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Music Makers: At the Piano I and II |
 Music Makers: At the Piano is a 60-minute class offering joyful opportunities for building keyboarding skills – along with singing, dancing, drumming, ensemble playing, writing and reading music. Students will use scarves, hoops, maracas, drums, bongos, tambourines, rattles, jingles, sandblocks, rhythm sticks, resonator bars, glockenspiels, keyboards, and the metallophone in class. After completing the 2-year program, students are equipped with the aural, music-reading, and technical skills to be successful in private piano/instrumental lessons.
Music literacy is the goal of our piano class. This will aid the student in all future music making activities. While this curriculum builds on the repertoire and musical skills learned in the Musikgarten 0 – 7 yr. program, it also establishes a music and movement foundation for older students encountering their first formal musical experience.
Students must have either a piano or a keyboard for practice at home (small is okay). Year 1’s curriculum includes 2 student books, 14 notation games, and 4 CD’s. Due to the distribution of books and CD’s, the cost of this class is less every semester of the year. Classes are $16 for each hour-long class, to be paid by the semester, plus the cost of materials. Please consult Jennifer Tutt before mailing enrollment for this age group. Schedule TBA by class.
To register for this class, please go to the "Registration and Order Forms" page.
Supplemental material for Music Makers: At the Piano may be purchased using the Order Form. Please complete the Order Form and send it, along with payment, to 601 Deltino Ct., Lexington, KY 40515. Upon receipt of your order, we will contact you to confirm.
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HOW WILL MUSIC MAKERS: AT THE PIANO BENEFIT MY CHILD?
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Students are learning to play songs on the piano from all the previous years of Musikgarten curricula.
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Class is intended to be more enjoyable and effective than traditional piano lessons for beginners because students are playing songs they know and like in a social setting with friends.
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The social aspect of class will help students want to practice more at home to keep up with their peers.
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Research shows that playing the piano uses more parts of the brain than almost any other activity and burns a tremendous amount of calories.
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This class provides a pathway to music literacy, as students are hearing, playing, reading, and writing their pieces.
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Students learn how to transpose pieces to different keys as well as add broken and block chords to a melody.
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The right hand and left hand both learn to play the melody and the harmony.
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There is an aural focus to class: students don’t just read the notes, they listen to whether it sounds correct or not.
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Students use Listening CD’s at home to build aural awareness of the music.
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Students also use Practice CD’s to help in daily practice at home.
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Students play pieces in duple/triple meters, major/minor tonalities, and use two and three note tonic/dominant chords.
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Children are exposed to jazz music and learn skills for improvisation.
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Parents learn how to help their child by participating in the last few minutes of each class and utilizing the CD’s and workbooks at home.
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Students can go on to private lessons in piano or other instruments with a wonderful preparation for the challenges and discipline required to succeed and become proficient.
- Students develop overall musicianship and ensemble skills that will help in private piano, band, or orchestra later.​
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Here is More Information About Music Makers: At the Piano:
- This is a 2-year program, equivalent to the first 2 years of private piano lessons
- There are 3 semesters in a year
- There are 15 hour-long classes in each semester
- Parents participate in the last 5 – 15 minutes of class to learn songs, dances, and assignments for home practice
Curriculum:
- Music literacy is the goal of our class
- This approach to learning is based on the research of Edwin Gordon and his concept of “audiation” (children don’t just read the music, but are able to comprehend the patterns, tonality, and meter)
- It is believed that students must develop aural competency before reading written notation; otherwise students may never fully develop aurally
- This aural-to-visual method of literacy allows children to understand and appreciate music in terms of its tonality, meter, and style, while further refining their ability to listen
- Students work at the piano in every class, as well as developing ensembles using the metallophone, resonator bars, glockenspiel, rattles, rhythm sticks, jingles, sandblocks, drums, bongos, maracas, tambourines, guiro, triangle, etc.
- Drumming is a key element of this curriculum to help students build their sense of touch, increase fine motor skills, and gain an understanding of dynamics and rhythm
- Students will play and sing songs in major and minor keys, duple and triple meters, a variety of styles, and use tonic and dominant chords in both hands
- Flashcards are used to read rhythm and tonal patterns (both melodic and harmonic)
- Flashcard games study various musical forms (example: binary, ternary, and rondo)
- All songs are played in a variety of keys so that transposition becomes an easy, natural process
- This curriculum builds on the skills and repertoire learned in the Musikgarten 0 – 7 year classes, although it does establish a music and movement foundation for older students encountering their first musical experience
- After completing the 2-year program, students are equipped with the aural, listening, music-reading, and technical skills to be successful in private piano/instrumental lessons
Listening CD/Digital Download:
- Please listen to the Listening CD/Digital Download often
- Through repetition, this CD/Digital Download builds an aural understanding of each song learned in class
- It is beneficial to the student to hear quality vocal, piano, and orchestral pieces
- Each listening CD/Digital Download offers traditional children’s songs, multicultural music from around the world, and classical music from a variety of time periods and composers (ex: Bach, Mozart, Schumann, Beethoven, Haydn, Debussy, Chopin, Joplin, Tchaikovsky, Kabalevsky, etc.)
