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.

Music Safari 2021-2022

We’re currently reviewing schedules and will be posting plans soon, early August, for the upcoming school year.  Please check back soon or send us your contact information to receive e-news alerts.  We’ve been safely in-person during summer 2021 and are hoping we can offer an in-person or hybrid option for Fall 2021.

Music Safari 2020-2021

Due to the COVID-19 situation, Music Safari will be offered online, remotely, continuing through May 2021.  While working remotely, students will gather together by zoom every few weeks, and in smaller groups of 2 or 3 in between our full group gatherings – depending upon final class size.

Registration & Tuition

Materials Fee:  $40

September Full Year Class, 24 weeks

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

• If you pay in full at the time of registration, you’ll receive a $100 discount.

Payment Amounts for each option:

• Option One:  One payment,  full year (save $100):
  • $590 + $40 – $100 discount = $530
• Option Two:  Two payments
  • $295 + $40 = $335, Due upon registration
  • $295 due January 10.  We’ll ask for a credit card number for auto-withdrawal on January 10th.

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
  Due upon registration
• $295 2nd payment due in advance of September start date.

To Register for Beginning Keyboard

• Please note that tuition for group classes is non-refundable once a registration has been submitted.
• As this class has limited enrollment, we recommend registering in advance.

Register

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

September Full Year Class, 24 weeks

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

• If you pay in full at the time of registration, you’ll receive a $100 discount.

Payment Amounts for each option:

• Option One:  One payment,  full year (save $100):
  • $590 + $40 – $100 discount = $530
• Option Two:  Two payments
  • $295 + $40 = $335, Due upon registration
  • $295 due January 10.  We’ll ask for a credit card number for auto-withdrawal on January 10th.

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
  Due upon registration
• $295 2nd payment due in advance of September start date.

To Register for Beginning Keyboard

• Please note that tuition for group classes is non-refundable once a registration has been submitted.
• As this class has limited enrollment, we recommend registering in advance.

Register

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, October 5th, 2020  running through January 11.
  • No class Columbus day or Veteran’s Day; No class Christmas/New Year’s week.
• Session Two and Half Year January Start:
  • Starting January 25, 2021 running through May 3.  No class February and April public school vacation weeks.
    Please allow May 10 and May 17 for potential make ups.

Make-ups potentially include teacher sickness and/or one bad weather cancellation.  Any additional weather (significant storm with power outages) 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.