Call 650 324 2373 | Text 408 520-1585
SUMMER & FALL 2024 SCHEDULE COMING SOON!
Music in Me & More Music In Me
ages 3-4
Two semesters. One semester = 18 weeks. 45 minutes weekly
MIM & MMIM can be repeated. Parent/caregiver's participation is required in class & at home.
This dynamic readiness program is structured so that your child will learn to play music the same way he or she learned to speak-by listening, repeating and responding. A parent or caregiver attends, take notes, and can coach daily at home.
Music in Me contains the basic elements of rhythm, melody, pitch, dynamics phrasing, and form. Concepts are learned through keyboard playing, solfege singing (naming notes using do-re-mi), movement activities and the use of rhythmic instruments.
As your child develops a trained ear and learns to create and perform music in a non-competitive environment, he or she will develop coordination, concentration and self-confidence. This layered natural approach emphasizes the ensemble aspects of music and it is wonderful preparation for further studies. Parents are fully involved in class and at home.
“I loved that Abi made so much progress on learning the keyboard, even though she was having so much fun she didn’t even notice she was learning. She went from ‘hunt and peck’ to playing with five fingers on both hands (at age 3)! ”
Harmony Road (ages 5-6)
2 semesters. One semester = 18 wks, 50 minutes weekly
Parent/caregiver's participation is required in class & at home.
The Harmony Road course is carefully constructed for children to learn the 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. Parents and caregivers are fully involved in class and at home.
By the end of the 1st semester of Harmony Road, children are able to play approximately 8-10 piano pieces (3 of them with both hands), Read notes on the Bass & Treble clef, learn simple harmonization techniques, and sing over 20 songs.
“By the end of the course, my son was not only reading his notes very well but he was able to play songs (by ear) that were not even taught in class.
We absolutely loved Christine. She made us (my son, husband and I) want to learn how to play the piano... What a privilege it has been for my son to be a part of this wonderful program!”
”
Helpful Articles Written by Our Experts
Why Choose Our Harmony Road
Harmony Road Certified Teachers with Piano & Voice Degrees
We are a group of experienced early childhood music specialists with piano and voice degrees. In our classes, we use our expertise in all three areas to offer a holistic and developmentally appropriate experience for our children. We understand how young children learn and what makes them excited about learning music. We're fluent in both piano and voice so you'll learn to sing as well as well play the piano.
We've honed our vocal, piano, and early childhood music skills at the Juilliard School of Music, Mozarteum, and Princeton among others.
Highest Quality Curriculum
There are many early childhood music classes in the Bay Area that encourage families to enjoy music. Though we believe this is a noteworthy goal, we believe young children are capable of so much more.
In addition to singing, moving to music, playing rhythm instruments, our students learn to sing in solfege (do-re-mi), play the piano, and write music themselves so that they learn to become creators of music. Our children learn musical skills and concepts that have lasting impact on how they learn music in private lessons down the road.
Now after teaching nearly two decades, we've witnessed Harmony Road's contribution to our graduates' musical journey. Our graduates have gone onto study many different instruments successfully at New Mozart and later at conservatories and universities. Our notable graduates have appeared on national TV (Nickelodeon, Bravo), local media (Palo Alto Weekly), performed at concert venues in the US and Europe, won competitions, and scholarships.
Our student achievements aside, our biggest satisfaction comes from knowing that we helped and continue to help educate our families and the community at large that there is a better, innovative way to teach music to young children. That we don't have to tell families with 3, 4, 5, 6 year olds that they lack attention span and come back when they're older for music lessons.
Yes, 3 year olds will sometimes (or often) want to crawl under the piano instead of playing the piano. And we know exactly what to do when they do that.
““It is fascinating to watch this process unfold in my daughter....she wants to keep learning, looks forward to the class each week despite the long car ride to Palo Alto...This has been one of the most important activities my daughter has participated in over the past year.”
New Mozart's Harmony Road is directed by Christine Shin who has extensive training in early childhood music education theories (Dalcroze at the Juilliard School in New York, Orff at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, & Kodaly at Holy Names) in addition to her classical piano & vocal background. She has been teaching music since 1989 and was the chair of the National Guild of Piano Teachers’ Palo Alto chapter for many years. Go here to read her full bio.
A three-year-old child is a wonder to behold. She is a sponge for information, eyes wide open, hands grasping, ears attuned. It’s easy to feel that the main function of a parent is keeping inappropriate things out of reach. But there’s a positive side to this, of course. This is the age at which the child is most receptive to good things as well.