music class
Where should my child start at The Shedd Institute Community Music School?
by Ginevra Ralph, Director of Education
Young parents often ask us the questions:
  • “When should my child start learning music?”
  • “My child loves music! Where should s/he start to learn more, and then what should s/he do next?”
  • “My child is 4 and wants to play violin. What should we do?”
Our short answers are:
  • “Today!”
  • “Explore possibilities and keep the fire lit!”
  • and “Buy some time!”
At The Shedd, we take our goal of life-long music participation seriously. We have developed classes and private instruction policies to be sure that the musical spark, which seems built into the human DNA, is fanned and never goes out. Classes start with the youngest in mind, and continue through to Unforgettable, a sing-along program which we hold in residential memory care facilities.
However, let’s focus on the 2-8 year olds for right now. “Scope and sequence” is teacher lingo for what is going to be taught and in what order. Here’s our scope and sequence for beginning music making. We think we have a good plan to get kids started and keep them engaged and learning as they grow up.
A great starting point for youngsters 2-5 is our Jump Up Singing! class that introduces many great songs (and refreshes parents’ memories of the words and melodies), teaches rhythm, listening skills, movement, and more. Each term the class will have new songs and content so that it is repeatable as often as you like.
The next class to take is the Music Box which continues to build a child’s singing background while introducing a different instrument each week. It’s a great way to let your child learn a lot about music making, keep them excited, while “buying some time” to let them mature physically. For example, the sound of violin is extremely appealing to youngsters – but they are darned hard to play and the quality of the sound that comes out of those tiny instruments isn’t what the kids expect to hear! Music Box also can be repeated all year.
What next? For kids ready to move into a focused class, piano is always a great starting point. The Basic Piano class can be taken all year, and lays down a great foundation to build on for any instrument later – including drums!
Rekindling the spark for adults works too by gradually easing back into music making as your time allows and piano and guitar are wonderfully rewarding re-starting points.
We look forward to making music be a part of your family’s life!
Term Announcements
Winter Term begins Saturday, January 10.
Begin private lessons anytime!
No classes scheduled: Monday, January 19 (MLK Day), Monday February 16 (President’s Day).
Focus on the Classes...
kids singing
Jump Up Singing!
Jump Up Singing! is a great place to start your youngster’s music education journey. Jump Up Singing! is an exploratory music class for toddlers (and their grand/parents) focusing on movement, singing and rhythm. Through the use of age-appropriate songs and activities, children experience singing, story-telling and drama through expressive, lively and playful instruction. The class has new content each term, and can be repeated term after term until students are ready to join Music Box at age 5. Read more...
kids playing violin
The Music Box
Music Box provides a beginning foundation in music education with hands-on explorations of different instruments, songs and musical styles to help students discover the right “fit” for their musical interests and pick a favorite instrument for further study. Each week introduces a new song from our Music Box CD (ranging from spirituals, folk, jazz, bluegrass and more) followed by a hands-on introduction to a new instrument led by a Shedd Faculty member. Each session will be presented in a multi-dimensional context of history, geography, nature, and language to make every musical workshop even richer, more educational and fun! With every musical discovery, your child grows one step closer to a lifetime of music making and informed music listening. Parents/grandparents are strongly encouraged to attend the class as well to support the child’s exploration. Read more...
kid playing piano
Basic Piano
Piano is a great instrument for anyone to start music lessons on and a fundamental tool for all instrumentalists, singers, and songwriters. It provides a strong foundation for reading music, manual coordination, and ear training all at the same time. The Beginning Piano Class students will learn basic keyboard orientation and simple melodies. We encourage parents to stay for this class to learn alongside their child. Parent attendance at the beginning level provides support for better playing at home and encourages relaxed exploration. Each student will have his/her own piano in the classroom. Electronic keyboards are available for rent if there is no piano at home. Read more...
The Eye Center
Shedd Presenting Sponsor