The Music School 21 owners Rok and Alexandra will teach two new online group courses starting in April! Ear Training with Alexandra and Introduction to Songwriting have been designed for both beginners and intermediate students who would like to familiarize themselves with two very important aspects of music-making.
Ear Training
Ear training is an immensely important component of a solid music instruction. During their private lessons, students can only do so much to develop their aural skills. While as teachers we strive to do our best to fit this important aspect of music instruction into our lesson plans, there is only so much time that we have to dedicate to it. Our online ear training course has been devised as an introduction to the world of music theory.
Over the course of 8 weeks, students will work in small mixed-ability groups of no more than 8 students, discovering fundamental musical concepts such as solmization and hand signs (the Kodaly method), scales (featuring ascending and descending stepwise motion and leaps), rhythm, notation (reading and basic writing), dynamics, and expression. The course will be led by Mezzo-soprano Alexandra Flinn-Palcic.
Composition
Introduction to Songwriting, on the other hand, explores the art of composition and notation. Composition is often seen as an advanced topic, and rightfully so, but that does not mean that young students should avoid it altogether. On the contrary, introducing children to composition composition early on can help them enormously later on. As students become more familiar with the musical staff and how individual symbols are notated, their note-reading skills will improve considerably, making their private studio lessons far more effective.
Over the course of 8 weeks, students will learn the basics of staff notation, basic rhythmic patterns, rhymes, verses and chorus, musical phrases, and how to set lyrics to music. The course will be led by Rok Palcic, founder and CEO of Music School 21.
The Importance of Online Group Courses
Music instruction is very complex, and often knowing what is best for our children is difficult, especially without proper guidance. Moreover, having an exceptional studio teacher might not be enough, as in order to get a wholistic music education, students need to explore it through various lenses. Although many private studio teachers incorporate elements of music fundamentals into their lessons, dedicated music theory classes become indispensable sooner or later. These classes or courses are designed to introduce and reinforce concepts that help students thrive at their instruments or as singers.
Online or In Person?
Distance learning has been around for far longer than most of us realize. There are certainly situations that call for in-person instruction, but there are instances where online classes offer not only a comparable but even superior experience. While in-person private studio lessons are essentially a requisite for advanced students, remote lessons on the other hand are a fantastic solution for adult learners and most beginners and intermediate students. We have already discussed this topic at length (rightfully so) and welcome you to get in touch if you have any questions!
Both conventional and remote classes have been proven to offer a comparable experience. This is particularly true for smaller classes where teachers can fully focus on each student. While your local music school might offer a variety of courses, ours have been carefully designed by our leading educators with decades of experience and stellar credentials. Moreover, our online group courses offer several advantages. First of all, they can connect students from different backgrounds conveniently from the comfort of their homes, allowing them to socialize and improve their social skills as well. Furthermore, scheduling online classes eliminates all sorts of logistical issues. Finally, by working in small groups, teachers can devote the proper amount of attention to each student, making sure that each one advances at the proper pace.