training. Then when we do start piano, we'll excel as total musicians.
And remember, when your child asks, "What are we doing in class today?" just say, "We'll have fun with songs and games!" It's where all the hard work happens without them even realizing it.
Enroll them in one of our classes and watch them become a total musician.
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