Course

In Oxon and Oxford

Price on request

Description

  • Duration

    2 Years

This course is designed to give children a comprehensive, enjoyable music education. The primary goal is an ability to play the repertoire which consists of a variety of pieces chosen not only for their musical value, but for their appeal to children, ensuring that the students will play them eagerly and. enjoyably. Suitable for: Children aged six or seven at the start of the course.

Facilities

Location

Start date

Oxford (Oxfordshire)
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Music Buildings Cheney School Cheney Lane Headington, OX3 7QH

Start date

On request
Oxon (Oxfordshire)
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15-17 The Nursery Sutton Courtenay, OX14 4UA

Start date

On request

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Course programme

Introduction

The two books - Let's Go To The Zoo followed by Delicious Dreams - are themed, with engaging material especially designed for children aged six or seve.

Traditionally, music is taught as an intellectual activity, i.e. starting with reading music. This is not the best approach for children at this age. We start with listening, then singing what we have heard, followed by playing what we sang and finally reading and writing the notes – just like learning language skills.

COURSE CONTENT

Repertoire
To begin with, the children will play hands separately but soon they will progress to hands together work that gradually requires greater coordination skills. Please remember that just finding the correct note with the correct finger is not the main purpose – musical intention and how they play is vital and for this reason, we take time to prepare each piece. The children have frequent opportunities to play solos to their classmates and parents.

Ensembles and Keyboard Harmony
Playing together is a very important aspect in our lessons, and we start ensembles fairly soon. The children are introduced to many different styles – rock, pop, classical, jazz etc. We also start playing chords in preparation for keyboard harmony, in which they learn to harmonise melodies and create their own accompaniment variations.

Singing
Through songs, the children will learn about different moods, images and many musical points. As well as ‘fun’ songs, we learn solfege songs. Solfege is our basic teaching technique and is used to introduce and experience new notes and keys before playing and writing them, as well as focusing on specific musical points, e.g. contrasts of loud and soft; and smooth and detached. Solfege is a ‘fixed-do’ system that is
useful for singing songs without words and is extremely important for pitch awareness.

Notation
Reading and writing music is introduced at the very start of the course, and is an important part of the follow-up work at home. However, at this level, it is never the first stage of learning a piece of music – we want the children to play as musically as possible and really understand what they are playing before they read what they have played.

Homework
Homework usually includes the following four elements: playing, singing, listening, writing. Please establish a routine of daily practice with your child and use the diaries we provide. This will help to establish the idea of regular practice right from the beginning, preventing any problems later on.

Practical homework is designed to be as easy as possible and
is usually just following up everything that has been experienced and understood in the lesson. We hope practising becomes a shared and pleasurable experience.

Concerts
When appropriate, we will have ‘mini-concerts’ so that children can perform their songs and pieces. These will take a small part of the lesson and visitors are welcome. We usually hold an annual concert for all the students who come to Matrix and we have an open-to-all get together at Christmas. Children and adults arrive a couple if hours before the concert to play and sing seasonal pieces and songs ‘from scratch’.

Course Progression and Exams
The two EMC books last approximately one year each. Children usually take a short exam after completion of each book. As the material for the exams is taken from the course there is no need for extra preparation lessons.

After EMC Books 1 and 2 students and parents choose which direction to take their future musical studies; most decide to take to progress to the Junior Extension Course, some taking up an additional instrument. This course builds on the skills learnt already, and adds sight singing, sight playing, basic composition and arranging skills to the list. It is exciting to watch EMC and JXC children pick up music they hear around them and teach themselves how to play it. Other options
include taking up individual tuition; or choosing to follow the
keyboard route by going on to Yamaha’s Play for Keeps course
at a local Yamaha Music School. (Matrix does not run this
course.)

Parents
Although it is not compulsory to attend, parents are very welcome in all EMC lessons. If you do attend, we will sometimes ask for your help, or invite you to join in. Do try to participate enthusiastically!

Thank you in advance for your commitment to the course. We look forward to teaching your children for at least the next two years and in later life I’m sure they will be grateful to you for providing them with the gift of music.

Elementary Music

Price on request