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In early piano instruction, beginning participants build a solid foundation of basic skills, while those who transfer to us build upon what they learned earlier. Score interpretation takes on more detail and depth; participants learn to transpose both aurally and visually, and expand their knowledge to 24 major and minor keys, modes, synthetic scales, blues scales, etc. They learn more elite technique skills while becoming much more adept in creating an individual mental model of every piece they learn. Our program explicitly teaches participants to become better in group participation and to build more efficient conceptual memory networks so as to learn longer pieces efficiently. Participants practice content using Lindsley's Precision Teaching methods to help participants gain accuracy.
Beginner participants also employ Wimbley's Think-Aloud-Problem-Solving TAPS (think aloud problem solving) to gain more elite reading skills, score scanning skills and technique training. Teachers help participants to learn to think out loud through talking, writing and demonstrating knowledge of each step.
All of our participants have to undergo a core curriculum we refer to as our foundation and beginner curriculum. This path takes the participant from early beginner to an early intermediate level Classically trained musician. These are just SOME of the things participants along this path will learn:
- How to shift into "performance mode" and achieve "flow state" for optimal performance. Athletes refer to this as being "in the zone."
- How to correctly sightread music in all 12 major and minor keys as well as pieces utilizing dorian, phrygian and lydian modes and pentatonic scales. participants understand what they need to look for and how to go about reading a piece of music, understanding key and time signatures in order to play it correctly on the first attempt.
- How to sound out and "play by ear" the melody from pieces they are assigned, or simple tunes heard at school, on the radio, television, or anywhere else.
- How to harmonize and notate a given melody with standard chord progressions from any major or minor key.
- How to memorize a piece of music quickly and efficiently. Memorization is essential to performing. We teach our participants how to take a short piece of music and learning it from start to finish in as little as 1 week.
- How to play along with accompaniments we've created that go with the pieces they learn. participants learn to play along without getting "off track" or learn to "jump in" and to "keep going" even when they have trouble.
- How to learn music autonomously; our participants have the capability to learn a piece on their own without help from us and still get basic elements (notes, rhythms, fingering) entirely correct.
- How to conceptualize a piece of music: understanding of form and structure (how the piece is put together). Knowledge of binary, ternary, and sonata form. Ability to do harmonic analysis.
- How to play using solid piano technique without bad habits; participants play in curved "Classical" hand position, otherwise known as the adjusted position.
- How to improvise and compose a musical phrase or compose a variation on a given theme. Our participants know how to write that sounds both tonal and atonal. They know about proper phrase length, logical chord progressions, inversions, repetitions and sequences.
- How to "self-activate." That is, how to know go forward and learn a something spontaneously without having to be told to do so. Our participants express a strong desire to go ahead and learn another piece of music. We don't have to "badger" them; they do so quite willingly and on their own.
- How to play music in popular styles, including Rock, Jazz, Blues, Ragtime, and Disco. Our participants also learn and play holiday music and learn lots of Christmas, Hannukah, and Halloween music.
- Much more!
Project-Based Learning
Beginning this year, 2008-2009, participants with research interests will learn to identify and carry through a research project. We will identify groups of participants who will benefit from project-based learning and those participants will learn to identify their own areas of interest, then conduct an investigation into that area. participants will be experts at different parts of the project and will report their knowledge to others.
Join our program so your child can begin learning now! Take advantage of this one-of-a-kind program to enhance your child's brain.
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