A beginning keyboard and music literacy class for Kindergarten and Grade 1

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Welcome To Music Safari:  A Beginning Keyboard Class

Music Safari runs September to May; OR choose our class starting January.  Our January class will resume in September, continuing into December.

Music Safari, taught by seasoned educator Sarah Okerlund,  is a beginning keyboard and music literacy class, for Kindergarten and Grade 1.  To be ready for this class, a child should fall within the parameters that typically define age 5/6 developmental readiness.  If your child has any learning delays, please let us know in advance of registering so we can advise if this class is right for you.

More About Music Safari

Music Safari will introduce students to the keyboard, develop basic musicianship skills, and use music exploration as part of learning.

• We’ll be focused on building skills connected to rhythm and pitch, through singing, movement and rhythm activities;
• We’ll introduce note reading as part of learning to play piano/keyboard; and
• During the course of the year-long curriculum, we’ll provide students opportunities to experience some of the more common musical instruments.

The Role of Parent or Caregiver

We require that a parent or caregiver (preferably the same adult each week) be present at each class as observer and learner.  The attending adult will become a partner in learning so they can assist the Music Safari student with practice time at home.  We recommend 10 to 15 minute practice sessions daily, five out of seven days a week.

Before you Enroll for Beginning Keyboard Class

Before our first class, families should have a keyboard, with preferably full size keys and a minimum of 61 keys total, for at home practice.  If you have limited finances, please speak with us regarding financial aid and support in finding an instrument.

What we Provide

The materials fee covers supplies provided as part of your enrollment:

• Piano book
• Colored pencils
• Note book/binder
• Access to a keyboard during class time

Registration & Tuition

Materials Fee:  $40

January Half Year/Part A Class, 12 weeks.  Followed by September Half Year/Part B Class.

Half-year tuition for January to May, 12 weeks.

• $295 + $40 = $335 with credit card / $323 discounted if paying check or cash
  Due upon registration

For September to December, Part B tuition will be $295 with credit card / $283 check or cash.

September Full Year Class, 24 weeks

Tuition for September class, full year, 24 weeks:  $590 with discounts available.

• If you pay in full at the time of registration, you’ll receive a $100 discount.
• If you pay by check or cash, your tuition will include a 4% cash/check discount

Payment Amounts for each option:

• Option One:  One payment,  full year (save $100):
  • $590 + $40 – $100 discount = $530 with credit card/ discounted to $510 if paying by check/cash
• Option Two:  Two payments
  • $295 + $40 = $335 with credit card / $323 discounted if paying check/cash
    Due upon registration
  • $295 with credit card  / $283 discounted if paying check/cash
    Due January 10

To Register for Beginning Keyboard

To register, please visit our Register section of the web site.

Please note that tuition for group classes is non-refundable once a registration has been submitted.

At this class has limited enrollment, we recommending registering in advance.

What Will You Learn as part of Beginning Keyboard?

At the end of the year, we’ll have taught each student some of the basic skills needed to succeed in private piano, violin or cello lessons and some wind instruments (depending on age).

Or, you may wish to continue into our 2nd Year Music Odyssey Class where we’ll build on what has been learned during Music Safari.

Most students, by the end of the year  can…

• maintain a steady beat by feeling rhythm physically
• create and identify changes in pitch by using one’s voice and the keyboard
• transfer the feeling of steady beat and pulse into groupings of 2’s, 3’s and 4’s.  And…
• translate simple pitch and rhythm changes into written music

Students will learn music vocabulary around staff, measures, clefs; also basic pitch and rhythm notation.

For our final week of class, we’ll host a student performance for family members.

Class Schedule

LOCATION:  This class is scheduled at our primary location in Worcester, 10 Irving Street (2nd Floor).

DAY:   Beginning keyboard class meets once a week on MONDAYS.

TIME:

• FULL Year Class:  4:15 to 5:15 pm
• HALF YEAR Starting January Class:  5:15 to 6:15.

START DATES:

The Full Year class is divided into two twelve week sessions.

• Session One:
  • Starting Monday, September 30th running through January 13.
  • No class Columbus day or Veteran’s Day; No class Christmas/New Year’s week.
• Session Two and Half Year January Start:
  • Starting January 27 running through April 29.  No class February and April public school vacation weeks.
    Please allow May 4 and May 11 for potential make ups.

Make-ups potentially include teacher sickness and/or one bad weather cancellation.  Any additional weather cancellations will not be made up.

As this is a group class, we are unable to provide a make-up for student absences.

Prerequisites for Beginning Keyboard

While we do not require any specific pre-requisites, prior enrollment in early childhood Music Together classes for between three and five years will provide a firm foundation for mastering the class curriculum.

Students should be at a typical developmental stage for this age range.  This Education Corner web page provides helpful development information.