This first experience class in full music training is for little people 3 and 4 years old with an adult as the child’s assistant! We have great fun in activities, songs, stories, and piano time with rhyme. We immerse ourselves in all of this at a level developmentally appropriate to the child.

This session 1A starts building understanding of the keyboard letters of C, D, E, & F; patterns in sound going higher and lower; learning solfedge with rote song learning and going to hand signs; and foundational experiences in note values using rhythm instruments in class.

The next 12 weeks in level 1, 1B, adds the reminder of the music alphabet, G, A, & B, and the note values in rhythm reading and writing. We also add more understanding and terms for our dynamics pp, p, f, & ff; finger numbers as used in piano; continue growing solfedge.

In the final 12 weeks for Sunshine® level 1, 1C, we continue to build understanding and abilities in all the elements thus-far and we begin to have the children move onto a single staff in treble clefs of bass clef. We now are able to work with all the stories of letter and rhythm friends, rhymes, pitch experiences, visual training in patterns and staff to help the children to play a music scale in the key of C major!

full year overview-

Sunshine® 1, the youngest of our Music Foundations with Piano programs, is the beginning point for 3-4 year olds in MYC® classes. Our focus is foundational - building their foundation in music skills including reading based in learning to play the piano. Students experience movement through beats and rhythms, as well as developing their fine motor skills with rhythm plays and instrument ensemble playing. 

All of our TMC and MYC programs are fabulous foundations leading to any instrument lessons.

Children start learning the geography of the piano and note-reading through our MYC Critters (and their stories to which the children can relate). By the end of the SS1 level (three calendar quarters - A,B,C), children are able to play their first scale (C Major) and are playing short songs while reading from the staff. In class we have many experiences, such as identifying like/different, matching, patterns, and reinforcing and recalling the music concepts. Concepts and skills are reinforced with fun at-home activities at the piano keys, singing, chanting, rhymes. Also with exciting things like scissors cutting, gluing, and coloring.

We do do pint-sized yet grown-up learning! Meaning…the children are experiencing and learning the foundational elements of music. Next, is a list illustrating some of the skills worked on in the year.

• Learning piano and rhythm through MYC’s unique keyboard and rhythm ‘critters’

• off-the-staff reading for contour and patterns

• steady beat experiences

• solfedge hand signs and rote learning of songs

• on-the-staff reading in treble clef and bass clef

• listening to - identify and use dynamics (loud and quiet sounds)

• listening to a rhythm pattern and writing it using rhythm writing tools. This is sometimes referred to as rhythm dictation. 

Registration for Sunshine 1 is expected for the 9 months usually September through May. We have payments conveniently broken into three quarterly payments. Many supplies are needed at the beginning of the year and the first quarter Sessions payment is higher than the following two Sessions. Each Session quarter you will receive the next book and additional supplies for class and the at home activities.