Practice CD/Digital Download:
- This CD/Digital Download is not for everyday listening enjoyment
- The Practice CD/Digital Download should be used for specific assignments marked in the student’s red, green, blue, or yellow workbooks
- Most pieces are presented using the Keyboard Song Process: teacher sings, pause on CD/Digital Download for student to sing, teacher sings and plays simultaneously, pause on CD/Digital Download for student to sing and play together
- This CD/Digital Download gives the students the benefit of a “teacher” at home to help them hear and play pieces accurately
- Note: It will be very helpful for students to develop the ability to sing in tune, so that they will be more successful playing in tune later (especially when transposing to other keys on the piano or playing string, woodwind, or brass instruments)
- Singing songs in class and using the Listening and Practice CD’s/Digital Download’s at home will help build aural skills that will impact a student’s musical ability for a lifetime
Practicing:
- Students must practice often to improve aural and technical skills
- Each student needs a piano or keyboard (small is OK) at home for practice
- It is recommended that pupils practice at least 15 minutes four to five days per week
- A group classroom environment will encourage students to practice at home
- All classroom activities and games are presented in a fun, joyful way, thus increasing the desire for home practice
- Children help teach one another in class to improve their own understanding of the material and boost self-confidence
- You are always welcome to call Jennifer if you are unsure how to help your child at home
- Note: It is very common for a student’s interest in practicing to rise and fall over time; please understand that this is normal. Let us know if you’d like more ideas for boosting the amount of practice time.
Helpful suggestions for parents:
- Please keep food, drinks, toys, and other distractions in the car or hidden from view
- Try to make bathroom stops before class begins
- You can reinforce the information learned in class by helping your child during their daily practice
- Students do not need to bring their own instrument to class
- Students should bring 2 pencils, their workbook and flashcards (in Ziploc bags) to every class
- Please put these materials in a tote bag to keep them clean, dry, and easily accessible in class
- Tote bags can be ordered from Musikgarten
- If you have food or drinks with you, please eat in the Party Room so our waiting room and classrooms stay clean
- Parents and siblings who are waiting during class are welcome to sit, play, or read in the waiting room. Please make sure to clean up any toys or books you use before leaving
Makeup Classes:
- You are welcome to do a makeup class in one of the other Music Makers: At the Piano sections, but it is a good idea to call the teacher of the makeup class in case there have been any schedule changes
- Makeup classes must be done during the same semester as the missed class
Tuition:
- There is a $15 Registration Fee per child which last for the Fall – Fall school year
- First semester tuition (Fall or Spring): $16 per class x 17 classes + $64 materials (red workbook, 8 notation games, and 2 CD’s) + $15 registration fee = $351
- Second semester tuition: $16 per class x 17 classes + $64 materials (green workbook, 6 new notation games, and 2 new CD’s) = $336
- Third semester tuition (Spring or Summer): $16 per class x 17 classes = $272
- There is a sibling discount for families with more than one child enrolled in group MOL classes (two siblings = $30 discount; 3 siblings = $45 discount; etc.). Additionally, sibling books can be purchased for $24 (a $32 discount) for the second or third child doing classes. Sibling books do not have the 2 CD’s/Digital Download’s that the original books contain.
- Student visitors (friends and/or relatives) are welcome to attend class at any time; they can pay just for the class they attend (please call Jennifer ahead of time)
- Tuition fees are nonrefundable except in the cases of extreme student illness or out-of-state moves. Registration and material fees are non-refundable
- You are welcome to order any of the Musikgarten instruments, materials, and T-shirts; it will be beneficial to the student to have a drum and glockenspiel available at home for practice
Performance:
- Every class provides an opportunity for solo music-making (melodic, chordal, vocal, or rhythmic)
- Beginning to play solos in the early years of Musikgarten classes (Cycle of Seasons, God’s Children Sing, Music Makers: At Home in America, Music Makers: Around the World, and both years of Music Makers: At the Piano) will help reduce performance anxiety later
- Students participate in “Keyboard Sharing” (playing solos) during class time and parent time; this builds confidence in performance, develops performance skills, and teaches all students to be respectful listeners
- The last week of each semester will be set aside for a Party where students have a fun mini-recital for families, followed by a potluck dinner
- All students are invited to perform in a formal recital each Fall given by Jennifer Tutt’s private piano students and the Musikgarten Gala recital in December
- To perform in these recitals, students will need to have 1 – 3 private lessons with Jennifer ($19 for 30 minutes) and attend a Studio class and Rehearsal before the actual Recital
- Playing in these recitals is optional; however it is a good idea for all students to at least attend and observe, especially if they are planning to take private lessons later
Private Lessons:
- Please let Jennifer know if you are interested in being on her list for private piano lessons
- Students can take private lessons while doing Music Makers: At the Piano (this will only serve to benefit the student, but is not required)
- Note: In teaching private piano lessons for over 25 years, Jennifer has found her Musikgarten students to learn faster and more easily than students with no prior background. This is not to say that any student, at any age, with any level of background cannot learn to play the piano. It does mean that the more years of Musikgarten experience, the greater a student’s ability to meet the challenges of the piano and other instuments.
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