“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
How many times have you been asked that question? I’ve been asked it countless times; I’ve asked myself it countless times…I’ve answered it countless times. And I don’t think I’ve ever once actually been correct. I’m all about goals, about dreaming big, about writing things down and making them happen. But, that being said, I’ve also found sometimes the universe just sends you on the path that you’re supposed to go. Or, sometimes, you pivot completely, because you’re at a crossroads, or you see a different light that grabs your attention. Anyhow, if you asked me out of University if I would ever create an eCourse, I would have first off said, “What’s an eCourse?” Did eCourses exist back in 2012? They must have!! But in the last few-and-then-some years, I’ve taken so many eCourses. I love the ability to go at my own pace, take something I’m interested in, and continue my education. Anything from education that enhances my career, makes me feel like a more qualified mama (when it comes to safety), or inspires me!!
In 2014, I started teaching virtually for some of my students. As I was travelling back and forth between Calgary and Edmonton, I offered my students the ability to have lessons virtually when I was in the other city, and then lessons in-person when I was in their city. Then in 2017, I moved to New York, and maintained that, but something incredible happened…I started teaching students from all over Canada that I had never met in person, and would likely never meet in person. How cool is technology? With my Preschool Music Classes, I couldn’t wrap my head around offering virtual, because of the timing aspect (and internet connection) of so many different homes with little ones, so I shifted to only offering my Preschool Music Classes in-person in Calgary. I was still regularly asked if I would ever offer my Preschool Music Classes virtually, so the thought kept fluttering in the back of my mind. And then, a pandemic happened…
The pandemic shifted things for everyone in numerous ways. So much awful came out of it, but also what came out of it was a lot of growth and change for people. For me, I wasn’t able to travel back and forth the way I used to, and I wasn’t able to teach in-person. I wondered what this meant for so many kiddos who had already registered for my Preschool Music Classes or who were on my wait list. When and how was I going to be able to serve them? It also meant there was a lot of parents or caregivers at home with their kids looking for new and fun things to do. So, it felt like the time to make this virtual vision come to fruition. Out of that came my Preschool Music eCourse.
Preschool Music eCourse
Here are the most common questions I get asked about my Preschool Music eCourse:
What age is this intended for?
When I taught my classes in-person, ages 3 to 5-years-old were unparented classes, and ages 6-months to 3-years-old were parented. I created the eCourse to be a happy medium between those. I think the course is a beautiful thing for adults to do with kids, but if you cannot, children aged 3 and up will be able to handle most of the material themselves, except maybe needing you to hit play or pause every once and a while.
Each week is broken up into two segments. The first segment is the class, which is around 15-20 minutes. It involves singing, dancing, playing instruments, doing actions, and reading music-related books. That video can be played right through. However, I’ve also heard of day homes using it and pausing often to give more kids a try at something, or to move locations to perform a different piece, or to extend the class out. The second segment is a craft – I either suggest a musical craft you can make and show you how, or I send over a colouring page that you can print out and colour in. The course is 12 weeks long.
What will they learn?
What I think is more important than anything is fostering a love for music. So, the first thing they will learn is to love music, appreciate music, and have fun making music! But on top of that, they will learn:
- Beat
- Rhythm
- Dynamics
- Tempo
- Pitch
- Music Notes
- Music Instruments
You’ll be impressed how much your toddler will pick up in such a short amount of time!
What do you need to take the course?
Other than signing up for the course, which you can use for a lifetime, and replay as many times as you want, you do not need anything.
The instruments we use in it are:
- Tambourine
- Wooden Block and Mallet
- Castanet
- Xylophone
- Drum
- Stuffed Animals [I know, that’s not an instrument]
- Triangle and Beater
- Bells
What’s so fantastic is that anything can be an instrument – you can use a container and spoon to act as a drum, or kids can use their body to make wonderful percussion, so when I say nothing else is needed, I mean it. If you have some of these instruments, bonus, but it’s definitely not required!
Here’s an example of what you’ll see:
Beginner Piano eCourse
After seeing the enthusiasm for the Preschool Music eCourse, and being thrilled by the opportunity to help bring music into so many more homes than I could by simply teaching private students, I decided to offer another eCourse. I have heard from a lot of people that have their kids in other competitive activities, that the schedule doesn’t always allow for another thing, but that their kid (or themselves, for that matter) would love to begin to learn to play piano. So, out came my second eCourse, Piano for Beginners!
Here are the most common questions I get asked about my Beginner Piano eCourse:
What age is this good for?
When it comes to starting piano, this is what I always say – it depends on the kid, but between 4-6 years is usually a good starting point. The things to look for that are helpful when deciding when to start are:
- Can the child sit at the piano for (up to) 30 minutes?
- Can they name/recognize A-G?
- Can they name/recognize 1-5?
You also learn these things in piano, so it isn’t necessary to be a master at them, but just enough understanding, so that they can progress smoothly in piano to enjoy it!
What changes with this being a piano eCourse versus private lessons, is I would say for kids 4 to 6-years-old, they will need adult help to move along in the course, because I won’t be there to see them, help them, and correct them.
Beyond that age, they should be okay to get through most of it on their own (again with maybe some help pausing and starting). But, I also have parents and caregivers say how much they enjoy learning along with them.
This course is also good for so many ages upwards. I would say ideal until around 12-years-old. Beyond 12 and into adult age, the course is definitely still useable, and the material is all still very relevant for any beginner, but you may find the books used are a bit too “young” and/or you may fly through the material much quicker.
Where is it available?
This course is available to anyone who wants to buy it! Once you buy it, you have it for a lifetime, and can redo any weeks as you desire. It’s 22-weeks of lessons, some shorter, some longer. You can imagine yourself sitting at the piano for about 30 minutes per lesson. Each lesson is broken up into modules that follow the books we are using. Each week includes a concept video, videos for the lesson book (songs), and videos for the theory book (written).
Is it appropriate for someone with no musical background?
Yes, we very much start with the basics of the basics here. Step one is learning your hands and your fingers, and we grow from there!! By the end of the course, you will know how to read sheet music, keep a steady beat, clap rhythms, and play the piano beautifully!!
What else do you need to buy other than the course?
All you need other than the course is the Piano Adventures Primer Lesson book and Piano Adventures Primer Theory book!
I’m so grateful that I’m able to be a small part of helping make music in so many homes and that I can share my love for music with all of you. Thank you for your interest, and I hope this serves you. It’s been a pleasure!