"Being in a shared lesson is great because I learn from my classmate and the focus isn’t completely on me! Kathy is very knowledgeable and presents things very clearly and with lots of encouragement (and fun!). I only had a few traditional lessons as a kid, but Simply Music lessons with Kathy are a far cry from what I remembered piano lessons being."
-Childlight Music Student
Simply Music Piano Classes
The Simply Music program is ‘playing-based'. We use students’ existing visual, aural and physical skills, combine these with their natural sense of music, and subsequently achieve unprecedented results. The bottom line is that Simply Music students get to experience the absolute joy and satisfaction that comes from immediately acquiring a huge repertoire of great-sounding music.
Unlike learning by rote, this program is tactile, experiential and multi-sensory, with students being physically, visually and aurally absorbed. After building a repertoire of 35 to 50 pieces covering a broad range of musical styles, students go on to learn Simply Music’s unique approach to reading music, as well as develop a powerful foundation for learning the more formal aspects of music education.
Our foundation for achieving results and the thrust of our efforts are directed towards the following goals for you as a student:
Simply Music piano classes are available for anyone, ages 5 - 105. Classes are offered Monday - Thursday, with lessons scheduled during the afternoons and evenings. Please call or email for more information about the right class for you.
Unlike learning by rote, this program is tactile, experiential and multi-sensory, with students being physically, visually and aurally absorbed. After building a repertoire of 35 to 50 pieces covering a broad range of musical styles, students go on to learn Simply Music’s unique approach to reading music, as well as develop a powerful foundation for learning the more formal aspects of music education.
Our foundation for achieving results and the thrust of our efforts are directed towards the following goals for you as a student:
- The ability to play a huge repertoire of classical, contemporary, blues, jazz and accompaniment pieces
- Experience playing as a natural self – expression
- Have a highly positive, self – affirming experience with music learning
- Develop the ability to progress independently in playing music, reading, writing, composition, improvisation, arrangement, structure and theory
Simply Music piano classes are available for anyone, ages 5 - 105. Classes are offered Monday - Thursday, with lessons scheduled during the afternoons and evenings. Please call or email for more information about the right class for you.
The Simply Music Curriculum
The Simply Music curriculum unfolds over a period of approximately six years. Most beginning students spend their first three years participating in the Simply Music Foundation Program, where they are taught the 'base-tools' that are at the heart of the Simply Music method. In years 4-6, student’s progress into Simply Music's Development Program, which advances their musicianship, broadens their knowledge and experience and more fully rounds out their entire music learning experience.
Below is a broad outline of how the program unfolds over the first 3 years:
Year One:
Year Two:
Year three:
Below is a broad outline of how the program unfolds over the first 3 years:
Year One:
- 35 - 50 pieces of various musical genres
- Develop the basics of accompaniment performance
- Establish a strong foundation of playing
- Prepare for the introduction of music reading
Year Two:
- 25 - 40 pieces of various musical genres
- Develop accompaniment performance
- Develop a music reading and writing foundation
- Develop a foundation of classical and popular music
- Develop a foundation of blues and jazz music
Year three:
- 15 - 30 pieces of various musical genres
- Expand accompaniment performance
- A more complex classical and popular foundation
- A more complex blues and jazz foundation
- Develop the basics of improvisation and arrangement
- Expand knowledge of theory and its practical application
The Advantages of Shared Lessons
Musical
The dynamic group environment accelerates musical learning.
Music becomes a natural, joyful and cooperative activity.
The return on investment increases dramatically.
The dynamic group environment accelerates musical learning.
- Multiple types of learning through observation and experience.
- Variety, physicality and group dynamics are energizing and fun for students and teacher, dramatically increasing students’ attention and engagement.
- Questions and comments not all students would think of on their own.
- Interactive discussion can deepen learning.
- Pairings and mentor groups increase in-lesson educational support.
- Classmates provide opportunity for out-of-lesson educational support.
- Presence of others facilitates singing along, providing more holistic musical learning.
- Playing and singing together gives ensemble performance experience.
- Playing in front of others provides public performance experience.
- Constructive peer pressure – groups increases students’ sense of accountability and can speed up those who would have been slower.
Music becomes a natural, joyful and cooperative activity.
- Students develop social skills and engage in teamwork.
- Group dynamics create room for each unique personality.
- Appreciation for multiple perspectives – everyone learns from everyone, not only from the teacher.
- Community, camaraderie, friendship – within piano learning and potentially beyond as well.
- No student is on the spot with the teacher for the entire lesson – opportunity to hide when needed based on personality, mood, etc.
- Students learn to teach others – faster students in particular can take on a leadership role.
- Parent/coach gains support from other students and parents/coaches.
- Many of the musical advantages are social ones as well.
The return on investment increases dramatically.
- Significantly lower financial cost per lesson.
- Greater opportunity to exchange classes to avoid missing a lesson.
- Classmates can help students catch up when a lesson is missed.
