NW Music HR1C Harmony Road 1 Music Class & Materials for 5 yrs - Kindergarten

The Harmony Road Music Course is carefully constructed for children to learn basic building blocks of music. Emphasis is on ear training, solfege singing, keyboard playing, ensemble and rhythm activities, movement and music creativity. This exceptional course gives the student "inner hearing", which makes transposing, improvisation and composing easily accessible in their musical studies. Parent involvement in class and at home.

The Harmony Road curriculum consists of four books – each used for a 20 week semester 55 minutes weekly. The materials are specifically designed for children (age 5 to kindergarten) and their parent/caregiver in a group setting. Children who complete our Music in Me course may be ready for Harmony Road 1 as young as age 4 1/2. We are happy to do an assessment at no charge.

The class environment provides a dynamic space where children, teacher, and parents enjoy learning and making music together. This opportunity to share music is especially important – not only musically but also for the child’s social and emotional development.

Activities are designed to develop the whole child musically with singing (words and solfege), movement, rhythmic activities, keyboard/piano solo and ensemble playing, note reading and games, and creative projects. We all speak our language before we read and write. In much the same way, the young child needs to process musical patterning and concepts through active participation. Experiential learning along with multi-sensory teaching techniques help the child learn naturally and develop a strong “inner hearing” for melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic patterning.

Research has shown that the “window of opportunity” to absorb musical concepts and develop “inner hearing” is between the ages of two to six with ability peaking at age 4. By age five most children have developed a sense of the musical harmonies and styles within their own culture. Harmony Road Book 1 emphasizes melodic development through solfege singing and singing and playing solos and ensembles on the keyboard/piano. Melodic patterning – steps and skips – are experienced with sight singing, use of a magnetic note board, and many reading games in treble and bass clef. Children hear and sing what they are reading.

Harmonic concepts are layered ahead and Harmony Road Book 2 emphasizes the gradual development of left-hand harmony and several new key centers. In Harmony Road Book 3 – more key centers are experienced, and children transpose and explore many new accompaniment styles. Songwriting which begins in book 2 – provides further reinforcement and knowledge of musical terms and applied theory. Harmony Road Book 4 continues with more new key centers, an expanded playing and reading/writing range, more composing techniques including repeat, reverse, sequence and rhythm variation. Students begin to play their own accompaniment style as they sing solfege. All of these musicianship skills are developed through highly motivating and fun songs and activities.

Contact us for time and date 208-667-6200 or at info@nwacademy.com