At Let's Play Music, we embrace the process of learning. We embrace the entire process of learning, including acknowledging mistakes, having courage to try, and embracing opportunities to increase confidence.
A Happy Musician
One reason you chose Let's Play Music for your child's first musical adventure is because you want him to come to love music; you know that love is going to motivate him for years to come! Students (and parents too!) will inevitably hit a moment when they may say to themselves: "I'm not doing it right! I'm not good at this! I just can't get this right!" But at LPM, we embrace that not doing it right and making mistakes are vital steps in the process of learning! The struggle is part of the process, and the process doesn't make us sad!
Four Stages of Learning
Understanding these stages can help you stay positive through challenges.
Unconscious Incompetence: "I don’t know I don’t know." This is the stage of Blissful Ignorance. Your child might think they're amazing at the piano just by tapping and doodling. Let them enjoy this phase!
Conscious Incompetence: "I realize I don’t know how to do this yet." This is the toughest stage, marked by frustration. Encourage perseverance by acknowledging that struggle is normal and part of the process. Keep working toward goals, despite setbacks.
Conscious Competence: "I know I know how to do this." Your child is improving but still needs to focus and think about their skills. Encourage continued practice to move from competence to mastery.
Unconscious Competence: "I know how to do this without thinking." Skills become automatic. Use past successes to motivate your child through new challenges, reinforcing that perseverance leads to mastery.
We value the learning process at every step along the pathway to mastery.
Modes of Learning
At Let's Play Music, we incorporate educational psychology to support a multi-sensory approach, enhancing the learning process. The four learning modes are visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic. While children may have a preferred mode, they can develop skills in others with practice.
Our classes use various activities to engage each mode.
Visual: Magnetic staff, puppets, hand signs
Auditory: Singing, ear-training, echoing, listening
Tactile: Strumming, keyboarding, tapping, clapping
Kinesthetic: Dancing, moving, jumping, conducting
Play, as research shows, is a key motivator and enhancer of learning.
We value the learning process in every mode.
Product vs. Process
Observable change is a result of learning, but at Let's Play Music, we focus on learning as a process. Instead of just ensuring students master a set of piano songs perfectly, we emphasize acquiring new skills, knowledge, and values. Each child’s unique background means they will have a different experience and competency level. Our assessments encourage personal growth rather than comparison, which is especially important for siblings. In composing, students are encouraged to pursue what is meaningful and interesting to them.
We value the learning process as an individual experience for each student.
A Three-Year Process
Meaningful Learning: We emphasize understanding concepts deeply and relating them to existing knowledge. The LPM curriculum is sequential, building skills from simple to complex, enabling students to construct meaning effectively.
Experience Before Learning: Students first experience musical concepts, then form conclusions and create references. For instance, they master note patterns before learning to read them symbolically.
Reinforcement Before Labeling: Concepts are repeatedly reinforced before labeling, such as note names and rhythm terminology, which occurs in the third year, after students grasp the concepts.
Completing the Program: Finishing the three-year program ensures that students can integrate their experiences into a solid musical understanding, with activities designed to culminate in a comprehensive grasp of basic musical concepts.
We value the time, repetition, and experience needed to allow for meaningful learning.
Our classes are patterned and structured differently from other programs; you'll understand why as you learn more about the values of Let's Play Music.
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